Envisaged by architect Nick Willson, over 6 acres of land wraps itself around Tim and Jane’s unique single-storey home with a central courtyard. It is designed to be a home with a sense of place; a low energy airtight building with architectural qualities appropriate for such a special site.
Glazing is fundamental to the design which is typical of mid-century architecture of Mies van der Rohe or Frank Lloyd Wright. In this type of modernist architecture, a key objective is to maximise the visual connection to the landscape with full height glazing. Expansive panels of glass allow natural light to enter rooms from multiple angles shaded with a covered walkway. As a result, the house is flooded with natural daylight which reduces the need and cost for artificial light. The full height glazing provides inside to outside connectivity. Glazed links and garden spaces allow the house to sit within the garden landscape with glass openings directing the views out towards the trees and wildflower meadows.
“We wanted to demonstrate that a bungalow could still be practical and accessible but have exemplary design and special architectural qualities for multi-generational appeal.” explains Jane.
The couple chose ecoHaus to supply and install Internorm triple glazing throughout. To achieve his client’s vision, the architect specified eight full-height glass-to- glass corner windows. “The full height glazing provides a streamlined, elegant way of introducing masses of natural light into our internal living spaces.” states Jane.
Here, the corner-to-corner glass window design is a bespoke structural glass construction made from high specification glass sealed together without any framework; with neat, high strength structural silicone joins visible between panes for uninterrupted views.
Ecohaus’ Craig Luff explains: “The high-strength structural glazing silicone provides stability for the joint glass panes as well as weatherproofing, allowing the configuration to accommodate thermal expansions or contractions that naturally occur when temperatures fluctuate.”
The security benefits of the Internorm product were also a big factor in the couple’s decision making. Triple glazing offers 54mm of glazing whereas a standard double glazed casement window is 24mm. The windows are Secured By Design accredited and PAS 24 certified.
The Internorm HS330 sliding door systems and fixed panels maximise panoramic views. The floor to ceiling glazing throughout extends the views even further creating entire walls of moving glass, and a continuous, unbroken connection to the outdoor spaces.
Despite offering such a seamless link to the outside, the Internorm sliding doors are solid with the master bedroom sliding door and fixed glass panel weighing in at 650kg, offering a solid, stable product.
Tim and Jane chose ecoHaus for our unique expertise in installing large quantities of glazing for bespoke, architect designed houses. Jane explains: “The courtyard glazing is 22.5m of continuous glazing with corner glass to glass joins. This is something very few companies can offer or have the skills and abilities to install.
“With over 280m2 of glazing to be installed, you cannot take risks. We ordered windows and doors off the architect’s plan, side stepping the requirement to measure the openings on site. This reduced any delays due to manufacturing lead times. Understandably, we required a company who had the skills, abilities, extensive experience and track record to deliver and achieve a high quality finish and an airtight building.” concludes Jane.
“ecoHaus’ knowledge of installing glazing in Passivhaus buildings is second to none and despite extensive glazing in the architect’s design, we were still able to achieve a high level of airtightness.” explained Craig Luff, ecoHaus Managing Director.
For a self-builder, time is money and Tim attributes the quick build timeframe to using modern methods of construction with SIPS (structurally insulated panels) manufactured off site and project managing the build with Jane.
“This wasn’t our first time doing a self-build so we knew what the potential hold ups could be. To reduce problems we hired skilled and experienced sub-contractors like ecoHaus. They too use modern, highly efficient methods with high tech robots and skilled specialist trades to install the significant quantities of floor to ceiling glazing.”
One step in the purchase process which really built confidence for Tim and Jane was the option to visit our ecoHaus showrooms. “We advise anyone who is building their own house to make an appointment to visit the ecoHaus showrooms. You’ll see the features and benefits first hand and understand details like opening directions, handle positions, options for finishing etc. We visited several times and also held planning meetings with architect in their Godalming showroom.”
This is a phenomenal home yet thoughtfully designed to suit Tim and Jane’s lifestyle. It’s clear that they only used the best quality products for the build, from the exquisitely designed aluminium fish scale roofing right through to the polished concrete floor and, of course, created a window of opportunity for our modern and contemporary style glazing and doors to add the quintessential “ohh-ahh” ingredient to the architect’s striking design.
You can see many more interior and exterior shots including drone footage of Tim and Jane’s self build over on our gallery page. Just click here