The Old Post Office, Wildboar Clough

Reimagined by Parti architects, The Old Post Office in Wildboar Clough a historic village within the peak district that has been completely renovated with a brand new contemporary extension to the rear, creating a large communal area and swimming pool. John Knight Glass where commissioned to supply a unique glazing scheme to play a critical role in the creation of this unique structure. Based on Yakisugi Japanese art form, the wooden skeleton is both a structural element to the building and also forms a large part of the overall aesthetic, all of the external structural timber beams have been charred black to enhance both the aesthetic and durability.

The stone walls have been constructed with stone found in and around the original building to ensure the new additions blend seamlessly with the original. Structurally the building is supported by the charred black timber skeleton. The stone wall and timber structure are the main features of the building. To celebrate this we have worked with the architects and builders to develop a range of large structural sliding glass panels with no visible frames. For all of the doors and windows we have hidden the metal frames within the stonework itself or behind one of the structural posts. With no clear definition of where the stone ends and the window begins the barrier between inside and outside feels almost non-existent creating a superb feeling of space and connection between the internal and external spaces.

Many of the large glass panels nestled behind the timber beams are structural sliding glass panels which have been recessed into the floor to give a completely flush floor threshold, adding to the illusion that there is no frame as the glass sits flush with the internal and external floor.

We worked with Short Construction throughout the development to create the finished building. Due to the location of the site, there were many challenges, particularly due to the fact there were many large panels of structural glass that required installing and manoeuvring behind lots of large timber beams. However due to the nature of our team and there experience working on unique and challenging projects it was no problem that careful planning from our project management team was not able to handle.

The large glass panels that face out onto the central Japanese inspired courtyard are actually large sliding doors the can be opened up from either side giving maximum flexibility when using the space.

The internal walls of the new structure featured no plaster work, all of the windows and doors had to be finished at the point of installation. Where the aluminium frame meets the stone walls we create scribed panels that follow the shape of the walls. For the large glass windows timber frames have been installed around the reveals to help recess the frame internally and also give a feature finish to the windows. The end result is almost like a picture frame outlining the outside space.

It was vital that we where involved with the technical development of the project to ensure the products supplied would give the desired look and also ensure drainage was properly considered. When recessing doors into a subfloor or hiding window frames behind structural walls the frames must be designed and installed in the correct way to ensure water is drained externally to prevent any damp from occurring internally.

The glass panels throughout this project are larger than you would find on the majority of domestic projects. Because of this we used structural glazing which is much thicker than standard glass. This involves using specialist lifting equipment to lift the glass panels into place.

The finished result is a project that we are extremely proud to have been involved with. We feel it really shows what can be achieved with our structural glass range.