The grounds of the historic Knock Castle and Knock Old Castle, two Tudor Gothic mansions in Largs, Scotland, have been enhanced with the addition of the Wizard’s House, a stunning garden room which features aluminium glazing from Sidey.
Situated on the outskirts of Largs, on the West Coast of Scotland, Knock Castle was built in 1851 and is currently a private residence. The historic Knock Old Castle dates back to the 14th century and lay in ruins up until recently, and has now been transformed into a stunning boutique retreat.
The garden room was built by Marti McVey, a designer, builder and bespoke furniture maker, to make the most of the stunning views of the Scottish Isles.
Sidey was chosen to supply aluminium windows and doors for the build of a bespoke garden room lovingly named the Wizard’s House.
Sidey’s aluminium windows and doors were supplied to complement the design of the build, while providing essential energy efficiency and performance qualities.
Grey aluminium fixed casement windows and aluminium sliding patio doors were manufactured and supplied by Sidey. All featuring low-E toughened glass to offer high weather resistance against the Scottish elements.
The doors feature two centre sliding doors with two external deadlights, offering wide expanses of glazing to make the most of the panoramic views the castle grounds benefit from.
All round high performance was important to Marti, The profiles offer U-values as low as 1.2 W/m2K for essential energy efficiency and the windows are tested to meet performance and security requirements of BS7412 and PAS 24.
Both Knock Castle and Knock Old Castle are a listed buildings, so extra care had to be taken in the design to ensure that it complemented the character of the castles and grounds. The use of Sidey aluminium windows and doors, along with the timber structure of the room and its sedum roof, ensured that the build remained in keeping with its surroundings.
Marti McVey, who built the garden room, says: “The Wizard’s House is the second garden room I have built in the grounds of Knock Castle, the first being the Witch’s House. It was built to provide a space to enjoy the stunning grounds and views.”
Marti has a background in building design. He has played a huge role in the refurbishment of the castles and understands the requirements for choosing the right glazing that offers stunning looks and high performance.
“The castles blend the old with the new, and this was reflected in the design of Wizard’s House.
“It’s the attention to detail that makes the garden room so special. Along with innovative SIPS panels that help to provide insulation, weather and fire resistance, the Wizard’s House includes wood that was reprocessed from trees that had fallen within the grounds in the 2012 storm.”
“The windows and doors needed the right appearance, that was suitable for the project while adding essential energy efficiency and durability too.
“Sidey aluminium windows and doors were so easy to install, making the whole process very simple and the glazing performs well under the harsh weather conditions the grounds face.
“Looking out across the West Coast of Scotland, the garden room’s position is very exposed to the elements and Sidey’s windows and doors take the full brunt of Scottish weather.
Project website: https://www.sidey.co.uk/trade/trade-projects/martin-mcvey-summer-house/
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