Architect: Paul + O Architects
Type of works: SIEGENIA-AUBI HS-Portal hardware used for sliding glass doors.

A unique futuristic house in Suffolk, which has been shortlisted for the Grand Designs Home of the Year, has used SIEGENIA-AUBI hardware to help bring a touch of the outdoors indoors.

The two storey, seven bedroomed house is carefully positioned on the edge of a woodland area known as the Wilderness, where the landscaping has been essential in bringing a country feel to the bold, sculpted property. A key feature of the wilderness house is the vast amount of glass, which frames the stunning views.

The large 50ft long living room features a series of full height sliding glass doors, which open out onto the terraces and the landscape. SIEGENIA-AUBI HS-Portal hardware has made this possible, by allowing unrestricted opening widths of up to 12 metres and more than 19 metres of total opening width.

Paul + O Architects, a London practice, has been involved in the project from the very beginning. The firm helped obtain planning permission, and has developed the design with a vision to create a modern country house.

Paul + O have in this instance preferred to use traditional building materials in a contemporary way, including local flint stone, oak and render, which make reference to the local vernacular.

Says Paulo Marto of Paul + O Architects, “The SIEGENIA-AUBI HS-Portal hardware has helped us achieve what we wanted. When the doors are closed, the hardware seals the whole of the locking side. The doors are fitted with gap ventilation as standard and just by turning the handle you can let fresh air into the room.

“It was important to the building design that a natural method of air conditioning could be created through the sliding glass walls, and we took a number of considerations to reduce the building’s overall impact on the environment.

“Solar panels were installed on the flat roof to heat the pool and much of the domestic hot water, while rainwater harvesting can be used for flushing the toilet and watering plants.

“The house has very high standards of insulation, including low-emissivity glass, and SIEGENIA-AUBI’s new highly insulated threshold goes well beyond the requirements of the energy conservation regulations.”