CASE STUDY
Montenotte Road
Products used
Sieger 120 Bi-Fold Door, Sieger Casement Windows, Aluminium Pressings
Location
Highgate, London
Completion date
Project Overview
Aluminium bifold doors in Highgate were specified as part of a glazed side return extension to this period family home by Lloyd Reading. The renovation reorganised the route from the existing house through a new kitchen and dining area to the rear patio and terraced garden.
Sieger Systems designed and installed a three-pane bifold door alongside a floor-to-ceiling aluminium window composition. A flush threshold, black aluminium framing and coordinated pressings allow the glazing to form a lightweight contemporary addition while retaining a clear relationship with the original brick property and Highgate conservation area context.
Project Challenges
Aluminium bifold doors in Highgate for a constrained side return
The existing house was dark and internally disconnected, with the original bay window providing the principal visual link to the garden. Although relatively small, the projecting bay and its window seat were important to the homeowners, so the extension needed to retain that relationship with the landscape rather than replace it with an unrelated rear addition.
The side return offered an opportunity to increase the kitchen and dining space, but its narrow footprint required glazing that would maximise daylight without adding visually heavy framing. The extension also needed to establish a natural route from the original rooms through the new accommodation and out to the garden.
At the garden elevation, the door and window systems had to provide access, views and ventilation while reading as one coordinated composition. The new roofline and glazing also required careful integration with the existing exposed brickwork and the natural oak, slate and larch used throughout the refurbishment.
Project Solutions
Three-pane bifold doors with a floor-to-ceiling window wall
A three-pane Sieger 120 Bi-Fold Door was installed at the garden-facing elevation. The folding arrangement allows the opening to be substantially cleared, creating direct access between the dining space, patio and terraced garden. A flush threshold reduces the change in level between inside and out, supporting the continuous circulation route established through the renovated ground floor.
Alongside the bifold opening, a wall of floor-to-ceiling aluminium casement windows extends glazing across the side return. This increases daylight within the kitchen and dining area while framing views towards the garden. Light-toned timber detailing around the glazed elevation reinforces the material relationship with the oak, slate and larch used internally.
The extension takes its conceptual direction from the original projecting bay window, translating the familiar glazed outlook into a larger contemporary volume. Black aluminium frames provide contrast against the warm-toned timber and original brickwork, while maintaining a consistent appearance across the opening and fixed glazing.
The roof edge was aligned with the upper line of the existing exposed brickwork. Aluminium pressings complete the junction between the glazing, roofscape and original facade, giving the side return a controlled external finish.
Project Highlight
The side return extension reinterprets the property’s original bay window as a larger glazed projection. A three-pane bifold opening and adjoining floor-to-ceiling windows preserve the homeowners’ connection to the garden while providing the additional kitchen and dining space required by the renovation.
End Result
Performance considerations
The aluminium bifold doors in Highgate provide the principal source of garden access and purge ventilation within the new kitchen and dining area. The three-pane configuration allows the glazed elevation to be opened during warmer weather, while maintaining daylight and garden views when closed.
The adjoining casement window composition distributes additional glazing along the narrow side return, reducing reliance on the rear doors alone. Opening window elements provide controlled ventilation, while the fixed glass areas maximise daylight and outward views.
Flush threshold detailing supports easier movement between the extension and patio. At roof level, the coordinated aluminium pressings form a clean interface with the existing brickwork and complete the weathered edge of the new structure.
The shared black frame finish brings the bifold door and casement glazing together visually, while the surrounding timber and stone finishes soften the contrast between the contemporary aluminium systems and the period house.
Sieger’s conclusion
Montenotte Road demonstrates how aluminium bifold doors in Highgate can be coordinated with floor-to-ceiling windows to resolve a narrow side return extension within a period townhouse. The glazing improves access, daylight and ventilation while retaining the garden-facing role of the original bay window.
This approach is suited to architects, designers and homeowners working on London side returns where a constrained footprint, conservation area context and sensitive relationship with existing brickwork must be addressed within one glazing package.
To discuss a similar townhouse renovation, contact Sieger Systems for technical advice on bifold door configurations, aluminium casement glazing, flush thresholds and building-interface detailing.
Narrow side return converted into a usable kitchen and dining space
Wide garden access through a three-pane bifold system
Floor-to-ceiling glazing increases daylight along the extension
Roof and brickwork interfaces completed with matching pressings
Technical specifications
| Sieger 120 Bi-Fold Door | Three-pane aluminium bifold arrangement installed at the garden elevation to provide direct access, natural ventilation and a substantially clear opening. |
| Threshold Detail | Flush threshold used to minimise the change in level between the internal dining area and the rear patio. |
| Sieger Casement Windows | Floor-to-ceiling aluminium window composition extending along the side return to increase daylight, frame garden views and provide controlled opening ventilation. |
| Project Frame Finish | Black aluminium framing used across the bifold doors and casement windows, contrasting with the pale interior, natural timber and exposed brickwork. |
| Roof and Facade Interface | New roofline aligned with the upper edge of the existing ground-floor brickwork, with aluminium pressings used to complete the external junction. |
| Material Coordination | Natural oak, slate and larch used alongside the aluminium glazing to maintain a warm, restrained interior and support the transition between the period house and contemporary extension. |
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