Dents Road is a full renovation of a Victorian house in London, incorporating a contemporary rear extension designed by MAD Architecture and Design. The extension was designed to introduce more natural light and establish a stronger connection between the existing home and garden while maintaining the privacy and comfort required for family living.
IQ Glass was appointed to provide the specialist glazing package, comprising a three-track slim framed sliding door system, aluminium casement windows and a large structural glass roof. The glazing was developed alongside the supporting steelwork, existing masonry and concealed drainage, allowing the roof and garden elevation to function as one integrated architectural intervention.
Integrating Contemporary Glazing with a Victorian Home
The challenge at Dents Road was to create a highly glazed rear extension that felt contemporary without compromising the character and domestic qualities of the existing Victorian property.
Rather than treating the roof glazing and rear elevation as separate elements, the glazing package was coordinated around the structural requirements of the extension. Supporting steelwork was developed around the principal glazing, with careful attention given to the junctions between the structural glass roof, sliding doors, existing walls and concealed guttering.
This integrated approach allowed the new extension to remain visually light while establishing a clear architectural distinction between the contemporary addition and the original house.
Sliding Doors Open the Extension to the Garden
The principal garden elevation is formed by a three-track slim framed sliding door system comprising two sliding panes and three fixed panes.
The fixed, sliding, sliding, fixed, fixed arrangement creates a broad glazed elevation while retaining minimal framing across the garden-facing façade. The two central sliding panes provide the principal opening, allowing the interior to connect directly with the garden when open.
The configuration also maintains the wider glazed composition when the doors are closed, balancing openness and flexibility with the requirements of a family home.
The sliding system was coordinated with the surrounding steel structure and architectural finishes, ensuring that the door elevation formed part of the wider structural and visual composition rather than appearing as an independent element.
Structural Glass Roof
Above the extension, a large structural glass roof introduces daylight from above and reinforces the sense of openness created by the glazed garden elevation.
The roof comprises six silicone-jointed glass panes, with steel sections positioned between the units to provide structural support. This arrangement maintains the visual prominence of the glass while providing the structural capacity required across the roof span.
The supporting steelwork, concealed guttering and junction above the sliding doors were coordinated as part of the glazing design. Concealing the drainage at the roof edge helps preserve the restrained appearance of the roof while allowing rainwater to be managed without introducing visually prominent framing.
The result is a frameless-effect rooflight that brings daylight deeper into the extension and creates a strong visual connection with the sky above.
Aluminium Casement Windows for Controlled Ventilation
Aluminium casement windows were incorporated alongside the main sliding elevation as part of the wider glazed composition.
The arrangement comprises one side-hung opening and two fixed panes, with integrated trickle ventilation and a cill. Positioned beside the principal garden-facing glazing, the casements provide a more controlled opening within the extension while complementing the larger sliding system.
The combination of sliding doors, casement windows and roof glazing creates several different levels of interaction with the exterior, from controlled ventilation through the casements to a fully open connection with the garden through the sliding doors.
Coordinating Glazing and Structural Performance
The scale of glazing at Dents Road required the individual systems to be considered alongside the supporting structure and building envelope.
The structural glass roof required steel support between the six glazed units, with the surrounding structure designed to manage deflection and maintain the integrity of the silicone joints. Concealed guttering was incorporated at the roof edge to manage water without interrupting the minimal appearance of the glazing.
The sliding doors use thermally broken aluminium framing and insulated glass units to support year-round internal comfort. The three-track configuration allows the garden elevation to open substantially while maintaining the weather and structural performance required of the rear façade.
Together, these elements demonstrate how large areas of glazing can be integrated into a domestic extension through coordination between the glazing systems, steelwork and surrounding construction.
A Light-Filled Contemporary Addition
Dents Road demonstrates how structural glass, slim framed sliding doors and aluminium windows can be combined to transform the relationship between a Victorian home and its garden.
The structural roof introduces daylight from above, while the large sliding elevation provides a direct connection to the garden. At the same time, the restrained framing and carefully coordinated structural interfaces allow the contemporary extension to retain a calm architectural character.
For Victorian renovations, the project illustrates the importance of developing glazing, supporting structure and drainage as a coordinated package from the outset. The result is an extension where the glazing is not simply an opening within the architecture, but an integral part of its structure, daylight strategy and relationship with the garden.
