Case Study
LAKE MENDOTA PRIVATE RESIDENCE

Key Constraints

• Engineer a fully structural glass deck system capable of supporting residential live loads across three sections — including a custom-shaped unit (Unit B) — spanning 51 feet across the rear of the residence
• Deliver maximum transparency throughout — the glass deck, staircase, and balcony all needed to minimize visual obstruction and allow daylight to reach the patio and rooms below
• Integrate an L-shaped exterior glass staircase connecting the elevated deck to the lawn — with dual steel stringers, UV-bonded risers, and titanium-embedded fasteners for a refined floating appearance
• Coordinate a second-story glass balcony (Unit D) as part of the same system — maintaining consistent glass specification, frame type, and aesthetic language across all elements
• Apply NanoDot® anti-slip texture to all walkable surfaces — essential for year-round exterior use in Wisconsin’s climate, including wet and winter conditions
• Fabricate all panels to precise tolerances to integrate with the supporting steel structure and maintain consistent elevations, panel alignment, and drainage across levels

Why This Mattered

A lakefront residence of this caliber demands that every exterior element earn its place — structurally, aesthetically, and functionally. The glass deck, staircase, and balcony were not designed as three separate elements but as one continuous architectural language: a transparent exterior skin that opens the home to the lake while maintaining the integrity of the steel structure beneath. The precision of fabrication and coordination required across three systems simultaneously is among the most technically complex residential exterior glass projects Glass Flooring Systems has completed.

Glass Specification — Stair Treads

• Low-iron triple-laminated tempered glass with DG structural interlayers
• Titanium-embedded fasteners — structural point fixings for tread-to-stringer connection, creating a clean, luxurious aesthetic
• UV-bonded glass risers — clean, minimally detailed connection delivering a floating appearance

Glass Specification — Stair Landing

• Low-iron triple-laminated tempered glass with DG structural interlayers
• Titanium-embedded fasteners — consistent with stair tread specification
• Back-painted glass along the perimeter for a crisp, clean appearance consistent with the deck panels

In-House Engineering, Drafting & Design

The Lake Mendota project required our engineering and drafting teams to work across three structurally independent systems simultaneously — the 51-foot glass deck, the L-shaped exterior staircase, and the second-story balcony — all of which had to integrate with the same supporting steel framework without conflict. The deck alone presented a significant dimensional challenge: Unit B is a custom four-sided shape that could not be derived from a standard rectangular panel layout, and every dimension had to be calculated and drafted individually to ensure it aligned precisely with Units A and C and with the surrounding steel structure at every edge. Our engineering team specified the glass laminate stack — low-iron triple-laminated tempered with DG structural interlayers — to meet the combined demands of exterior residential live loads and Wisconsin’s year-round climate, where freeze-thaw cycling, snow accumulation, and prolonged sub-zero temperatures are annual realities, not edge cases. For the staircase, the dual steel stringer configuration and the L-shaped geometry required separate structural coordination: tread dimensions, landing dimensions, and stringer spans were each individually calculated and drawn to ensure the titanium-embedded fastener positions aligned correctly with the steel structure at every step. The black powder-coated standoff specification for the railings was coordinated across all three systems to maintain a consistent finish language throughout. All fabrication drawings, frame integration details, and project-specific documentation were produced in-house before manufacturing began.