A Bespoke Aluminium Garden Room Designed for Year-Round Outdoor Living
This project in Hindringham, North Norfolk showcases how a contemporary Cubo glass room can transform an outdoor space while complementing the character of a traditional rural property.
The homeowners approached Azure Outdoor Living looking to enhance their patio area with a luxury outdoor living structure that would allow them to enjoy their garden throughout the year without losing the expansive views across the surrounding countryside.
After visiting the Azure Outdoor Living showroom and discussing their ideas with the team, the clients chose the Cubo glass room system, a modern architectural structure known for its sleek aluminium framework, glass roof and frameless sliding glass walls.
The finished installation now provides a versatile garden room extension, offering shelter from the elements while maintaining a seamless connection between the house, patio and landscape.
Designing a Contemporary Glass Room for a Traditional Norfolk Farmhouse
One of the most important design considerations was ensuring that a modern aluminium structure would integrate sympathetically with the existing brick and flint farmhouse.
Properties of this type often feature uneven masonry and historic building materials, so the glass room needed to be carefully designed to maintain the visual integrity of the property while delivering the clean architectural lines the clients wanted.
The Cubo system was the ideal solution. Its minimalist aluminium structure and expansive glass panels allow natural light to flood the space while preserving uninterrupted views of the surrounding garden and countryside.
Rather than feeling like a separate structure, the finished glass room now functions as a natural extension of the home’s outdoor living space.
Glass Room Dimensions and Structural Design
The structure was designed specifically to suit the proportions of the existing patio area and surrounding garden.
According to the approved technical drawings, the bespoke Cubo installation measures approximately:
- Width: 3350mm
- Projection (depth): 3900mm
- Height under eaves beam (walk through height): 2366mm
These dimensions were carefully selected to maximise usable space while maintaining balanced proportions against the scale of the farmhouse.
The structure is wall-mounted, allowing it to extend directly from the property and create a sheltered outdoor living environment.
The aluminium frame is finished in DB703 metallic fine-texture anthracite, a contemporary architectural finish that works beautifully with both modern and traditional buildings.
Premium Glass Roof Construction
At the heart of the Cubo system is a high-performance laminated glass roof, designed to provide protection from the elements while maintaining exceptional levels of natural light.
The roof structure incorporates:
- Laminated safety glass roof panels (10.76mm)
- Three structural aluminium rafters
- Integrated drainage system
- Concealed cable routing for lighting
The laminated safety glass offers strength, durability and safety for overhead installations.
The structure is engineered to perform reliably in the UK climate, with specifications designed to accommodate snow loads of 50kg/m² and wind loads of 0.50kN/m², making it ideal for exposed countryside locations such as North Norfolk.
Frameless Sliding Glass Walls
To provide year-round usability while maintaining an open outdoor feel, the structure incorporates frameless sliding glass systems on three sides of the room.
Each elevation features three sliding glass panels, allowing the entire side of the structure to open when the weather permits.
Key features include:
- 10mm toughened safety glass
- Multi-track sliding system
- Integrated drainage floor rails
- Smooth sliding operation
- Minimal aluminium framing
When closed, the glass panels provide effective protection against wind and rain. When open, the room transforms into a fully open garden pavilion, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor living experience.
Aluminium Louvre Panels for Shade and Privacy
The installation also includes three sliding aluminium louvre panels, each approximately 1000mm wide, integrated into the glass wall system.
These panels provide several practical benefits:
- Adjustable shade from direct sunlight
- Additional privacy when required
- Architectural visual contrast with the glass panels
Because the panels slide along the same track system as the glass walls, they can easily be repositioned throughout the day depending on sunlight conditions.
Integrated LED Lighting
To ensure the space can be enjoyed during the evening, the glass room includes nine integrated LED spotlights built into the roof rafters.
