[
Frameless glass finishes are not always easy to achieve. One of the critical design requirements of glass used in any building project is to resist the loads created by wind pressure and snow, as this can dictate the maximum single pane size permitted before the
deflection of the glass exceeds what is considered safe
]
architects, is situated on the edge of River Alde in Suffolk.
B The balance between nature and architecture
The brief, as stated by SOUP, was to ‘create a relaxed contemporary house within a reconsid- ered, natural landscape that blurred the site boundaries to its neighbours and adjoining marshland’. The location therefore remained a strong focal point throughout the entire project, with each aspect of the build designed to accentuate the surrounding views of ‘outstand- ing natural beauty’. As Patrick Walls, from SOUP explains, the
central motif was to ‘try and control the sense of arrival and movement through the house by cre- ating an entrance courtyard to the front which didn’t give a direct view through to the River Alde’. He goes on to say that ‘the view is kept and created by the front entrance; you move through into the main living space which then opens out onto the wide landscape’. The property itself has been kept minimalist in style; large open space and concrete floors remain neutral in colour to further highlight the surrounding greenery.
The unfolding relationship between nature and architecture is maintained through the property via the carefully positioned rooflights that allow sunlight to pervade the building.
Using rooflights to make the most of natural light
As part of the architects vision to incorporate as much outdoor space as possible, Glazing
roombank is a RIBA award winning new build house featuring a bespoke eaves rooflight. Broombank, designed by SOUP
Vision supplied a range of bespoke rooflights to make the most of this natural source of light. The central feature Glazing Vision supplied
was a Bespoke ‘Eaves’ Flushglaze Rooflight [3650mm x 1685mm]. This was positioned within the stairwell, enabling light to flood into a typically dark, enclosed space using both hor- izontal and vertical sections of glass. Glazing Vision’s ethos of ‘minimal framework’
made them a good candidate when it came to the roof glazing on this building. In order to achieve the goals of the design brief, the avoid- ance of visible framework was critical to the overall aesthetic. The glass on the central feature rooflight
appears to disappear into the building fabric, forming a seamless integration between the glass and building envelope. As communication is essential when dealing
with small details, Glazing Vision provided detailed general rooflight arrangement draw- ings. These included recommendations on how internal finishes might be carried out in order to minimise, and in most cases, completely hide any supporting framework. Frameless glass finishes are not always easy
to achieve. One of the critical design require- ments of glass used in any building project is to resist the loads created by wind pressure and snow, as this can dictate the maximum single pane size permitted before the deflection of the glass exceeds what is considered safe. Glazing Vision calculated the appropriate thickness and type of glass to meet the specified requirements. After assessing the unit and the deflection of glass to wind pressure, Glazing Vision felt that there might have been a risk of fracture, due to the sheer size of the horizontal pane.
Continued overleaf...
selfbuilder & homemaker
www.sbhonline.co.uk
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