The Challenge
Canterbury House required a skylight solution that could function as part of a fully trafficable outdoor terrace, while also introducing natural light into a covered alfresco entertaining area below.
The skylight needed to:
- Perform as a durable, walkable external surface, exposed to weather and regular use.
- Deliver natural daylight into the lower outdoor space without compromising structural performance.
- Integrate cleanly within a high-end residential setting, maintaining continuity across paving and outdoor living areas.
- Coordinate with surrounding construction, including recessed set-downs, drainage, and waterproofing by others.
The fact that both levels are external environments increased the importance of weather performance, slip resistance, and detailing.
The Solution
Skyspan designed and supplied a custom Trafficable Glass Floor Skylight (TGF) engineered specifically for external residential applications.
Key elements of the solution included:
- A 2000 × 4000mm fixed trafficable skylight, designed to sit flush within the terrace above.
- A custom engineered glass floor system capable of supporting pedestrian loading in an outdoor environment.
- Provision for non-slip surface treatments to improve safety under wet conditions.
- Detailed coordination to suit a recessed structural hob and drainage interface, ensuring long-term waterproofing performance.
- Shop drawings and engineering support to align levels, finishes, and integration with surrounding construction.
The skylight was designed as a functional part of the external living environment, rather than a standalone feature.
The Outcome
The completed skylight enhances both levels of the home’s outdoor living spaces.
Above, it reads as a clean, minimal glass element within the terrace, maintaining the architectural clarity of the design. Below, it introduces natural daylight into the covered alfresco area, reducing the sense of enclosure and improving overall amenity.
The result is a layered outdoor environment where light is shared between levels—demonstrating Skyspan’s capability to deliver externally integrated trafficable skylight systems that balance performance, safety, and architectural intent.
