Cubism without compromise

One family’s expectations were high when it came to adding a new glass canopy to their country home near Münster, Germany – in terms of both technology and design. The canopy needed to offer shelter from the wind and rain, come with reliable drainage and have the appearance of a flat roof in order to match the cubic architecture of their home. The only solution that ticked all these boxes was the Solarlux Acubis.

Finding your dream home with the perfect property in the right location is often like looking for a needle in a haystack. But for one family from the north-west German town of Emsdetten, it proved relatively easy. They built their house on their grandmother’s land, making their dream of a cubist home all their own a reality. With its expansive garden adjoining the rolling fields of the countryside and its unobstructed views, the house seemed almost perfect. However, all that open space came with a catch. With no other buildings close by, the garden was afforded no shelter from the wind, thus rendering the patio unusable a lot of the time.

Even on sunny, 23-degree days, the family was forced to breakfast indoors. They needed a permanent solution to protect them from the wind and weather, yet the perfect solution proved difficult to find. At first glance, nothing on the market met all the family’s needs: they wanted the shape of the patio canopy to match the aesthetic of the house and be made completely of glass, so that it didn’t block the light from getting into the living room. The solution also needed to be a space they could use all year round and that could shelter them from the wind and draughts. There were many solutions that had the right look, but most failed to pass muster on the technical side of the equation. Good roof drainage was a particularly important factor – and not one that many flat canopies can offer.

There was only one glass canopy that met all the family’s expectations: the Acubis flat roof from Solarlux. They were impressed with its design, functionality and ingenious engineering. The cubic glass canopy has a roof pitch of just two degrees – barely perceptible to the naked eye, but enough to guarantee reliable drainage. The shape, the delicate-yet-durable aluminium profiles and the internal structural reinforcement sealed the deal. The Acubis was the perfect match for the sleek architecture of the family’s home.

In order to ensure that the patio was not just covered but also sheltered from strong winds, the sides were glazed with large, sliding elements provided by Solarlux. These can be opened or closed at any time, allowing the family to enjoy the fresh air on less blustery days. When closed, the frameless glass elements provide an unobstructed view of the countryside. The glass house also comes with an additional bonus: as long as the sun is shining, it doesn’t take long to warm up even on cooler days, so the family can now enjoy their garden in spring and autumn as well. And in order to stop it getting too hot under the canopy in summer, the pergola was fitted with made-to-measure awnings – also supplied by Solarlux.

Covering an area of 15 m², the Acubis has created a whole new room out in the garden, making life outside more than just comfortable for the family. The glass house is joined onto the wall of the main house, and has become one of the highlights of the building’s exterior design. Other accessories, such as built-in LED lighting in the rafters and the all-round facing, lend the property a unique ambience.