GLASS AND TRANSLUCENT adf MATERIALS 05 Wiegel at Solurlux discusses glass as a construction material...

GLASS AND TRANSLUCENTMATERIALS

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Glass and translucent materials supplement

4 Industry news and comment

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Europa Building, BrusselsA glowing egg wrapped in a transparent glass screen forms the centrepieceof the new headquarters of the EU Council in Brussels, but this innovativebuilding is about much more than showy architectural bravura. StephenCousins reports

Herbert Crescent, Knightsbridge, LondonAn eight-storey glass lift in an opulent Knightsbridge residence has takenglass engineering and construction to ambitious new heights. Steve Menaryinvestigates

27 Linden Gardens, Notting Hill, LondonA neglected, empty building in west London is being converted into luxuryapartments, thanks in no small way to the clever use of glass. Jess Unwinfinds out more

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Future-proof your buildings nowJim Lowther assesses how we can future-proof a new generation ofbuildings through the specification of the latest rooflights and fireprotection products

The value chainPhil Savage of Pilkington United Kingdom Limited explores the use ofstructural glazing in modern building design and explains why the valuechain is integral to successfully fulfilling an architect’s vision

Clearly it’s a glass extension energy revolutionChristian Wiegel at Solurlux discusses glass as a construction material andgives insights into a research project on the development of ‘energy self-sufficient’ glass extensions

Blinding benefitsIntegral blinds are not simply an open and shut case explains Ian Short of Morley Glass & Glazing 23

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PROJECTS

FEATURES

CONTENTS

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4 NEWS

WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK ADF MAY 2017

FROMTHE EDITORWindow glass has come a long way since early broad sheet glass was little more than a poorly

transparent material. Over the centuries different methods of glass manufacture emerged but itwasn’t until the invention of laminated glass at the beginning of the 1900s that much larger

window panes were being safely glazed without dividing bars.

Early technology and techniques for better quality, strengthened and economically produced glass systemsgave glass new impetus in building construction and architects were quick to utilise glass in the earlyskyscrapers. For example, Chicago’s 14-floor Reliance Building constructed in the 1890s featured largeplate glass windows. And even earlier, south London’s cast-iron and plate glass Crystal Palace of 1851 wasa major innovation in its time. However, a glimpse into the future of glass technology in architecture hadalready be seen in architect Peter Ellis’ 1864, five-story Oriel Chambers building in Liverpool whichfeatured a metal framed glass curtain wall.

These pioneering structures are just a few examples of the forerunners of today’s new age of challengingstructural glass buildings that continue to symbolise innovation and modernity. Increasingly, tall glassbuildings continue to dominate the skylines of our cities and cutting edge projects around the world utiliselight and glass filled spaces in striking new, renovation and heritage projects.

In this supplement, structural glass designers and engineers Eckersley O’Callaghan also take aretrospective look at glass with reference to Charles Schridde’s 1960s futuristic ‘House of the Future’illustrations. They point out that some have already been realised, if not superseded, by advancements incurved glass, interlayer technology, high performance coatings, solar control and more. Ian Langham, thefirm’s associate director, also poses the question, what next? He refers to dynamic glass, hi-strength thinglass and other transparent materials that could transform our not too distant future.

The project features in this supplement are exemplars of challenging structural glass design andengineering feats: 27 Linden Gardens once a neglected Victorian building is now a desirable townhouseconversion of apartments transformed by glass. The new HQ for the EU Council in Brussels, the EuropaBuilding is an innovative egg-shaped structure of predominantly glass and translucent materials. Plus, aneight-storey glass lift in a London mansion is likely to be the tallest self-supporting annealed glass structurein the world.

In this supplement we also hear from experts about some of the glass materials and new technologiesbeing developed that will enable architects and engineers to turn their visions into reality and which aresustainable and eco drivers for the future too.

Sarah JohnsonEditor ON THE COVER – EUROPA BUILDING,BRUSSELS

For more information, go to page 11

© Philippe SAMYN and PARTNERS architects & engineers, LEAD and DESIGN PARTNER.With Studio Valle Progettazioni architects, Buro Happold engineers

GLASS AND TRANSLUCENTMATERIALS

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p u b l i s h i n g – v e r t i c a l s e a r c h

5NEWS

WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UKADF MAY 2017

Concrete, a new venue in Alserkal Avenue,Dubai, has been finished with a mix ofpolycarbonate cladding, as well as concrete,glass and mirror components. Located in Dubai’s Al Qouz industrial

area, Alserkal Avenue was founded in 2007with the aim of promoting cultural initia-tives in the region and has since becomeDubai’s most important art hub, with 25galleries and art spaces.Concrete, designed by OMA, is a

1,250 m2 former warehouse that addressesthe district’s “growing need for a centrallylocated public space which can host adiverse programme of events.” It provides a

multi-purpose venue to accommodateexhibitions, performances, lectures andfashion shows. The building’s services were consolidated

at one end, allowing the entrance and event spaces to be situated closer to The Yard – the district’s main outdoorpublic square.The original front facade of the

warehouse has been replaced with polycarbonate cladding and full heightoperable doors. When the doors are open,the interior space blends seamlessly withthe courtyard. The building’s connection to its exterior is reinforced by the translu-

cent polycarbonate, which brings generousamounts of daylight into the interior. The rest of the original facade has

been maintained and sprayed in acustomised mix of concrete with glass and mirror elements. The rough texture of the concrete plus the reflections from the glass and mirror make the venue standout in its location. The building also features two

linear skylights, positioned above fourpivoting and sliding internal walls, whichcan allow either thin blades or full daylight into the space, depending on the configuration.

New multi-purpose Dubai cultural venuewith a glass and mirror facade

OMA’S MOMENT OF REFLECTION

© OMA

© Mohamed Somji, courtesy Alserkal Avenue

6 NEWS


SageGlass, manufactured by the Saint-Gobain group, scooped the Gaia Award forthe most innovative green constructionproduct at The Big 5 2016’s Middle Eastceremony, celebrating sustainability.

