Technical Advice | Structural Glazing
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We do not make up topics just to get clicks. Our topics come from the questions people really ask us. Architects ask us when they plan a building. Builders ask us on-site. Homeowners ask us when they plan their project. If the same question keeps coming up, we write about it.
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The first draft is written by someone who works with that glazing system. This might be a technical advisor, a designer, or a product expert.
They write using three things, in this order. First, our own finished projects and what we learned from them. Second, the building rules and the glass standards that apply. Third, the maker's technical data for the system we supply. When we give a number or a limit, we say where it comes from. We name the rule or standard and link to the official source so you can check it yourself.
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Before any article goes live, a second qualified person reads it. They check three things. That the facts are right and not made too simple. That any rule or standard we mention is current and stated correctly. That the advice matches how the work is really done on site.
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Each article shows who wrote it, who checked it, and the date it was last checked. Rules, standards, and products change over time. So we go back and review our advice on a regular basis. We update it when a rule changes, a standard is replaced, or a product changes. Being right matters more than leaving an old article alone.
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Many projects will have some form of façade or structural glass system that provides amazing views and a great deal of natural light, however 90% of projects will have visible pressings/ framework around the glazing to keep it fixed into place. While this isn’t an issue, it may hinder some views and take away from various aesthetics, for example an ultra modern, minimalist villa would desire to have the thinnest sightlines and fixings possible.
The benefits of integrating structural glass meeting walls are very similar to the benefits of specifying flush threshold slim sliding doors, the base and head frames are completely recessed into the building finishes to provide maximum views. Structural glazing can follow this same process.
Structural glazing is often used as vast walls and windows that face the exterior of the project and are exposed to the elements. However, many glazing systems are integrated inside to divide spaces and create seamless separation without sacrificing natural light transmission. Having structural glazing that seamlessly connects to the building finishes internal is as popular as it is for external systems. This is due to the fact that larger frames inside can feel as if the glazing system is built for exterior conditions, opposed to interior.
Ladlecombe is one of our favourite luxury home projects which has been fully designed and built for the Cotswold landscape. The main elevation overlooks the vast fields and tree lines that is encapsulated by floor to ceiling Invisio structural glass. The glazing has been installed to perfectly meet with the floor and stone/brick roof finish leaving just the bonding silicone visible.
Princelet Street is a great example of an ultra-unique glass extension featuring vast pivot doors and powder coated green frames. The extension is surrounded by standard brick walls which presented an issue of creating a seamless finish when designing the pitched glass roof. The solution for this was to cut out a small trench in both walls for the glazing to slide into creating the desired glazing to structure finish. The glazing connects to the brick as it does for the previous project.
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This East London home has undergone a vast extension that features slim sliding doors, structural glass and pre-oxidized metal framing for a bronze/orange building finish. The structural glazing has been installed just behind the rusted building finish providing the frameless finish that was desired for the unique extension. The structural window was specified to be frameless due to its purpose of providing natural light to the bespoke concrete staircase that otherwise would appear very dark and gloomy.
Portree Loch is a coastal new build that has amazing lakeside views and several glazing systems to finish the home. The structural glass has been finished into a fully concrete wall with a bespoke limestone finish. Working with concrete is very similar to brick as a small channel is cut out to allow the glazing to slide into the wall.
One of the most well known IQ Projects that has even featured on Grand Designs is Clayworth Cottage. The bespoke home combines a huge variety of building elements to create the ideal living space. One of the guest bedrooms has a floor to ceiling structural window installed that connects with the exterior timber finish for clear views of the garden and greenery surrounding the home.
A tricky installation was completed at Park Road 134 where the structural glazing connects to the floor seamlessly despite it being on the cusp of the swimming pool just beside it. The timber overhang of the extension created the ideal opportunity to build a small swimming area with a featuring glass wall that provides a peek inside the home's entranceway.
Similar to Ladlecombe, Old Quay features a stone wall that has a seamless glazing pane installed with minimal frame visible. The wall sprawls from outside to inside so the glazing acts as a partition to separate outside from inside.
If you have any enquiries regarding structural glazing systems meeting walls, contact the team here!
Read our guide on structural glazing with opening elements here.
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