Set within Edinburgh’s Morningside Conservation Area, Nile Grove is a considered contemporary garden room extension to a Victorian semi‑detached villa. The project replaced an existing rear conservatory described as “un-original and un-sympathetic” with a new glazed living space that strengthens the connection between the home and its south‑facing garden.
For the main elevation,
minimal windows® 4+ was selected to deliver the architectural objective: maximum transparency with minimal frame, while still meeting the strict performance demands of Edinburgh’s climate and the planning sensitivity of a conservation setting.
The design intent was clear: create a light-filled, contemporary rear extension that sits comfortably against the villa’s traditional stonework, and opens the new kitchen–living space directly onto the garden. Delivering that brief in a conservation area required glazing that looked refined and unobtrusive, yet offered high thermal performance and robust weather protection.
The main garden room elevation uses Keller minimal windows® 4+, a thermally broken, triple glazed slim sliding door system with an ultra-slim 21mm facing profile.
A two-track configuration (3285mm W x 3051mm H) provides full-height sliding operation, paired with an additional fixed panel (1070mm W x 3051mm H) to complete a near-seamless glazed facade from floor to ceiling.
Specified in Pigmento Red Polyester Matt, the slim aluminium profiles introduce a subtle warmth that complements the existing sandstone and creates continuity across the extension’s glazing elements.
As with all specialist minimal systems, precision coordination is crucial, particularly around structural tolerances, opening alignment, and the integration of flush base details within finished floor build-ups.
The completed extension delivers a clean, contemporary glass facade with minimal frame and maximum view, transforming the rear of the property into a light, open living environment that connects directly to the garden — while remaining appropriate for a sensitive conservation area setting.