The awards honour companies in theconstruction industry whose products andservices demonstrate a reduction ofconstruction’s impact on the built environ-ment. The product was selected as thewinner by a panel of industry expertsheaded by Dr. Alaa K. Ashmawy, professorof Civil Engineering and Dean of theSchool of Engineering at the AmericanUniversity in Dubai (AUD). SageGlass won the innovation award for

its smart tintable glass solution, intelligentsolar control glazing developed to offer anenvironmentally friendly and energy-efficient alternative to blinds or shades.By blocking sunlight on hot days,

SageGlass is claimed to “dramaticallyreduce energy demand and the need for

heating ventilation and air conditioning.” Discussing the reasons behind SageGlass’

award, Big 5 event director Josine Heijmanssaid: “With the UAE’s and region’s focus ondelivering sustainability in construction itwas paramount to choose sustainability asa key theme in this year’s Big 5. Visitors toThe Big 5 are constantly looking forinnovative products that are environmen-tally friendly and the Gaia Awards helps usuncover these products and technologiesand share them with the construction anddesign industry.”

SageGlass won theinnovation award for its smart tintable glass solution. It’s anintelligent solar controlglazing solution

TINTABLE GLASS

SageGlass wins green prize

This year sees the Glass and GlazingFederation (GGF) celebrate its 40thanniversary. The GGF (interim CEOBrian Baker pictured below) hasseveral special events planned throughthe year including a Life begins at 40party in the GGF Members Lounge atThe FIT Show (23-25 May, NEC), acelebratory Members Day on 22September and the G17 Awards on 17November. The awards will alsofeature a special 40th AnniversaryAward. As well as these events, theindustry’s trade body is introducing araft of new initiatives to help itsmembers’ businesses. These include:• A political strategy group, designedto ensure all forthcoming policiesand laws – brought about bycircumstances such as Brexit andincoming Government schemes –that affect companies in the indus-try are covered.

• A ‘systems house’ group which willbe represented along with framemanufacturers on the GGF Board toensure the full industry supply chainis considered at board level and infuture strategies.

• The GGF ‘Member Get Member’scheme is increasing the discount onthe recommending members’ 2018subscription from 10 per cent to 40per cent.

• Digital marketing workshops willbe held across the GGF regions.

• A new GGF trade website will belaunched fully in September, with asoft launch in July.

• A new commemorative logo andsouvenirs to celebrate the anniver-sary will be issued to all GGFmembers.

GGF celebrates a“special year”

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

7NEWS


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The Grade II-listed Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea has beenmodernised with an extension by architects Powell Dobson thatuses low-profile structural glazing to help link the buildings.

The project involved adding a new gallery, community andeducation rooms, a lecture theatre and screening room, conserva-tion studios and collection stores to the existing gallery – a neo-classical brick and stone building completed in 1909. The worksalso created a new street level entrance, welcoming visitors with amuch larger and brighter reception space.

When adding a modern extension to a historic building, creatinga sensitive link between the two is an important consideration. Increating the extension, the designers were keen to preserve theimpressive symmetry of the original facade, which meant creating asense of physical separation between the extension and gallery.

At the same time, the two elements needed to be well connectedinternally, with free flowing circulation between the two. Thesolution was to enclose the linking part of the extension, set backfrom the building’s facades, in glazing.

This link means that the two elements are connected on threelevels, making the building feel unified to visitors while also allow-ing the historic facade to be appreciated in isolation from outside.

The glazing also extends at ground level around the front of theextension, allowing light to flood into the new entrance area. Therefurbished building features a glazed section of wall opening ontoa garden across three floors, allowing light in and giving passers-bya glimpse of some of the artworks on display.

In total, 70 m2 of glazing from Pilkington Glass was used. Inorder to maximise insulation of the newly created space and ensurehigh levels of structural strength, double glazed units featuring onepane of 12 mm toughened glass and another of 13.5 mm laminatedglass were used.

The outer pane features a low-emissivity hard coating to reducethe amount of radiated heat lost from the building. The framelessglazing is supported by a series of laminated fins which have beencreated from 21.5 mm thick glass.

LINKING FUTURE AND PAST

Historic Swansea artgallery brought into21st century

www.kloeber.co.uk

8 NEWS


Although glass may normally be perceivedas essentially ‘invisible’, one manufacturerhas explored the potential to remove glareand reflections to produce truly invisiblestructural glazing.In its campaign, Guardian Glass is

highlighting what it describes as the“numerous possibilities that are now open to architects” using Guardian Clarity anti-reflective glass in exteriorbuilding applications.Guardian Glass commented: “While the

use of anti-reflective glass for interiordesign and glass displays is becoming even more common, we wanted to highlightit is now possible to effectively use anti-reflective glass for building and facadeapplications too. When glass continues tobe a physical barrier, but is no longer anoptical one, imagine the world of designopportunities this would represent forarchitects. Reflections and glare can now be minimised, creating invisible glazingwithout spoiling an otherwise perfect view.”

The company, based in Michigan, hasdesigned Guardian Clarity to reduce reflec-tion from 8 per cent to “around 0.7 percent compared to standard glass,” as well as“increasing light transmission for a viewingexperience that is virtually distortion free.”Andras Kovacs, product manager at

Guardian Glass commented: “The need tomake structural glazing virtually invisiblecan now be met. Architects can createtransparent, crystal clear views through theglass, including curved facades.” He contin-ued: “Imagine the world’s skyscraperswithout reflections in the glazing. It woulddefinitely have a powerful effect on theaesthetics of cities, and how each building isperceived and experienced.” The company said that with glass facade

aesthetics being “a complex matter thatinvolves changing levels of internal andexternal reflection and colours in differentlight conditions, Guardian Clarity glass“gives architects more freedom to createbuildings that stand out – by increasing

visibility into or from the building, or bycreating an invisible canvas to bring theinterior to the fore.” The campaign has been launched to

show architects the varied possible applications of invisible glass. For moreinformation and to order a free sample visitwww.guardian-possibilities.com

“Invisible” structural glass launchedLAUNCH OF INVISIBILITY

GGF Training rebrands to Helix Training

TRAINING

As part of fulfilling the branding strategy of the recently formedHelix Group, the organisation has rebranded GGF Training toHelix Training. The newly named company will deliver the same service as

before, aiming to add more benefits and new features for companies in the glass and glazing industry. The Helix Group was formed in 2016 by the GGF to harness

the resources and talents of all the GGF’s subsidiary companies.Along with FENSA, GGFi, Borough IT, RISA and BFRC, HelixTraining will add to the collective services the Helix Group offersto the industry.Jon Vanstone, Helix Group CEO commented on the introduc-

tion of the new branding replacing GGF Training: “We areincredibly proud of what GGF Training achieved since it waslaunched at the end of 2013. From the development of a successful MTC (Minimal

