Like many in urban areas, the dream for the owners of this Putney home was to create an open-plan family living space and kitchen whilst improving the connection between the house and garden.
To achieve this meant replacing a tired lean-to conservatory with a single storey, flat roof extension that wrapped around the side return to create space for kitchen and dining area – complete with the all-important kitchen island.
The design of the extension called for as much natural light as possible all year around and the initial brief for the glazing had been to include bifold doors into the extension that maximise the available opening, however after discussing their requirements with one of IDSystems project advisors the owners very quickly fell in love with the idea of incorporating theEDGE2.0 sliding doors into the design to make the most of the ultra-slim intermediate frames which measure just 20mm wide.
The minimal frame of theEDGE2.0 enabled the glass panels to be as large as possible, maximising the light that reached both the extension and the existing rooms of the house. To ensure the connection with the garden was as seamless as possible the doors were installed on an extended track so that they opened into a pocket.
The extended track was completely recessed into the floor, providing a level transition between inside and out without compromising on the weather performance of the doors. With the system measuring over 2.45m high the divide between the new kitchen/dining space and the patio and garden beyond is almost invisible, whether the doors are open or closed.
To maximise the amount of light even further three large clerestory windows were added above the party wall to let light in later in the day whilst a large frameless rooflight was added to the flat roof, creating pockets of light that fill the extension all year around.
The decision to opt for a pocket sliding door meant a tweaking the kitchen design slightly, but the finished result maximised the floor space of the extension and enabled the inclusion of an island into the kitchen design.
Speaking of the project, IDSystems’ Sales Manager Edward Stobart said “Pocket sliding doors have become hugely popular because they overcome the one real drawback of sliding doors – the requirement to have a fixed frame for the panels to slide behind. With this project being involved so early on in the design phase really made a difference. Our team were able to offer their advice and suggestions and to find a solution that was absolutely perfect for what the customer was looking to achieve.
We pride ourselves not only on the technically advanced products we supply and install but also on more than 25 years’ of experience and in this instance the narrow frames of theEDGE2.0 combined with the large glass panels mean that even when the doors are closed the house and garden feel connected and being able to create a complete opening by utilising a pocket for the sliding doors works perfectly.”
Location: Putney, South West London
Architect: Matthew Heywood Architects
Photos: Chris Snook Photography
