May 1, 2022

New build Passivhaus dubbed James Bond villain house!

Written by Rebecca Clayton

Passivhaus structural glazing was used to create a bespoke leaning window box.

IQ Glass worked on a futuristic new build Passivhaus in Haywards Heath, providing a bespoke glazing package to create a modern architectural design that is being built under Paragraph 80 (previously Paragraph 79) standards.

The long and complex installation is drawing to an end, with glass over 4 metres tall and a central leaning window design that protrudes from the building.

The glazing package included a number of bespoke elements including triple glazed oversized sliding glass doors and Passivhaus structural glazing, with shaped glass that was engineered to lean outwards as opposed to being vertical like standard fixed glazing would be.

This unique feature was designed by IQ, using specialised steel fixing channels to hold the angled glass in place and create clamping to the building. Despite the sheer size of the leaning pane, the Passivhaus structural glazing was designed to be completely frameless with minimal glass to glass corners.

The complex design of the Passivhaus structural glazing, paired with the double-height glazing and mixed materials used across the exterior design helped the contemporary new build Passivhaus gain approval under the Paragraph 80 clause.

This clause allows the construction of new builds in specialist landscapes, such as Areas of Outstanding National Beauty, if they are deemed to have architectural merit and be considered a one-off, exceptional house.

The entire design was inspired by some shards of glass that were discovered at the site, resulting in a fragmented floor plan that has resulted in an innovative exterior design. As the building neared completion, Morgan Carn Architects thanked IQ Glass for providing the triple glazed Passivhaus structural glazing that allowed the contemporary new build to achieve very low heating and cooling demand.

IQ’s inhouse developed structural glazing system, Invisio, was chosen for all frameless glass elements, meeting the performance requirements to be classed as a Passivhaus by using deeper fixing channels to accommodate triple glazing.

Invisio was chosen to create single and double height elevations across the design, with impressive Uw values that make the highly glazed space suitable for year-round use. One of the main principles of a Passivhaus is ‘no thermal bridging’ and that’s why Invisio was the perfect solution, being the UK’s first fully thermally broken structural glazing system.

To speak to us about including Passivhaus structural glazing in your next project or designing a Paragraph 80 house, get in touch with the IQ team today.