Technical Competency) program to an ambitious and continuallyevolving syllabus of industry training, there is a lot of potentialfor future opportunity. We believe that with the support of HelixGroup, Helix Training will be able to reach this potential, having

a greater impact on the broader home improvement market.”While there are exciting and innovative changes happening

within the group, Helix Training is still run by the same trustedteam behind GGF Training, and will continue to deliver theirservices with the same passion, drive and level of excellence as before.As part of the training portfolio, 2017 sees the addition of a

number of business courses offered in conjunction with theBuilding Merchants Federation (BMF). These courses are inaddition to the existing training offered by Helix Training: FireResistant Glazing and Manual Handling, delivered in partnershipwith the GGF and Pristine Condition respectively. Brian Baker, GGF chief executive (interim) commented: “We

are delighted to see the formation of Helix Training. To ensurethe training needs of GGF Members are still served, the GGF hasset up a Training division within its technical department, headedup by Sarah Herbert who was part of the GGF Training teamsince its formation in 2013. Both the GGF Training departmentand Helix Training will work together to deliver the best trainingcourses for the GGF Membership.”

9INSIGHTS


It’s often interesting to reflect on the past to see where wethought technology and material advances would take us in thefuture. Some ideas were realised within 20 years and others still

look to be dreams of the future. Take the 1960s sci-fi futuristic imaginings – freed from technicalconstraints, authors’ imaginations ran riot and projected visions ofour wants and desires. During a time inspired by the rapid andaudacious achievements of the Space Age, it was only natural tospeculate about what was coming next.Recently, I stumbled across a series of 1960s advertisementillustrations by Charles Schridde for Motorola. The theme was‘House of the Future’ with transparent structures and glass enclo-sures featuring prominently, typical of many other sci-fi futuristicmusings of this era. This led me to wonder how far-fetched some ofthese ideas were. It’s perhaps no coincidence that around this time the possibilitiesfor glass on buildings advanced significantly through the revolu-tionary float glass process developed by Pilkington. This meant thatlarge volumes of high-quality glass could be produced for the babyboomer generation. This innovation must have stimulated greatinspiration for what the future might hold for glass technologies –but has there been a revolution on the same scale since? There are two illustrations in the ‘House of the Future’ serieswhich offer retrospective reference. The first shows a luxuryapartment overlooking a city below, shown from the outsidethrough large, curved glass panels of approximately 6 metres heightand 3 metres width.With today’s fabrication capabilities in large format and curved

glazing, this vision of the future is now a reality. In fact, Schriddecould have been more ambitious – some manufacturers can nowfabricate curved panels up to 18 metres tall. Thanks to currentinterlayer technologies such as SentryGlas, the mullions could alsobe omitted with the glass spanning without additional supports. Today’s interests in challenging transparent envelope geometriesare inspired by advances in curved glass processing and progressionin computational design. Doubly-curved panels can bemanufactured with high optical quality, either using hot bendingover moulds or the more recently developed cold bending thatallows flat glass to be ‘pushed’ into shape and then mechanicallyrestrained either by the interlayer during lamination, or clampingon site.

The other Schridde illustration shows a futuristic glassenclosure, possibly a lakeside outhouse, that evokes the green-houses of old, such as The Crystal Palace. As an enclosure, it hasparallels to Apple 5th Avenue Cube in New York (2011), whichEckersley O’Callaghan engineered to utilise glass as both structureand facade.I am drawn to the image’s depiction of shading. It acknowledgesa human need for comfort but probably not the issue of energyconsumption, there may have been less consideration for solar gainand its associated sustainability impact in the 1960s. Since then, high performance coatings and other glass treatments,including solar control and low-e, have developed considerably, in

Ian Langham from engineering consultant Eckersley O’Callaghandiscusses how futuristic 1960s visions of glass buildings have nowbecome reality, and reflects on glass developments present andpossibly future

COMMENT

Sky Pool, planned for Embassy Gardens development, London ©Ballymore

Glass of the future –a retrospective

10 INSIGHTS


part in response to ever stringent requirements in energy codes. Thebig challenge is how to overcome the contradiction of better lighttransmittance and reducing the solar gain. Today’s standardtechnology offers more reflective, darker glass than was envisagedbut is catching up to make clearer views possible.Looking to tomorrow, current developments in dynamic glass(which change in light transmittance and g-value) are promisinginnovations, especially for warmer climates. There are differentapproaches. For example, Merck liquid crystal modules andintelligent glass facades that are linked to the building managementsystem could become more common as their costs reduce. If Schridde were to produce a set of images today, what wouldour imaginings of the future be? I wonder how much today’s glassdevelopments would feature? Areas of inspiration could include high-strength, thin glass. Itwas originally developed in the 1960s for the automotive industry,without great success, but has been revitalised by the smart phoneindustry. It is yet to be fully utilised within architecture, but can be

useful where weight-saving is important. With rising sea levelsaround the world, will weight considerations become important forfloating houses as they are for ships today? Corning’s latestincarnation of this fusion technology, Willow Glass, offers glass asthin as 0.1 mm, and could facilitate transparent, durable and light-weight fabrics for building envelopes in place of today’s traditionaltextile and plastic materials.Although glass sizes have increased dramatically, they are stilllimited by transport logistics and local site constraints. Moreintelligent methods of joining panels present another frontier to beexplored. Over the last 10 years we have realised increasinglytransparent structural glass systems by incorporating fittings withinthe glass build-up. The holy grail is for all the connections to betransparent. Advances in transparent silicones and adhesives havepotential, as does welding of glass seams together. Other transpar-ent materials like PMMA (acrylic) could come to prominenceowing to the ability for large panels with invisible joints, althoughtheir use is currently hampered by fire resistance and limited solargain performance.In the same way that past authors readily offered their visions ofthe tomorrow, it is important that designers reflect and activelyshape our future. We need to continue engaging with suppliers andspecialists – we may discover that our wants and desires are closeto fruition, or they may even ignite an idea with a manufacturer tomake them possible. This dialogue is one of the ingredients whichwill help our industry to innovate. Who knows? In doing so, thefuture may not be so far away. �

