What is a Sunken Glass Courtyard?
Be it encased within structural glass walls or slim sliding doors, a sunken glass courtyard is a creative alternative to conventional indoor-outdoor living design consisting of an interior, subterranean pocket of light and nature.
How to Configure a Sunken Glass Courtyard
Sunken glass courtyards can take any shape or size thanks to the versatility of bespoke glazing systems. From structural glass, to sliding glass doors, to rooflights, any sunken courtyard glazing element can be tailor-made to suit the specific project requirements.
Structural Glass Walls
With its ability to create completely frameless glass walls on a large scale, regardless of size or shape, structural glass provides the perfect solution for a fixed frameless courtyard design.
Bound by a silicone sealant, structural glass units provide some of the most effective thermal insulation, all while maintaining a completely frameless appearance, thus allowing the focus .
At IQ, we use black structural silicone as the standard in our glazing applications, as black structural silicone aligns seamlessly with the black finish of spacer bars and other glass fixings, ensuring sleek, tidy joints with concealed fixing details.
However, the silicone sealant can be customised for projects that prefer joints to match other elements that could be powder coated in a different colour.
Slim Sliding Glass Doors
For an opening sunken glass courtyard configuration, floor to ceiling slim sliding glass doors are ideal for maximising natural light whilst providing dwellers with the flexibility of opening or closing their sunken courtyard at will. This would provide access to their indoor garden while also encouraging ventilation, thus creating a dynamic and adaptable living environment.
Curved Glass
Both available for structural glass and sliding glass doors solutions, curved glass panels allow for a distortion-free perspective, accentuating the beauty of the landscaped courtyard contained within. As with other high specification glazing systems, the use of specialist engineered curved glass ensures optimal thermal performance, harnessing natural light efficiently while providing insulation against external elements.
Rooflights and Floorlights
In general, rooflights and floorlights are an effective way to channel natural light into the heart of a structure. A lightwell floorlight installed above a sunken courtyard, for example, would provide an alternative light source to the underground living spaces, turning an otherwise overlooked feature into a design focal point. Additionally, if the floorlight is placed directly under a rooflight, the resulting sunken glass courtyard could stretch from the roof all the way to the ground and beyond.
Heated Glass
Heated glass can provide warmth to both occupants and any plant life integrated into the landscaping of the sunken courtyard, especially to flora that requires a consistent temperature all year round. As the metal oxide within glass panes is activated via electricity to radiate heat, heated glass systems can be controlled from building or home automation systems as well as regular thermostats to ensure the utmost flexibility.
Contact the IQ team today to discuss sunken glass courtyard designs for your next project.