Urban Nature Project

High-performance aluminium fixed rooflights we manufactured and installed at a 35-degree pitch providing high levels of daylight and thermal performance.
The project has been shortlisted for the RIBA London Awards 2026.

Client

Natural History Museum

Architect

Feilden Fowles

Location

London, SW7 5BD

Contractor

Walter Lilly

Sector

Leisure

A single-storey building with a sloped roof and large bespoke fixed rooflights, surrounded by trees. A few people sit and a child walks in the foreground under a partly cloudy sky.

Children and adults sit at wooden tables working on activities in a classroom with large windows and a sloped ceiling featuring bespoke fixed rooflights. Two adults assist the children.

A group of people sit on benches outside a modern, light-coloured building with a sloped roof and bespoke fixed rooflights, surrounded by trees.

Background

The Urban Nature Project at the Natural History Museum in London is a landmark initiative designed to reconnect visitors with the natural world and demonstrate how biodiversity can thrive in urban environments. The project has transformed the museum’s gardens into a dynamic and educational landscape, creating new habitats and offering visitors the opportunity to explore nature within the city.

As part of this redevelopment, new structures and facilities were introduced to support learning, research, and visitor engagement. The design places strong emphasis on sustainability, daylight, and careful integration of built elements with the surrounding landscape.

Roof glazing played an important role in achieving these objectives, allowing natural light to enter internal spaces and maintaining the clean architectural visuals of the project.

Project Brief

Next Generation Rooflights was appointed to design, manufacture, and install bespoke fixed rooflight units for the project. The scope included two in-plane roof windows installed at a 35-degree pitch, designed to align precisely with the roof structure while delivering high levels of daylight and thermal performance.

The rooflights were manufactured using triple-glazed units incorporating solar control and low-emissivity coatings to optimise energy performance and manage solar gain. Slimline aluminium profiles finished in RAL 7015 slate grey were selected to complement the architectural palette and maintain a refined appearance.

In addition, external feature trims were provided to create a clean and consistent finish across the glazing installation. The result is a discreet yet high-performing roof glazing solution that supports the project’s focus on sustainability, daylighting, and architectural quality.
The result is a discreet yet high-performing roof glazing solution that supports the project’s focus on sustainability, daylighting, and architectural quality, contributing to its shortlisting for the RIBA London Awards 2026.

In our clients words:

We recently had the pleasure of working with Next Generation Rooflights on the design, manufacture and installation of a large bespoke mono pitch atrium rooflight. From start to finish, the experience was exceptional. The team demonstrated outstanding professionalism, expertise, and attention to detail throughout the entire process. The rooflight itself was perfectly tailored to our specifications and enhances the natural light in the space beautifully. The quality of the materials and craftsmanship is evident, and we have received numerous compliments on the stunning design. We were particularly impressed with the team's commitment to meeting our deadlines and their ability to navigate the complexities of the project with ease. Their communication was clear and consistent, ensuring that we were always informed and confident in the progress. Overall, we couldn't be happier with the result and highly recommend Next Generation Rooflights for any rooflight installations. Their dedication to excellence and customer satisfaction is truly commendable.

James Hunt, adt workplace

We've been working with the team for quite some years and find their customer care second to none. The products are always on point and manufacturing is flawless. Communication is always swift and informative. All we really want in the rooflight world is, quick answers, good prices, great products, and delivery on time. They tick all these boxes.

Sam Goodwin, Alpha Structures

The Hurlingham Club project demanded a sensitive and technically complex approach, and Next Generation Rooflights proved to be a good partner throughout. From early design development to installation, the NGR team worked with us to deliver bespoke rooflights that both complement the Club’s historic character and improve the quality of the internal spaces. Their technical capability, collaborative approach, and attention to architectural detail were key to the success of the project. We would happily use their expertise on our future projects.

Howard Pye, Associate Director, Jestico+Whiles

The Hurlingham Club was a highly detailed project that required careful coordination across all trades. Next Generation Rooflights proved to be a reliable partner on site, delivering bespoke rooflight solutions to a very high standard. Their team’s professionalism, proactive approach, and commitment to meeting programme requirements ensured the installation was completed safely and efficiently working closely with the Knight Harwood project team and interfacing sub-contractors. We valued their collaborative attitude and the successful outcome, and would be pleased to work with them again on future projects.

Peter Howe, Director, Knight Harwood

We had the pleasure of working with Next Generation Rooflights on The Harrison renovation. They designed, manufactured, and installed over 220 m² of bespoke rooflights and specialist glazing, including contemporary structural glass boxes for the new roof terrace, self-supporting pyramidal lanterns, and multi-section rooflights for office and lightwell areas. From the outset, they proactively collaborated with the design team, using their extensive knowledge of overhead glazing to develop details that integrated with the historical and new build elements on this challenging refurbishment. They demonstrated exceptional professionalism, a strong commitment to quality, and an ability to deliver on time and to specification. The project was completed to a high standard and handed over snag free, and their dedication and expertise made the process smooth and efficient. We would highly recommend NGR for any projects requiring premium specification rooflights, delivered with precision, teamwork, and reliability.

Matt Coleman, Senior Project Manager, RED Construction Group

We have been working with the team for approximately 3 years now. Their sales and technical team are always very proactive and helpful with any request to quote for projects or alter technical drawings. We use them as their quality of product is unmatched, we look forward to continuing to build the partnership with them over the coming years

Luis Evitt, Rooflight Solutions

Our associations

Carbon Neutral Organisation

At Next Generation Rooflights we are committed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible and offsetting the remainder through verified carbon offsetting schemes.

Constructionline Gold Member

Next Generation Rooflights are an accredited Constructionline Gold Member the high-level accreditation that demonstrates our competence and compliance to buyers in the construction industry

Cyber Essentials

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ISO 9001

Next Generation Rooflights is certified BSI ISO9001 to ensure the standards of our high quality rooflights

Made in Britain

Next Generation Rooflights are designed and crafted to clients exacting specifications at our Suffolk factory to ensure high-quality British products – Proudly Made in Britain.

Safe Contractor Approved

SafeContractor verifies that contractors meet required safety and compliance standards, giving clients confidence that the suppliers they use are safe, responsible, and legally compliant