Ian Langham is associate director at Eckersley O’Callaghan

Ian Langham

We may discover that our wants anddesires are close to fruition, or they mayeven ignite an idea with a manufacturerto make them possible

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Whoever emerges victorious in theUK’s general election this June,they will shortly afterwards find

themselves in the Europa building, the newheadquarters for the Council of the EU inBrussels, where the bulk of Brexit negotia-tions will play out

The controversial project, previouslycriticised by David Cameron for its inflated£300m+ budget, features a bulging egg-shaped structure that will glow at night likea lantern, wrapped in a huge glass atriumwith a patchwork of over 3,000 reclaimedtimber window frames.

The design was developed – by Belgianarchitecture studio Samyn and Partners,Italian architects Studio Valle and Britishstructural engineers Buro Happold – tosymbolise everything positive aboutEurope: unity, transparency and diversity.At its heart is a huge room with kaleido-scopic rainbow carpets and ceiling tiles,designed by Belgian artist GeorgesMeurant, where EU leaders will holdsummit meetings.

At first glance, the building might appearexcessive or flamboyant, but its design wasa logical response to the constraints of thebrief, says Philippe Samyn, director ofSamyn & Partners: “The project is not theconsequence of a wish to be original, or anact of bravura. It had to be eye catching butnot at the expense of unnecessary materials,

A glowing egg wrapped in a transparent glass screen forms the centrepiece of the newheadquarters of the EU Council in Brussels, but this innovative building is about muchmore than showy architectural bravura. Stephen Cousins reports

Lantern for Europe

EUROPA BUILDINGBRUSSELS

BUILDINGPROJECTS

The building’s design wasdeveloped to symboliseeverything positive aboutEurope: unity, transparencyand diversity

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and its shape was fundamentally generatedby the constraints of the programme.”

A different Europe The Europa building began its journey inmore stable times, before David Cameronfirst mooted the idea of an EU referendum,when the Greek economy was still boomingand there were few concerns about migra-tion across Europe’s borders.The 53,815 m2 project was needed to

increase capacity for members of theEuropean Council and the Council of theEuropean Union, after 10 new memberstates joined in 2004. It will be used forsummits and over 6,000 meetings a year,attended by hundreds of Ministers, diplo-mats and interpreters.The scheme involves the renovation and

extension of the existing Europa building,an L-shaped block designed by Swiss archi-tect Michel Polak as a high-end apartment

complex, completed in 1927. The buildingwas later commandeered by the Nazis as aheadquarters then, after the second worldwar, it was purchased by the Belgiangovernment and converted for use as offices.The egg-shaped lantern fills the void in

the L-shaped plan and is self supporting.Due to constraints imposed by the Metroand trains that run underneath the site, thesteel structure of the atrium facade isdesigned to be lightweight and bear theweight of both the outer patchwork ofwindows and the atrium roof. The structurecomprises a number of large trusses andacts as a bridge.Other constraints imposed by the site

include a heritage listing on the originalbuilding’s facades, entrances and the centralground floor, which limited further inter-ventions. The new headquarters is adjacentto its old home, the Justus Lipsius built in

12 EUROPA BUILDING, BRUSSELS


the 1980s, and connects to it by twofootbridges.

The lantern is symmetrical in plan andincludes 11 occupied floors that vary in sizedepending on the specific requirements ofeach programme. The largest conferencespace, on level five/six, mid-way up thestructure, can accommodate 250 people.Two smaller conference rooms are locatedat levels three/four and seven/eight. There isa cafeteria on the ground floor, a pressroom, on level one/two. There are severaldining rooms, the largest is on level 11 withcapacity for 50 people.

Samyn comments: “When we analysedthe number of square metres needed foreach floor of the building and saw that itincreased gradually, from the bottom to themiddle, then decreased again towards theroof. That was the genesis of the idea forthe lantern shape. The circular form is idealfor meeting rooms, where people gather totalk, and preferable to a rectangular spacethat sets up a hierarchy.” The floors arestretched slightly into ellipses, rather thanperfect circles, due to site constraints.

Harmonious patchworkThe transparent atrium facade wrapsaround the entire northeast corner of thesite and incorporates some 3,750 recycledoak window frames, sourced from renova-tion or demolition sites across Europe,including a castle in the UK and a farm inItaly. This “harmonious patchwork” isbased on a special algorithm developed tomatch units of different sizes together toform the overall design.

A second layer of glazing, located 2.7 metres behind the windows, cuts theimpact of noise from the adjacent road, andboosts thermal insulation as part of an‘onion’ strategy for energy performance.

The facade comprises four separatelayers: the atrium facade has an outer andan inner single glazed layer, the lantern has

The ‘onion’ strategy formspart of a deep-rootedenvironmental approachthat responded to the EU Council’s desire to see sustainabilitydisplayed in many aspectsof the architectural andtechnical design

13EUROPA BUILDING, BRUSSELS


an outer laminated glass layer and internallayer of solid insulated wall.

“Multiplying the number of envelopesmade it simpler to achieve interior tempera-ture targets and was cheaper to constructthan a single highly-insulated facade,” says Samyn.

The ‘onion’ strategy forms part of a deep-rooted environmental approach thatresponded to the EU Council’s desire to seesustainability displayed in many aspects ofthe architectural and technical design.

Samyn has some strong views on environ-mental assessment ratings: “Commercialsustainability ratings, like BREEAM andLEED, are quite crude instruments createdfor developers and people who want to saythey are sustainable.” He adds: “We aredealing with a serious architectural building,not a showcase for developers, so we gomuch further.”

According to the architect, sustainablethinking should always begin with a focus on“reasonable drawing”, and designing withcommon sense and normal proportions inmind, rather than resorting to “absurd”architectural gestures, like large overhangs ortwisting forms.

An emphasis on the use of natural materi-

als includes exposed oak wood floors, in themain meeting rooms, the foyers and all officespaces. Meeting room floors are partiallycovered with a multicoloured natural woolcarpet, needed for acoustic reasons; finisheson the walls and ceilings are made of woollentextile felt.

