The Red House

This two-storey glass extension sits between the existing listed 18^th century house and the adjacent Grand Union Canal. The design brief was to create a glazed structure with minimal interruption from the framing.

The large glazed panel sizes are dictated by dimensions of the slender steel frame and are nominally 2,450mm high x 2250mm wide on the west elevation, and 2,450mm high by 3,400mm wide on the south elevation.

The glass box is constructed using the Technal Trame system, in which the horizontal support is set back from the outer glazed surface of the double glazing unit, leaving the only horizontal manifestation of the transom as a silicone joint. The vertical mullion caps are in the form of a ‘T’ to minimise the visual impact of the cap. The corners are glass-to-glass, with overlapping outer panes.

Large sliding doors on the west elevation provide the openings overlooking the canal. The openings are conceived as ‘cuts’ made in the outer membrane: the plane of the outer surface is maintained with the balcony glazing and glass overpanels, and the sliding doors are set behind this plane. Electrically controlled venetian blinds provide privacy.