SEE THROUGH

A glazed side return extension gave Sarah Brooks, husband Alastair, and daughters Isabelle and Elsie a larger kitchen without blocking light to the basement

‘The old kitchen was a galley shape with a row of low units and a few wall cupboards,’ says Sarah. ‘The only thing we had against one wall was a fridge-freezer because a chimney breast was in the way.

‘When we first moved in we had a damp and dank brick cellar, which was the only storage in the house. We dug out quite a bit, and now it’s a store and utility with another room at the back, which is a playroom for the girls and a bit of a home office for us.

‘Because of the basement, I didn’t want a standard side-return extension as it would cut off the light to it and to the lounge. The idea of using glass came from not wanting to have a brick wall at the back of the extension. The house is in a Conservation Area and we had to get planning permission from Hackney local authority for the extension.

‘The roof was originally going to be one piece of glass, but because our house is terraced, we would have needed to hire a crane to get it to the back. Together with the cost of the crane licence, we were looking at another £5,000. The glass salesman suggested we could save money if we went for three panels, which they expertly carried through the house using magnets.

‘I was quite anxious about it not being cold in here, so I checked with our builder that the underfloor heating would be powerful enough. Both he and the glass company assured me it would be. I actually can’t believe how warm it is!

‘It’s not a huge extension, but it’s changed the way we as a family use the space. We spend most of our time here and Alastair, the girls and I can all hang out when someone is cooking. When we have friends round, we’ll usually spend most of the night in the kitchen.’

COSTS & CONTACTS

Project cost £120,000 including garden landscaping and the creation of a bathroom upstairs

Architect Planstudio Architecture,

020 8191 8525, plstudio.co.uk

BUILDING KNOW-HOW Whether or not you require planning permission for your glazed extension, it is subject to the building regulations, including those on energy efficiency (see ‘Adding up’, opposite). But if a conservatory is less than 30 square metres in size and at ground level; separated from the house with external quality walls, doors or windows; has an independent heating system with separate temperature and on/off controls; and the glazing plus any fixed electrical installations do comply with the regulations, it’s exempt. New structural opening from the house to the conservatory? That will need building regulations approval.

HOT CONDITIONS

Glass extensions and conservatories run the risk of overheating in summer if the sun’s effect is not fully considered when the room is designed. What will the orientation of your room be? One that’s south facing can get very hot. Glass can have special coatings to help stop the interior overheating (see ‘Fade away’, p72), but you’ll likely want to fit blinds as well. Worried about losing the clean lines of your new space? It’s possible to install blinds so they’re unseen when not in use. If a glass roof makes controlling sunlight too challenging, an alternative is a solid roof that has rooflights.

THINK PURPOSE

A glazed extension can prove challenging if you want to use fitted furniture rather than just positioning armchairs or a dining set in the space. For a kitchen, the units will need to be in the centre of the room. An alternative is to cut down somewhat on the amount of glazing to create more opportunities to locate cabinetry and appliances. If the addition is a kitchendiner, position the kitchen in the original part of the house and reserve the glazed section for dining.

CLEAN UP

A glazed extension with grubby glass or a view of debris on the roof won’t live up to expectations, so think about how you’ll keep it clean from the outset. The design should make access to undertake this task possible and the roof should have a little fall to allow water – and dirt – to run off. Self-cleaning glass is an option: it has a coating activated by UV light that breaks down organic dirt and reduces the adherence of inorganic dirt. Thus, when it rains, dirt should wash away. Even so, your glazing will still need cleaning from time to time.

FRESH AIR

Trickle vents may be part of the frame of the glazing and allow constant ventilation, but make sure you discuss other ventilation options you can build into your glazed extension or conservatory design with your architect or supplier. Air conditioning and mechanical ventilation systems are possibilities, but consider natural approaches, too. If you have rooflights rather than a completely glazed roof, you could opt for openable versions, or you might want to incorporate a top light you can open.