The facade features ultra-clear glasswindows, with a very high Color RenderingIndex to maximise daylight levels. This iscoupled with high levels of external shadingto minimise solar gain. A total 374 low-energy LED luminaires are installed to lightthe curved surface of the ‘egg’ at dawn and dusk.

ALL IMAGES© Philippe Samyn and Partners – architects & engineers and lead design partner (with Studio ValleProgettazioni architects, Buro Happold engineers)

The facade features ultra-clear glass windows,with a very high ColorRendering Index tomaximise daylight levels –this is coupled with highlevels of external shadingto minimise solar gain

14 EUROPA BUILDING, BRUSSELS


Renewable technologies include rainwater-flushing toilets and a photovoltaic“umbrella” on the roof that will provideabout six per cent of the total power require-ment, as well as create a naturally ventilatedand sheltered external space.

Six percent might sound low for a PVinstallation, but Samyn says it was tough toachieve given the building’s high energydemand from equipment and computers,which he compares to a high tech factory.The PV array covers both the modern andthe historical parts of the building andsymbolises the link between the present, thepast and the future.

Europa divided The new EU headquarters was originallyscheduled for completion in 2012, but aseries of delays, related to the project sched-ule and wider political issues, pushed backthe opening to January of this year.

Initial surveys had failed to reveal theextent of asbestos in the existing building,which had a knock-on effect on removalwork. A decision was made to retain muchmore of the building than the listing required,resulting in a redesign and additional time.

The effective start of the construction was

delayed initially by the discovery of oil pollu-tion in the ground and by an appeal made byone of the participants in the tender for theconstruction of the building.

In addition, the Lisbon Treaty entered intoforce in December 2009, during Europa’sdesign and construction, resulting inprogramme modifications, such as newsecurity measures, adaptations and buildingpermits. As a result, costs increased over thedevelopment period, from the originalestimate of €240m to over €320m.

The increasing budget drew scorn fromDavid Cameron, who in 2011 expressed his“immense frustration” at the amount to bespent. “You do wonder whether these institu-tions actually get what every country ishaving to go through as we cut budgets andtry to make our finances add up,” he said in apress conference.

However, Samyn contends that the finalcost is typical of many equivalent corporateHQ buildings of this type. The argumentover costs seems almost trivial, given thescale of the Brexit ‘divorce bill’ is estimatedto be as much as £50bn and the Europabuilding will prove a vital arena, over thecoming two years, as politicians wrangleover the final agreement. �

ABOVE AND BELOW© colours: Georges Meurant

15EUROPA BUILDING, BRUSSELS


www.solarlux.co.uk

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevatoris a renowned novel and the centre-piece of Roald Dahl’s fiction which

has been brought to life in a new six-storeymansion in Knightsbridge, central London.A glass lift is at the heart of the project

extending eight storeys from the basement toa roof terrace that has created what’s thoughtto be a world-first in a residential property.“We think that this project took glass

engineering and construction to newheights, literally and figuratively, and it islikely to be the tallest self-supportingannealed glass structure in the world,” saysGennady Vasilchenko-Malishev fromengineering consultants Malishev Engineers.According to the Bath-based consultant,

the first stacked load-bearing glass wallsbegan to emerge in the 1990s, such as theGlass Cube Reading Room at the ArabUrban Development Institute in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia, which was designed byDewhurst Macfarlane & Partners.Malishev took on and developed the

principle of vertically stacked load-bearingglass further at the Boltons Place residentialdevelopment in London, which wascompleted in 2006 and included a 20-metrehigh structure. For the Knightsbridge project, these

principles would be extended even further.“From the early design meetings the

architects wanted a ‘wow’ effect from thiscentral feature in the house which would

An eight-storey glass lift in an opulent Knightsbridge residence has taken glassengineering and construction to ambitious new heights. Steve Menary investigates

A great glass elevator

HERBERT CRESCENT LIFTKNIGHTSBRIDGE, LONDON

BUILDINGPROJECTS

For all of the design andconstruction team,producing such a ground-breaking scheme was toprove a challenging task ©

Tim

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combine minimal design and maximumtransparency,” says Malishev.For all members of the design and

construction team, producing such aground-breaking scheme was to prove achallenging task. The scheme features anarray of consultants and contractors withexperience in high-end residential projects,including Tim Flynn Architects producingthe design, Malishev working on the glazingfor the lift and Walter Lilly brought onboard as main contractor.The building originally comprised four

bedsits, which were bought by the client sothat the property could be reverted back toa single Toblerone-shaped residence but allthis consolidation has proved a longprocess.Work has only just been completed but

first started in August 2011 with the recon-figuration of the internal space to create anarea for the lift. This also necessitated amajor excavation project. The constructionteam dug down more than 25 metres andinstalled secant piling walls as a four-storeyhouse was extended to eight levels.“We certainly pushed the boundaries,”

says Steve Edwards, contracts manager forWalter Lilly. He goes on to explain: “It wasquite a challenge to get a piling rig in to digdown to that depth and we required astructural rig to lift the piling rig in.”The basement work alone took around

11 months to complete and the centrepieceglass lift was two years in construction.Finding a specialist sub-contractor

willing to take on the lift element wasdifficult due to the challenging work.

Many sub-contractors weresimply afraid of thiscontract and refused totender altogether,regardless of the costs

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19HERBERT CRESCENT, KNIGHTSBRIDGE, LONDON


Malishev adds: “Many sub-contractorswere simply afraid of this contract andrefused to tender altogether, regardless ofthe costs.”

Only two companies were willing to putin bids. Axis Elevators won out, with theglass supplied by UK Glass. Installation ofthe glass began in March 2015 and thepanels were lifted up using hoists and anoverhead gantry then down through theoculus of the openable roof light.

A hydraulic ram lift was used as aworking platform to facilitate the processof installation. Despite very tight workingspace, no glass panels were damagedduring the installation process.

The last panel of glass was installed on29 March 2016 and the lift was finallycommissioned in January 2017.

