Architectural Glazing for a Contemporary Lake District Home
Speckled Wood is a contemporary family home in Cumbria, designed by Joseph Bamber Design. Located within the UNESCO World Heritage landscape of the Lake District National Park, the residence is embedded into a natural limestone hillside overlooking the surrounding valley.
IQ Glass was appointed to design, supply and install an extensive architectural glazing package. This included slim sliding glass doors, aluminium casement windows, a glazed entrance link and an Apertio pivot entrance door. Together, the systems frame views, introduce natural light and connect the living spaces with the terraces, balcony and surrounding landscape.
Design Drivers: Landscape, Materiality and Environmental Performance
Speckled Wood was conceived as an environmentally conscious family home closely connected to the topography, geology and ecology of its setting. The residence takes its name from the indigenous Speckled Wood butterfly, reflecting the relationship between the architecture and the surrounding landscape.
More than 2,500 tonnes of limestone and topsoil excavated from the site were retained and reused for structural fill, retaining walls, pathways, landscaping and external cladding. This extensive reuse of site materials allows the home to appear embedded within and emerging from the limestone hillside.
The residence is arranged as two connected volumes, comprising a limestone clad main house and a detached charred timber garage joined by a glazed entrance passage and courtyard. The building steps down the sloping site, with expansive glazing framing valley views and deep eaves offering protection from Cumbria’s wet climate.
Slim Sliding Glass Doors
Slim sliding glass doors were installed throughout the house, opening the principal living spaces and bedrooms to the landscape. The largest arrangement is an 8.3 metre wide bi-parting system within the kitchen and dining space. Four sliding panes are arranged across two tracks, allowing the centre of the elevation to open directly onto the terrace. Each glass panel weighs approximately 161kg.
Further two panel systems were installed within the living room, studio, second bedroom and bathroom. Flush thresholds maintain level transitions, while recessed lever handles and internal thumb turns preserve the minimal appearance of the frames.
All sliding door frames are finished in marine grade RAL 7021 Black Grey Matt, providing a consistent dark detail against the limestone, slate and charred timber exterior.
Open Corner Sliding Doors to the Master Bedroom
The master bedroom incorporates a two panel sliding system measuring approximately 4.3 metres wide and 2.6 metres high. One fixed and one sliding panel meet a glazed corner connection, opening the bedroom onto a private balcony.
The corner panel slides discreetly into a pocket recessed within the wall, creating an open corner without a permanent structural post interrupting the view. This detailing allows the bedroom to engage more directly with the landscape while maintaining a minimal glazed appearance when the doors are closed.
Aluminium Windows and Glazed Entrance Link
Slim aluminium casement windows were installed in fixed and side hung configurations throughout the property. Set within the natural limestone faced walls, the black grey frames provide a restrained contrast against the stone. Sandblasted glass was incorporated into selected windows where additional privacy was required.
The main house and detached garage are connected by a glazed entrance link, with fixed aluminium framed windows extending along both sides. One elevation spans approximately 5.3 metres and comprises three silicone jointed panes, maintaining transparency through the passage and towards the surrounding landscape.
An inward opening Apertio pivot door forms the main entrance within the glazed link. Measuring approximately 1.6 metres wide and 2.6 metres high, the solid entrance door has an Ossido Nero ceramic finish and multipoint locking. A large fixed viewing window was also installed within the garage, introducing natural light into the ancillary space.
Glazing Performance
Speckled Wood is a high performance timber frame home designed using Passive House principles and achieving an EPC A rating. Its environmental strategy incorporates photovoltaic panels with battery storage, ground source heat pumps, MVHR ventilation, underfloor heating and high performance insulation
The glazing uses clear toughened double glazed units with low emissivity coatings to support thermal performance across the large openings. The glass was also heat soak tested to reduce the risk of spontaneous breakage associated with undetectable inclusions in toughened glass.
Project Details
Project Type: Contemporary new build family home designed using Passive House principles
Location: Cumbria, UK
Architect: Joseph Bamber Design
Glazing Contractor: IQ Glass
Photography: Jack Hobhouse
Primary Systems: Sieger slim sliding glass doors; Sieger aluminium casement windows; glazed entrance link; Apertio pivot entrance door
Glazing Specification: Clear toughened double glazing with low emissivity coatings and heat soak testing; sandblasted glass to selected windows for privacy
Key Elements: 8.3 metre wide bi parting sliding door system to the kitchen and dining space; open corner sliding doors to the master bedroom measuring approximately 4265mm wide × 2644mm high; glazed entrance link with silicone jointed fixed windows; large garage viewing window
Finish: Marine grade aluminium framing in RAL 7021 Black Grey Matt; Apertio entrance door in an Ossido Nero ceramic finish.
Outcome
Speckled Wood demonstrates how architectural glazing can support a contemporary home within a sensitive rural landscape. Sliding glass doors frame long views across the valley and open the living spaces to the terraces, while the open corner master bedroom system provides a more direct connection with the surroundings.
The aluminium windows, glazed entrance link and pivot door extend the same restrained architectural language across the property. Set against limestone, slate and charred timber, the dark framed glazing contributes to a home that feels materially and topographically rooted within the Lake District landscape.
