A new build house in Hertfordshire which takes inspiration from its surroundings. Catslide House is located in a Conservation area, surrounded by an eclectic mix of 1970’s properties and arts and craft style architecture. The architects took inspiration from both building styles to create a modern, open yet ‘home like’ piece of architecture. Here, IQ Glass provided a combination of glazing to suit the unique building design. 

Located on a street of 1970’s buildings, the building showcases key architectural features of is neighbours; most notably the brick chimney and the ‘catslide’ roof from which the building gets its name.

Below this unique roofline, IQ’s bespoke glazing wraps around the rear of the house at the ground floor level. Here, a corner connection of glazing with a combination of structural glass and slim framed sliding doors create a full exterior glass wall to the living spaces downstairs. This floor to ceiling glass design feeds into the idea of ‘space’ that the architects were trying to achieve here; both tangibly and perceptually.

Frameless glass rooflights are placed at strategic locations throughout the house with interior timber battens softening the impact of light ingress. The interior timber works well with the interior scheme and has the functional benefit of shading and encapsulating the interiors, offering a feeling of being enclosed whilst allowing light in. 

Internally, the architects tried to create both the perception and tangible feeling of space between all the private and guest areas of the Hertfordshire home. These areas were split across the first and ground floor and ‘space’ was used to differentiate between this spaces.

You can see that volume of space on the ground floor where our floor to ceiling glazing draws the eye through the living areas to the outside. The overall design is uncomplicated, which was a key part of the brief, using space and light to create the interior atmosphere.

Other windows on the project were typical AluClad composite windows with timber interiors and aluminium externally to match the external grey facades.

This new build house in Hertfordshire has been recognised amongst the architectural community and included in the shortlists for various architectural awards. IQ were pleased to be involved in such an inspirational project, using our architectural glazing to elevate the design.