Private Residence, Stoke Newington
Improved
awareness and appreciation of good design – in part a result of
well-known property programmes on our television screens – means
homeowners understand the value of extensions and improvements better
than ever. That value is not just monetary; for many, it is about
quality of life, and stems from the opportunity to work with an
architect and create a home they never thought likely to be able to
enjoy.
Nowhere is that collaborative spirit more in evidence than at Burma Road, where a Flushglaze modular fixed rooflight was incorporated into the design plan by Brian O’Tuama Architects.
Many of the area’s Victorian terraced homes are owned by people
employed in creative industries, and represent the perfect canvas for
families wanting to make a mark on their properties.
While there
are inevitable similarities between houses in a small locality, and even
the briefs that come from the clients, each project still offers its
own challenges and constraints. This one was no exception.
The
owners had lived in the property for ten years, during which time they
had updated the existing kitchen but retained its original position
within the house. A rear conservatory, “tacked on” to the closet wing by
previous owners, only served to emphasise the lack of connection
between inside and outside.
Creating connection
The brief,
then, was to make a bright, comfortable family space featuring a dining
area and kitchen. Maximising the connection to the rest of the house
and maintaining light into the rear reception room was important, at the
same time as creating a much better connection to the rear garden.
A
closet wing is an ‘outrigger’ that does not span the entire rear of the
property; it leaves a side return. “It’s a no-brainer to glaze over
that side return,” commented Brian O’Tuama. The orientation of the house
and the deeply indented nature of the return meant solar gains were not
an issue. “We checked that early on,” Brian added.
A pair of
French doors were remodelled to create the access between the rear
reception room and the new family space. The height of the overall
opening – which was divided to create a small, high level window above
the doorway between the house and the rear extension – provided the
major constraint on the design of the 3°-pitch lean-to glazed roof.
Practicality
was an issue that had to be kept in mind too: with no rear access to
the property, all products and materials used during the work had to be
of an appropriate size and weight to carry through the house.
Designing the glazing
For
the section of glazing nearest to the house, a “pop-up” glazed lantern
was required to comfortably enclose the new upper opening in the wall,
without compromising natural light into the rear reception room. A Glazing Vision fixed Eaves Flushglaze rooflight
was specified, supplied in two sections of 1185 x 800mm, and 185mm in
height. This unit featured a glass to glass detail at the join to
maintain the appearance of no visible framework from inside the
property.
A standard, BBA-certified Flushglaze modular fixed rooflight
was chosen for the remainder of the glazed roof, its 4.5m width created
in three sections with aluminium back-to-back angles at the joins to
structurally support the glass.
In terms of thermal performance,
high performance double glazed units of 28mm were perfectly suited to
the project, comprising 2no. 6mm panes separated by a 16mm argon-filled
cavity, with warm edge spacers to reduce thermal bridging.
The
inner panes featured a specialist soft coat low emissivity (low-e)
coatings to control solar gain into the property during summer and
reduce the transmission of radiant heat back out during the winter
months. All panes were toughened glass, up to five times stronger than
ordinary float glass and more resistant to blunt impact; in line with
Glazing Vision’s policy of providing it as standard, they were also heat
soak tested to virtually eliminate the possibility of spontaneous
fracture.
Working with Glazing Vision
Burma Road sits in a
conservation area, so of perhaps greater importance was the need for
the rooflights to be of sympathetic appearance while also fitting with
the contemporary style of the project.
While a rear extension does
not impact on the street scene, there is a lot of emphasis on what
neighbouring properties can see. It was therefore necessary to “keep
things as tucked in and invisible to neighbouring gardens” as possible,
and a neutral slate grey outer colour fulfilled that requirement
perfectly.
Critically, Brian O’Tuama Architects were able to work with Glazing Vision to fine tune the design of the Flushglaze Eaves rooflight,
making sure it blended in as part of the extension while ensuring both
parties were happy with the junction detailing and the accommodation for
flashings.
Having worked with Glazing Vision before, Brian was
happy to include them in initial discussions with rooflight suppliers
during design development. Quotations were sought from each supplier, as
well as a sense of how the design could be achieved. Cost is obviously
important to most projects, and in this case there was little to choose
between the quotes received.
“The general response and level of
information from Glazing Vision was superior,” said Brian. The options
were presented to the client and agreement reached that Glazing Vision
would be a nominated supplier, allowing them to play an important role
in helping make this client’s vision of their dream home a reality.
For more information on Glazing Vision’s range of rooflights to suit a variety of applications, contact us on 01379 658 300 or request a CPD.