Lighting features include:
- Warm white lighting (2600–2900K)
- Dimmable functionality
- Remote control operation
- Energy-efficient LED technology
- Approximate service life of 30,000 hours
The lighting system creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere, making the glass room ideal for evening dining, entertaining and relaxing outdoors.
Infrared Heating for All-Season Comfort
To extend usability into cooler months, the structure also incorporates a Wi-Fi controlled 1800W infrared bar heater.
Infrared heating is particularly effective in outdoor spaces because it warms objects and people directly rather than heating the surrounding air.
This allows the space to remain comfortable even during colder weather, transforming the glass room into a true four-season outdoor living area.
Groundworks by Local Master Builder
- P. Bassett Building Services
Before installation could begin, the project required a new structural base to be constructed for the glass room.
Because this was a local project, the Azure Outdoor Living team were delighted to introduce the homeowners to Nigel Bassett of N. P. Bassett Building Services, a highly respected local builder we have collaborated with on numerous outdoor living projects.
Nigel and his team prepared the concrete base and patio area to the exact specifications required for the Cubo system.
Groundworks are a crucial stage of any glass room installation. Precise levels and accurate dimensions are essential to ensure the aluminium framework, sliding glass panels and roof system all align correctly.
Throughout the process, Azure Outdoor Living worked closely with N. P. Bassett Building Services, coordinating the groundwork with the structural requirements of the glass room.
This collaborative approach ensured:
- Accurate structural base preparation
- Correct levels and tolerances for installation
- Seamless coordination between builder and installation team
- A smooth installation process from start to finish
The result was a perfectly prepared foundation that allowed the Cubo structure to be installed with the precision required for a premium outdoor living system.
Precision Installation on an Uneven Historic Wall
Working with older buildings always brings unique challenges, and the farmhouse walls were no exception.
The brick and flint construction meant the surfaces were far from perfectly straight. To achieve a clean finish, the installation team carefully scribed the aluminium flashings into the existing wall.
Custom aluminium flashings were fabricated to close the gaps between the frame and the uneven masonry, ensuring the structure remained both watertight and visually precise.
This level of craftsmanship allows the glass room to appear as though it was always intended to be part of the property.
Project Timeline
The project progressed through a structured process to ensure a smooth installation:
- Initial enquiry and showroom consultation
- Concept designs and visual renders
- Site survey and technical measurements
- Manufacturing of bespoke Cubo components
- Groundworks completed by N. P. Bassett Building Services
- Delivery and installation of the glass room
- Final detailing and finishing touches
From order confirmation to installation, the project followed an estimated 10–12 week production timeline.
Project Lead Commentary
Dave Mudd, Project Lead at Azure Outdoor Living, commented:
“This was a fantastic project to work on. The Cubo glass room is such a clean architectural system and it works beautifully against the traditional brick and flint farmhouse.
Because the walls of the building weren’t perfectly straight, our installation team had to spend extra time expertly scribing the aluminium flashings into the masonry to achieve a clean finish.
Working alongside Nigel Bassett and his team also made a huge difference, the groundwork was prepared perfectly, which allowed us to install the structure exactly as designed.
The finished result is a beautiful outdoor living space that the clients can enjoy all year round.”
Before & During
Transform Your Garden with a Luxury Glass Room
This project demonstrates how a well-designed glass garden room can dramatically enhance the way a property is used.
The finished structure provides:
- A sheltered outdoor living area
- Seamless indoor-outdoor connection
- Protection from wind and rain
- Year-round usability
- Contemporary architectural impact
For homeowners across Norfolk, North Norfolk and East Anglia, a bespoke glass room offers one of the most effective ways to upgrade outdoor living space while maintaining a strong connection with the garden.
Start Your Own Outdoor Living Project
If you’re considering installing a glass room, aluminium garden room, or luxury outdoor living structure in Norfolk, the team at Azure Outdoor Living can help you design a bespoke solution tailored to your home.
From initial concept design through to installation, we specialise in creating high-quality outdoor spaces that combine architectural design with expert craftsmanship.
