Steel framed doors to Camden extension were central to this rear addition by Torner Architects, where a London townhouse was reworked to create a taller, more light-filled relationship between the principal living spaces, a glazed study and the garden beyond. IQ Glass supplied and installed a coordinated package of thermally broken steel framed doors and screens, frameless structural glazing, structural glass roof glazing and frameless glass balustrades, using a consistent black finish to tie the new extension and upper-floor openings into one disciplined architectural scheme.
Products Used
Project Partners
Torner Architects
Location
Camden, UK
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Steel framed doors to Camden extension for a tall rear addition
The design challenge was to extend a traditional London house with a rear addition that could feel tall, open and visually coherent without relying on a heavy glazed facade or unrelated door and window elements. Steel framed doors to Camden extension therefore had to do more than provide access. They had to organise movement between the main living and dining room, the elevated patio, a separate sunroom study and the upper-floor balcony openings, while maintaining one consistent industrial character across the project. The glazing solution combined thermally broken steel framed doors and screens with frameless structural glazing and roof glazing, allowing each element to answer a different spatial requirement while reading as one architectural language.
Steel framed terrace doors solving the main garden connection
At the rear of the principal living and dining space, steel framed double doors with fixed side lights were used to create a controlled opening onto the elevated patio. This solved two design problems at once. It strengthened the relationship to the garden while keeping the rear elevation ordered and symmetrical rather than relying on one oversized opening. The principal door set measures 2602mm high by 3610mm wide, with opening leaves of 940mm and 856mm, and is supported on thermally broken support blocks to maintain performance at the threshold. In this way, steel framed doors to Camden extension become both an access solution and the primary organising element of the rear facade.
Frameless structural glazing and roof glazing to the study extension
On either side of the dining space, narrower steel framed double doors lead into a steel framed sunroom extension designed as a study. The challenge here was to create a secondary volume that still felt visually light, so the steel framed openings were combined with frameless structural glazing and an open structural glass roof. At over 3m high and 3m wide, the study extension uses wrap-around structural glass to maximise garden views, while frameless glass balustrades continue the inside-outside connection without adding visual weight. The result is a study space that feels distinct, but still fully connected to the wider rear extension.
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Performance considerations
This scheme depends on balancing slim steel sightlines with modern thermal performance and controlled structural detailing. The main rear doors are supported on thermally broken support blocks, while the structural glazing and roof glazing use thermally broken systems to maintain a lighter appearance without reducing the performance of the envelope. Roof glazing brings daylight deep into the study and adjacent living spaces, and frameless glass balustrades provide the necessary guarding to elevated openings and balcony edges without interrupting the visual continuity of the glazing package. Internally, fire-rated steel screens and doors add compartmentation and safety while preserving the same disciplined steel framed character through the house.
Technical details
- Steel framed external doors: Principal rear door set 2602mm high x 3610mm wide; opening leaves 940mm and 856mm; thermally broken support blocks used at the main threshold
- Frameless structural glazing: Thermally broken fixing profile depth 63mm; max glass thickness 41.5mm; expected Uw 1.1 W/m²K; minimum fixing setback 55mm; structure deflection allowance 5mm
- Structural glass roof: Glass thickness up to 37.5mm DGU; typical Ug 1.1 W/m²K; example Uw 1.2 W/m²K; recommended single rooflight up to 1.5m x 3m; minimum upstand 150mm; fall 5° to 45°
- Frameless glass balustrades: Toughened laminated glass up to 21.5mm; max height 1100mm; line load up to 3kN
- Fire-rated steel doors and screens: Frame depth 60mm to 70mm; glass thickness typically 15mm to 37mm; thermal performance from 1.5 W/m²K; wind load Class 4 (1600 Pa); security testing up to RC3
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