The glass structure comprises a curvedlaminated glass cylinder in diameter with acantilevered steel staircase wrapped around the outside. The enclosure size ofthe lift has been restricted to 1.4 metres,which was dictated by a very tight floorplate arrangement.

There is also an external door and aninternal lift door, which are both glass.Due to the circular structure, this was alsoa challenge. Edwards says: “It’s about thetightest radius you can get. All the glasspivots so you can clean the glass.”

169 STEPSThe lift is surrounded by a 169-step spiral staircase.At the top floor, this staircase leads to a glass re-tractable roof, which opens out onto a roof terrace withviews of Knightsbridge

© Tim

Flynn

Architects

20 HERBERT CRESCENT, KNIGHTSBRIDGE, LONDON


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There are three sheets of curved glass forthe exterior of the lift shaft on each floor.“It’s a parallelogram, and the glass is tiedin at intermediate levels,” explainsEdwards.The glass shaft of the lift is split at each

floor level with a helical steel handrail,which acts as the splice joint between thetop and bottom glass panels as well asproviding lateral restraint.The top of the lift shaft is capped by

static and openable semi-static roof lightsand on each landing-level for the lift.Malishev explains: “A series of high

precision rollers and rails were used oninner and outer perimeter rings to supportthe sliding roof light. The roof light iscomprised of a crescent shaped walk-ondouble glazed units, spanning one metrebetween the inner and outer perimeter ring support.”The sliding floor unit moves using a spur

pinion gear with planetary-type motor andsupporting V-shaped wheels and the self-supporting glass cylinder sitting on top.Malishev adds: “This makes this mechanism truly unique in this kind of application. We were responsible for specifying the system and workedclosely with the system manufacturer toadvise our steel and glass fabricator with best available options as well as tolerances required.”The exterior of the lift features bronze

cladding. This was produced by PaulDennis Metal Works, which like the rest ofthe project team has experience workingon high-end projects in central London,including new gates at Kensington Palace.In Knightsbridge, every piece of cladding

was hand-made but this package could notbe commissioned until the structure of thelift was completed. Once the lift wascomplete, the bronze cladding was appliedto clad the stainless-steel H section profileon the exterior of the lift.The lift goes below the basement level as

the ram has to be situated beneath thelowest floor and is surrounded by a 169-step spiral staircase. At the top floor, thisstaircase leads to a glass retractable roof,which opens out onto a roof terrace withviews of Knightsbridge including thenearby Harrods department store.The glazed lift is a centrepiece in a house

distinguished by up-market decor. Thereare British stone floors which wereinstalled by Stone Interiors in most partsof the residence. Swaledale, Angelsey,Eskett, Salterwath and Swaledale stone

was used and sourced from Chelsea-basedsupplier Britannicus Stone. In the dining room, the floor is a combi-

nation of Swaledale with an Angleseystone border by Britannicus Stone, whilethe kitchen features an oblong ofSwaledale stone framed by American blackwalnut, and the master bathroom featuresthe exquisite and rare Ball Eye Blue stone,which has been hand carved by Stone Interiors.There is also a working fireplace and

raw silk wallpaper supplied by TatianaTafur, but glass is a recurring motif.Peter Layton from Bermondsey-based

specialist London Glassblowing alsoworked on the decor to produce a collec-tion of glass vessels installed in the diningroom on the ground floor.“We have a Connaught Hotel Art Deco

inspired bar and bathrooms with bevelledglass,” explains TFA’s Brian Wade, whosourced designed and installed all the soft furnishings.The scheme also features hand-made

glass chandeliers. On the first floor, a glasschandelier created by Baroncelli has beenchristened ‘Storm Cloud’. German designer Eva Menz crafted

another glass chandelier christened ‘Up inthe Clouds’, which is made from hand-blown Polish glass leaves and conches.This glass element also features real leavescollected from nearby Hyde Park by thefamily. Before the leaves were added to thechandelier however, they were dipped in14 carat gold.While an overall value has not been

disclosed, £1.9m has been spent onfixtures and fittings alone.In September 2016, the project featured

on the UK Channel 4 series Millionaires’Mansions, which has now also aired inAustralia and New Zealand.For all this opulence, Brian Wade

says that the house is not intended as astatus symbol. In March 2017, the clients,a family of five, finally move into theproperty. Mr Wade adds: “The client livesin London and their children go to schoollocally, so the home will be lived in andenjoyed. Often the shame of these projectsis that you do all this work and they areonly lived in two or three months of theyear, but that will not be the case here.”While Knightsbridge has seen a

proliferation of mansions created bydigging out basements, none can surelymatch this with a glass elevator that reallydoes help the project fly. �

The lift goes below thebasement level as the ramhas to be situated beneaththe lowest floor and issurrounded by a 169-stepspiral staircase

PROJECT DETAILS

Project: Private residence, HerbertCrescent, Knightsbridge, LondonClient: Not disclosedValue: Not disclosedArchitect: Tim Flynn Architects Consulting engineers: Malishev EngineersStructural engineer: Michael Barclay PartnershipQuantity surveyor: Deacon andJones LLPMain Contractor: Walter LillyJoinery: John Spencer Joinery andHalstockLift: Axis Elevators Glass: UK Glass

22 HERBERT CRESCENT, KNIGHTSBRIDGE, LONDON


BUILDINGPROJECTS

27 LINDEN GARDENSNOTTING HILL, LONDON

Glass and its ability to help create thelight, airy and open-plan livingspaces that define the aspirations of

contemporary residential architecture hastransformed what was once a neglectedVictorian townhouse into a 21st-centurydes res.Located in a tree-lined cul-de-sac within

the Pembridge conservation area of westLondon’s Notting Hill, the mid-terraceproperty that is 27 Linden Gardens hadcertainly seen better days when FruitionProperties and HUB Architects took it on.The building, originally five storeys, was

unoccupied after a period when its manyrooms had been converted for multipleoccupancy use, and was “in a condition ofdisrepair”, according to HUB’s JenniferCreighton.After planning approval, work began in

November 2015 to convert the propertyinto just four apartments. FruitionProperties’ Ross Coathup, project anddesign manager, reveals the interior was“completely gutted” with the removal ofeverything, including the floors, to enablereconstruction and reconfiguration.However, from the outside, little haschanged. Coathup is keen to point out:“One of the central principles of the devel-opment is the retention of the facade.”

