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— RETRACTABLE GLASS ROOF · CHORLEYWOOD
Year-round living, connected to the home.
A glass roof designed to extend the living space while maintaining a connection with the garden.
— PROJECT OVERVIEW
Chorleywood
Retractable Glass Roof & Guillotine Glazing
LOCATION:
Chorleywood
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ROOF SYSTEM:
Retractable glass roof
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ENCLOSURE:
Guillotine windows
PROJECT:
Residential outdoor living
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SCOPE:
Design & installation
— THE BRIEF
​Understanding the property and the brief.
The property featured a contemporary extension with extensive glazing and a glazed ceiling, designed to maximise natural light in the living space below. Above it sat an elevated balcony that the client wanted to transform into a versatile, sheltered outdoor living area.
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The challenge was to design an enclosure that complemented the existing architecture while preserving the property's light-filled character. The new glazed roof needed to reflect the proportions and glazing divisions of the extension below, creating a cohesive architectural design.
— DESIGN & TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT
Developing the right solution.
The original brief called for sliding glass doors alongside a newly ordered glass balustrade. However, this would have introduced two layers of glazing and additional framing around the balcony.
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​Instead, we proposed vertically opening guillotine glazing. When the upper glass panel lowers, its top aluminium profile forms a handrail at a height of 1.1 metres, providing a protective barrier while leaving the space above open to the air. This eliminates the need for a separate glass balustrade.
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A bespoke retractable glass roof was designed to span the balcony, supported by specially engineered brackets and a structural ring beam.
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Key design considerations
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Integrated glazing - Guillotine windows combine the functions of glazing and a protective barrier, avoiding unnecessary duplication.
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Bespoke structural support - A specially designed ring beam and brackets support the retractable roof across the balcony.
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Architectural integration — A bespoke RAL powder-coated aluminium finish selected to complement the existing property.
— THE COMPLETED PROJECT
A new perspective on outdoor living.
The completed enclosure transforms the elevated balcony into a flexible outdoor living space, combining the openness of a retractable glass roof with the versatility of vertically opening glazing. Its bespoke structure follows the proportions of the property, creating a cohesive connection with the existing architecture.
