The role of corner sliding doors in biophilic design

The use of biophilic architectural design in buildings and homes is one of the biggest growing trends of the last few years.

Biophilic design recognises the benefits that being closer to nature can have on our wellbeing, mental health, work performance and productivity. It’s all about incorporating design features into our homes that help connect them - and us - with the natural world.

Biophilic architectural design

Referred to as a ‘social movement’, it encompasses everything from easy-win design additions such as interior colour schemes, fabrics and furnishings, right through to deeper considerations around the practical application of architectural features to integrate nature into buildings. This could be through the use of natural construction materials, water features, natural ventilation to enhance fresh air and glazing to increase daylight.

But rather than simply saying we need to open up our homes to the outdoors, biophilic design also encompasses our innate need to feel enclosed and protected. It recognises the calming spaces that our homes create, while allowing us to connect with nature at the same time.

In our previous article about biophilic architectural design, we explored the ways in which glass extensions can help you achieve this natural approach in your home. Glass extensions can work really well for biophilic design because of their transparency, bringing you closer to the natural world while keeping you enclosed in a warm and comforting space.

But how do you incorporate biophilic design into your home without installing a glass extension? One of the best ways is to use open corner glazed doors. Let's find out why.

Open corner architectural design

What are open corners? Simply put, they are two sets of glass doors that meet at a corner. Open corner glazed doors can be either sliding doors or bi-folds. Each set opens up away from the other, and they have a moveable corner post. This means that, when fully open, they leave the length of two walls, and the corner at which they meet, completely open. You can see how this works in the image below:

For biophilic architectural design that merges your home with the natural world outside, it’s hard to beat an open corner. It’s stunning the way the two sets of corner glazed doors are able to move apart and leave two walls and a corner of your room opened up to the outdoors.

Open corners are an architectural design feature that needs to be planned as part of the construction or renovation of a building. This is because the doors are not a structural feature, so supporting elements need to be integrated to make up for the missing corner of your room. There are different ways you can do this, from the use of a cantilever roof to create a ‘floating’ open corner, to the minimal use of posts inside or outside your home.

You could even, if you are able, create the ultimate open design – zero corner doors - through the use of pocket sliding doors, which slide completely out of sight into a slot within the wall.

With advice and support from your architect, builder and structural engineer, your preferred open corner architectural design should be straightforward to achieve. As architectural glazing specialists, our team at Solarlux by Reveal are also able to help carry out a full survey, understand your project brief and calculate the structural requirements for your builder or architect. Our team includes an in-house structural engineer and qualified surveying team with the latest survey tool to measure to the required strict tolerances.

Why not read our in-depth look at open corner glass doors to find out more about the different types of open corner construction. You’ll also find ideas and inspiration for your home from our images of stunning open corner architectural design projects.

Using corner glazed doors in biophilic projects

If you’re planning to take the biophilic design approach for your home, corner glazed doors offer panoramic views of the outdoors that you can mirror in your interiors scheme. Take nature as your inspiration and choose furniture and accessories that reflect the view from your living space. Use natural colours such as greens, browns and oranges, and materials such as wood. Natural fabrics and soft furnishings can sit alongside indoor plants.

Choose corner bi-fold doors or sliding doors made of timber or composite exterior aluminium and interior wood, or opt for one of the colours available for your glazed doors. Using wooden or alu-clad doors will exude a softer and warmer aesthetic that brings nature into your home.

You could also enhance the impression of a seamless flow between your home and nature by using indoor/outdoor matching flooring.

Solarlux corner bi-fold doors and sliding doors for biophilic design

Solarlux open corner glazed doors are no different from the standard bi-fold and sliding doors. They come in exactly the same spec – from the ultra-slimline frame, large dimensions and zero threshold, to the outstanding U values, additional glazing options, colour range, and material choices for the frame.

Solarlux also manufacture a wooden bi-fold – something that’s rarely found on the market, not least in the impressive dimensions and U values that they offer.

For open corner bi-fold doors suitable for biophilic design projects, the Woodline and the SL97 are both bespoke bi-folds made from sustainably-sourced timber. Both doors have UW values that far exceed current building regs, while the SL97’s UW values of 0.8 can also meet passive house (Passivhaus) standards.

Offering a huge range of RAL colours, varnish shades and oiled finishes, as well as a choice of a matt or silk gloss finish, these high-quality timber bi-folds aremade from FSC®- and PEFC-certified wood. They have a premium coating that keeps the wood extremely durable and looking fresh, and are custom-made to suit your individual style and biophilic design requirements.

For wooden and composite sliding doors, Solarlux offer the SL 178 and SL179, both made from high-quality sustainable woods and with zero threshold options.