01 · Challenge
Dark living room despite large garden
The residents of a mid-terrace house in the Presikhaaf district of Arnhem had a deep and dark living room. The rear facade had two small windows from the 1960s that no longer met modern expectations for natural light. They wanted to open up the facade with a wide glazed opening of nearly three metres across the full width of the room. The problem: the facade was a load-bearing wall. The opening had to be supported by a steel beam. A building permit was required for the facade alteration at the rear.
02 · Our approach
Custom steel beam, building permit arranged quickly
We produced a structural calculation for the new HEA steel beam that would carry the 2.8-metre facade opening. The calculation showed that the existing foundation beam could absorb the additional load. We drew the new facades with the large sliding door and submitted the building permit to the municipality of Arnhem. The application was straightforward: one facade drawing showing before and after, the structural calculation and the site plan. The municipality of Arnhem granted the permit without additional questions.
03 · Result
Living room with a garden feel all year round
The permit was granted within 5 weeks. The contractor installed the steel beam in one day and the sliding door was fitted a week later. The living room now has an opening 2.8 metres wide and 2.4 metres high to the garden. In summer the garden feels like part of the living room. In winter the low winter sun lets daylight reach deep into the room. The residents say the house feels as though an extra room has been added, without a single stone being moved beyond the facade opening.