Designed by ODS Architecture, based in the San Francisco Bay area, the roof terrace of a luxury property in San Francisco is said to offer a glorious outdoor space, while the Glazing Vision Flushglaze walk-on rooflights, imported specially from the UK, and interspersed in the decking, ensure that the bedroom suite floor below is bathed in diffused daylight.
ODS Architecture was appointed by the homeowner in 2012 to undertake this ambitious project. The brief to build a stylish roof terrace as well as to reconfigure the master bedroom floor posed a number of significant structural challenges.
A key consideration, however, for the architects and contractor in the design of the roof terrace was the need to unlock the daylight to the lower bedroom & bathroom suite floor, whilst simultaneously protecting the privacy of these intimate quarters.
After extensive research ODS specified a series of Flushglaze walk-on rooflights, manufactured in England by Glazing Vision were chosen.
The Flushglaze walk-on rooflights had the advantage of being able to be installed flush with the porcelain floor tiles used on the main roof terrace, making for a perfectly flat surface. A lack of any visible internal framework meant that, crucially, these rooflights would not spoil the visual effect – on the contrary they would enhance the contemporary appearance of the roof terrace, adding a distinct wow factor.
The fourth of the Glazing Vision Flushglaze walk-on rooflights, and the largest at 67 x 34 inches, was installed on the viewing platform, and unlike the other 3 rooflights, its glazing had a fritted finish. A screen-printed frit, that included particles within the ink to create a rough texture, was applied to the glass in a unique pattern to provide 40% coverage, significantly increasing the slip resistance of the glass. Indeed, fritted glass generally achieves a PTV of 60, thus providing an even better slip resistance.