Fusing open-plan transparencywith Victorian traditionCreighton agrees and adds: “The designvision for number 27 is to create light andtransparency within the existing Victorianfacade that encompasses the new intercon-nected spaces and fuses with the traditionalaspects of the building.”

She continues: “Primarily, we wanted tofacilitate the contemporary requirements ofmodern living standards – more open-plan,spatial requirements. We wanted to moveaway from the smaller, enclosed rooms thatwere traditional when the building was firstdesigned to have lots of light and space.Glass and other reflective surfaces areamong the things that can make thathappen.”Using glass to partition spaces means that

apartment one, a duplex spanning the lowerground and ground levels and apartment

A neglected, empty building in west London is being converted into luxury apartments,thanks in no small way to the clever use of glass. Jess Unwin finds out more

Victorian townhouse is a glass act

PARTITIONINGUsing glass to partition spaces means that apartmentshave a transparency that allows you to see rightthrough from the front to the rear of the building

23


four, another duplex on the third and topfloor, have a transparency that allows youto see right through from the front to therear of the building.

Fire-safe glass challengeHowever, that drive for transparency meantjumping an important safety hurdle inapartment one. Coathup explains: “To getour front-to-back transparency on theground floor, we needed glass that wouldseparate the main staircase from the adjoin-ing living room, dining/kitchen space andthe main entrance to the apartment.

“This needed to be fire-rated construc-tion, which means the glass had to haveinsulating and integrity qualities to stop fireand radiation. That represented a challengewhich required a relatively innovativeanswer: a frameless system of two fixed,glass walls and pivot doors that was astransparent as possible but still insulatedand fire-rated.”

Creighton takes up the story: “There arelimited fire glazing systems that are appro-priate for the domestic market. Othersystems tended to have very heavy framingsurrounding the screens and the door

systems.” After some time searching for asupplier of the right tried and testedproduct, and after a couple of potentialsolutions proved to not be what they werelooking for, HUB and Fruition Propertieseventually chose the Lunax system. “Itticked all the boxes,” says Creighton.

The system, which was created by aBelgian company and is sold throughdealers in the UK, uses Contraflam glass, aproduct that met the insulation andintegrity requirements HUB and FruitionProperties were after.

Supplied by Saint-Gobain subsidiarycompany Vetrotech, the Contraflam glassoffers from 30-120 minutes of integrity andinsulation (EI30-EI120 classification). Thisrefers to the amount of time it will protectagainst fire, smoke and hot gases, acting asa heat shield and keeping the non-fire side cool.

It comprises two or more sheets of tough-ened safety glass with the cavity betweenthe sheets filled with a transparent intumes-cent gel interlayer that reacts chemicallywhen exposed to fire and expands tofurther bolster the glass. It has been used atlocations including the International

STEELInserting a new steel framework to support the reconfiguration of the rear of the building at lowerground, ground and first floors, had ramifications forthe use of glass

24 27 LINDEN GARDENS, NOTTING HILL, LONDON


Conference Centre in Edinburgh andPioneer Point in London.

Coathup says: “At Linden Gardens, theglass fits into an aluminium channel framebut that frame is recessed into the ceilingand floor, so is concealed. Where it abutsthe walls there are intumescent strips.”

Bringing in more light – anddisguising steelworkInserting a new steel framework to supportthe reconfiguration of the rear of the build-ing at lower ground, ground and firstfloors, including the marginal repositioningof the existing light well, also had ramifica-tions for the use of glass.

Creighton explains: “The light well isencased by a Fineline Aluminium glasssliding door and glass screen system, whichhas good insulation qualities and which isalso vital to bringing extra light into apart-ment one. But we also wanted to disguisethe steel behind the glass system. Weachieved that by using back-painted glasspanels which hid both the floor structureand structural vertical posts.”

Coathup stresses that all the internalglazing at Linden Gardens is bespoke, and

the detail design was carefully andpainstakingly developed between FruitionProperties, Hub Architects and the fabrica-tor, Fineline Aluminium.

The external facades, including windowapertures, may have survived but all thesliding sash windows have been replacedwith modern, timber-framed and double-glazed versions. “Same appearance butbetter thermal properties,” says Coathup.

Making the light well larger, introducingmore glazing and relocating it slightly closerto the back wall of the building all helps

BESPOKEAll the internal glazing at Linden Gardens is bespoke,and the detail design was painstakingly developed byFruition Properties, Hub Architects and fabricatorFineline Aluminium

The external facades,including windowapertures, may havesurvived but all the slidingsash windows have beenreplaced with moderntimber-framed and double-glazed versions

2527 LINDEN GARDENS, NOTTING HILL, LONDON


bring in extra light. Elsewhere, a mechani-cal sliding roof light that sits above thecentral staircase from third to fourth floorhas the same effect.

Overcoming and learning from thechallengesFitting an appropriate lift system in thisVictorian conversion was another of theproject’s challenges. Creighton says: “Foraccess requirements it is beneficial to havelevel access…but we needed something that

would meet the aesthetic targets of theconversion. We’ve now put in a lift withglass doors to follow the theme of transparency.”

Inserting new floors, says Coathup, wasalso a challenge. An easi-joist system spanssteel beams, party and blockwork walls.Plywood decking was then laid over joistswith acoustic, insulation and underfloorheating layers on top of that. Coathupexplains: “It was a question of careful,sequential manoeuvres with quite a lot oftemporary works.”

Creighton adds: “The new floors wereinserted at slightly different levels tomaximise floor-to-ceiling heights. That hadto be considered very carefully in relation tothe facade’s existing windows.”

Coathup says lessons have been learnedat Linden Gardens that will stand everyonein good stead for future work: “Beside thefire-rated glass work, we’ve learned howcarefully you have to check drawingsagainst glazing system installation to makesure everything fits together – coordinationis the key and a 3D model of the structuralelements certainly helped understanding

ABOVE AND RIGHTThe living wall within the light well spans the lowerground and ground levels

OPPOSITEThis can be enjoyed by people sitting in the space atthe bottom of the light well

FACT BOX

• The area covered by thePembridge conservation area wasbuilt during the three decadesbetween 1840 and 1870

• Glass balustrading is used onsome of the building’s staircases

• Townhouse conversions likethat at 27 Linden Gardensare relatively rare, mostlybecause the buildings often havemultiple owners

One of the most strikingfeatures of the townhouseconversion is a living wallwithin the light well, whichspans the lower groundand ground levels and isaround 5 metres wide



www.i-d-systems.co.uk

where steel components were going to beand what we had to conceal.”

