April 4, 2022

IQ Glass in the top places to live in the South West

Written by Rebecca Clayton

Take a look at some of our completed projects in the top places to live in the South West region of the UK.

The South West regional division of IQ Glass, based in Taunton, covers projects throughout the South West of the UK, providing glazing in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Bath, Bristol and Dorset. Specializing in bespoke solutions for coastal properties and minimal designs for listed buildings, IQ’s glazing packages in the South West are second-to-none.

IQ have provided glazing for high-end residential projects in some of the most scenic locations in the South West. A recent article from the Sunday Times revealed some of the best places to live in the South West and we thought we would showcase some of our projects in these regions.  

Perham Farm

The first project is Perham Farm, a renovation of a barn in Taunton which contemporised but didn’t interrupt the traditional design of the original building.

The slim framed, flush sliding glass doors are the perfect complement to the traditional brick building, while the oversized glazing panels, with their slim 21mm framing, allow for an abundance of natural light to enter the home, as well as enabling the homeowners to appreciate the beautiful views of the Devon countryside. 

The clients also felt that improved garden access was necessary - the flush finish and step-free access, created by the sliding doors, allow the indoor and outdoor living spaces to seamlessly merge into one for when the kids (or adults!) are running back and forth from the garden to the kitchen or living area. The introduction of slim framed sliding glass doors opened up a new, sociable dimension to the home, where dinner parties can be held outside.  

Wiltshire Garden Room

Wiltshire Garden Room is another perfect example of IQ adding a contemporary edge to a home in Wiltshire, using slim framed sliding glass doors.

The glass box extension, which was added to the rear of the Grade II listed property, is just what the homeowners needed in order to make the most of their beautifully landscaped garden.

The improved visual appreciation of the home’s external surroundings was made possible by slim framed sliding glass doors and structural glazing, while the smooth limestone tiles used both inside and outside of the garden room, combined with the flush threshold, make it harder to discern where the glass extension ends and where the outdoor space begins.  

What’s more, due to the south-east facing orientation of the contemporary glass garden room, solar gain is minimised by the flat roof which has a small overhang. The performance of IQ Glass products means that they are not limited to the warmer months and due to the fully tested thermal performance of the sliding doors, the homeowners are able to appreciate uninterrupted views of their garden all year round.  

Strand Court

IQ Glass have installed a number of coastal glazing projects in the South West; pictured to the right is a project in Salcombe, Devon, which required a major renovation and the help of a bespoke glazing package in order to convert the waterfront apartment into a modern open plan home.

The 21mm minimal framing of sliding glass doors was essential in providing the homeowners with the desired uninterrupted, panoramic and picturesque views of the quaint fishing harbour below.  

The tall aluminium sliding glass doors wrap around the home in order to minimise the visual and physical obstructions between the home and the surrounding decking area beside the harbour, allowing for bright, open plan living spaces.

Another benefit of the coastal glazing installed in this home in Salcombe is the heated glazing within the slim framed sliding glass doors, which was used as the primary heat source for the master bedroom. The glazing in Devon completely transformed this waterfront home, enhancing both the design and functionality.   

Stone Haven

In order to maintain congruence with the surrounding Cornwall countryside, the house is split into two sections, one of which is clad in Cornish slate, whilst the other relies on sustainably sourced timber to create a rustic aesthetic that complements the surrounding landscape.

A minimal glazed link bridges the gap between the two buildings, while the fixed frameless aluminium windows and sliding glass doors found in both buildings provide a contemporary aesthetic and feel to the home.  

Again, the ultra-slim framed glazing in Cornwall ensures that the internal living spaces are flooded with natural light all year round, as well as facilitating seamless access to the external decking area for the warmer summer months. The vertical fixed aluminium casement windows provide the south-facing bedrooms with a steady influx of natural light – the IQ technical design team accounted for any excessive solar gain during the sunniest parts of the day by applying solar control coatings to the glazed units.   

A small glass box extension, which uses Invisio structural glazing, protrudes out of the stone-clad section of the house onto the surrounding grassy slope. From this glass box, the homeowners are able to take in the mesmerising, panoramic views of the Cornish coastline, thanks to the two structural glass walls and the minimal sliding glass doors, which also allow for easy access to the garden area. Furthermore, the frameless glass balustrades installed across the sliding door opening on the first floor create a Juliette balcony arrangement, which enables the homeowners to enjoy enhanced ventilation. 

Sanctuary House

The primary objective of the project was to utilise IQ’s glazing solutions in order to make the most of the delightful natural surroundings. As with all of IQ’s projects, the glazing solutions were tailored to the client’s wants and needs.

This project demanded some particularly unique glazing in Devon since the home was required to cater to the client’s degenerative sight issue, which meant the home required lots of light but no glare.

Frameless and very slim framed glazing systems perfectly suited the architectural design, which featured large overhanging eves to block the glare, allowing light to flood the home. Sieger aluminium window and door systems were specified within the architectural glazing package, which the client referred to as the ‘best buy’ on the project.   

In terms of performance, all of the installed minimally framed glazing systems, including the frameless structural glass walls, were specified and designed in order to surpass the performance requirements set by building regulations in terms of insulation and energy efficiency.

This was achieved by using specialist coatings and enhanced glazing fixing details, whilst the flush threshold of the sliding door and drainage system meant the building was built in line with the historical Lifetime Home standard.

Furthermore, a carefully chosen combination of large and almost frameless structural glazing products with a palette of natural materials, including stone cladding, larch, zinc, porcelain tiles and lime render was used in order to make sure the home didn’t look out of place in the Devonshire countryside.  

If you have a glazing project in the South West that you would like to speak to us about, please visit this page to book your project consultation. You can also download our South West brochure here.