Glass Roof Extensions Without the Sauna Effect
For homeowners who want a bright, open-plan kitchen extension but worry about it overheating every summer.
Meet Sam & Lucy
Sam and Lucy want a striking open-plan kitchen-diner with a glazed roof lantern flooding the space with light. But they've visited friends' glass extensions that become unusable ovens by July, and they don't want to spend a fortune they regret.
Solar Control Glazing
Modern roof glazing can include solar control coatings that selectively filter out much of the sun's heat-carrying infrared radiation while still admitting visible light, meaning the space stays bright without turning into a greenhouse.
Cross-Ventilation and Rooflight Vents
Opening rooflights positioned to work with openable doors or windows elsewhere in the extension create a stack effect, pulling hot air out through the roof and drawing cooler air in at low level, passive cooling that needs no energy input.
The Architect's Value
An architect sizes and specifies the glazing, shading, and ventilation together as one system, balancing how much glass the design wants against how much solar gain the space can actually absorb comfortably in summer.