Designing a Beachfront Home That Lives With the Sea
The architectural intent for Old Fort Road was to create a home deeply connected to its location, both visually and functionally. The clients wanted a house that reflected their lifestyle and their passion for the water, allowing direct engagement with the beach while offering comfort and protection from the elements. To achieve this, the design arranges the private bedroom spaces at ground level, anchored by pebble filled gabion walls that echo the beach, while lifting the living areas above to capture expansive views and sunlight.
The upper floor living spaces are framed almost entirely in glass, supported by timber boarding that will weather naturally over time. This material palette references the landscape and coastal conditions, ensuring the building feels rooted in its setting. The open corner glazing was designed as a defining architectural feature, giving the living area a panoramic outlook and reinforcing the idea of living at the edge of land and sea.
Balancing Exposure, Solar Gain and Structural Precision
Designing a fully glazed frontage in such an exposed coastal environment introduced a number of challenges. The property is subject to strong winds, salt laden air and high levels of solar exposure, all of which needed to be addressed without compromising the architectural clarity of the structure. The large glazed elevations required careful consideration of solar gain to ensure internal comfort throughout the year.
The open corner condition on the first floor also required precise structural coordination. Removing a visible corner frame while maintaining stability and weather performance demanded a highly engineered glazing solution. In addition, the doors needed to operate smoothly while supporting daily use and offering unobstructed views even when closed.
How the minimal windows® Sliding Door System Was Integrated to Resolve the Project Challenges
The minimal windows® sliding door system provided the technical capability and refined detailing required for this exposed beachfront location. An opening corner configuration was created on the first floor, with two elevations meeting at a ninety degree angle and sliding away from the corner connection. Both elevations measure 2.6m in height, with the sea facing elevation extending 3.8m wide and the side elevation 2.6m wide.
Each elevation uses a two track, two panel configuration, allowing the panels to slide smoothly away from the corner and open the living space to the balcony overlooking the beach. One of the panels is designed as a hidden pocket door, enabling the glass to recess fully out of sight and maximise openness.
To manage solar exposure, a solar control coating was applied to the glazing, maintaining thermal comfort without diminishing clarity or views. The aluminium frames were finished in a marine grade coating, ensuring long term durability against salt air and coastal conditions. The slim vertical profiles allow the glass to visually dominate, framing the sea as a continuous, changing backdrop to the interior.
A Shoreham Beach Home Defined by Open Corner Sliding Doors
The completed home at Old Fort Road demonstrates how contemporary glazing can elevate beachfront living. The use of open corner sliding doors in Shoreham allows the house to respond directly to its environment, opening fully during calm conditions while still offering shelter and comfort when closed.
The project has received significant recognition for its architectural quality, including an overall win at the Daily Telegraph Homebuilding and Renovation Awards and a RIBA South East Award. For architects and self‑builders seeking to integrate open corner glazing into coastal homes, Old Fort Road stands as a benchmark for how minimal windows® systems can deliver clarity, performance and architectural drama in equal measure.
If you are exploring open corner sliding configurations for a coastal or view‑led project, our technical team is available to support with system selection, detailing strategy and performance guidance.