21st-century standards that give abuilding a new lease of lifeOne of the most striking features of thetownhouse conversion is a living wallwithin the light well, which spans the lowerground and ground levels and is around 5 metres wide. This can be enjoyed bypeople sitting in the space at the bottom ofthe light well. Coathup says: “It creates itsown micro eco-system and improves the airquality around that area. It looks prettygood too!”

Creighton points to another ‘green’aspect of the conversion: “By bringing inmore natural light to the lower parts of thebuilding we don’t have to use so muchartificial lighting during the day.”

And Coathup adds: “Effectively takingthis Victorian townhouse to pieces andputting it back together again results inhaving to improve the insulation as well as

the overall standards of construction. Thatincludes the acoustic insulation betweenapartments. It brings a tired building up tocurrent regulations.”

As Creighton says, conversions like theone at Linden Gardens are a “good way tobring these buildings into the 21st centuryand give them a longer lease of life.”

Contemporised Victorian: a style in demandConversions like this at 27 Linden Gardensare uncommon but, as Coathup says,“contemporised Victorian buildings are indemand.” The clever use of glazing to createthe transparency of apartments one andfour contributes to asking prices of £3.5mand £2.5m respectively.

Apartment two, accommodated by a firstfloor mezzanine, and apartment three onthe second floor have traditional partitionwalls. However, the quality of this luxuryproject suggests it won’t be long before allfour apartments are snapped up. �

PROJECT DETAILS

Main contractor: Fruition Properties(construction arm Area 29 )Project management:Fruition PropertiesArchitects: HUB Architects & Designers Quantity surveyor: Fruition Properties (Area 29)M&E: IMS Ignite MaintenanceServices Civil engineering consultant:EngineersHRW

Interior .oor and wall tiling: HudsTiling Services Glass:Frameless #re-rated glass screensand pivot doors:Contra<am Glass and Lunax Porta pivot door:Supplied by Billericay Glass Company Slim frame glazing system to innercourtyard and balcony:Fineline Aluminium Glass balustrade to stair:Railing LondonGlazed screens to Flat 1 en-suite:Crystal UnitsLiving wall: ScotscapeKitchens:Design: RoundhouseAppliances: HahhenauBathrooms:Brassware: Zuchetti Basins: CatalanoBaths: ClearwaterFlooring: Hummingbird <oorsWardrobes: Neatsmith Lift system: Kleemann LiftsSliding roof light: Natralight

Alll images © Richard Gooding



F

Specifying products for domestic andcommercial building projects can be adaunting process, one which has to

balance the demands of customers and endusers, and support the practical and safetyrequirements demanded by the building.Roof lights and glazing are an intrinsic

part of this process and deliver tangiblebenefits like permitting natural light intobuildings and providing ventilation andaccess. The latest raft of products to arriveon the market can support safety aspectsand stringent fire regulations too.Specified in a range of domestic and

commercial applications rooflights canprovide workable solutions where lightingis required, allowing architects to createnaturally-lit rooms which have been provento have a positive impact on the health andwellbeing of the building users. In additionto specification in new-build projects,rooflights can also be used in retrofitcommissions and conservation rooflightsare available to support listed buildingrequirements and sympathetic restoration.All this being said, it is often aesthetics

and thermal efficiencies that are at the topof the list when selecting rooflights. Roofglazing and technological developments inrecent years now give an unrivalled choicewhere style is not compromised oversubstance allowing performance andaesthetics to co-exist. And, whilst there isno legal requirement regarding glazingfragility, it is best practice to specify nonfragile glass or polycarbonate.

It is important to consider the sustain-ability and environmental impact thatbuildings will be required to fulfil as partof future regulations. The EnergyPerformance of Buildings Directive, willrequire all new buildings to be at ‘almostzero energy’ by 2021 and the thermalefficiencies of rooflights will never havebeen more important.In addition, rooflights can also aid egress

from buildings should the need arise andcan either be used as stand-alone access orcan be coupled with a fire safety system. Itis perhaps this area of the market where

most development has been made recentlyand which will future-proof buildings as aresult of predicted changes to legislationnext year.

Fire and smoke safety In 2013 only minor amendments weremade to Part B (Fire) Building Regulationsrendering it virtually unchanged since its

Jim Lowther assesses how we can future-proof a new generation of buildings through thespecification of the latest rooflights and fire protection products

Future-proof buildings now29


last full revision in 2006. It is thereforeexpected across the industry that 2018 willsee a revision to the regulations with regardto smoke ventilation systems in the nextgeneration of buildings. Intelligent smoke ventilation systems are

the latest products to become available andare designed to detect heat or smoke withina building and aid the natural flow ofsmoke out whilst delivering enhanced safetyfor building occupants. The AutomaticOpening Vent is a key element in thissystem and if not specified to the correctstandard can have a detrimental impact ona full working system. The latest AOVsprovide enhanced connectivity and boast apowerful 24-volt electric motor whicheffortlessly powers the arms which open thevent. These AOVs also deliver a ‘futureproofing’ aspect as they already meet thenecessary requirements surrounding theproposed changes to legislation andcurrently conform with Part L of BuildingRegulations and Part B which pertains toFire safety.When specifying such products, it is

important to ensure that the entire product,not just isolated components, have beenfully tested and certified to EN12101 –2:2003, a legal requirement under theConstruction Products Regulation 2013and the European standard for smoke andheat control systems. It replacedBS7346:1991 as the UK’s product standardfor rendering, products which do not meet

this new standard are unsuitable andunacceptable.

What does the future hold?Whilst legislation regarding the exact specification and requirements is yet to beconfirmed, it is clear that the AOV and an intelligent smoke ventilation system as a whole supports the widest possibleexpectations that may be enforced. Byinstalling such products in buildings now –before the legislation is mandatory – architects are delivering tangible benefits totheir clients by future proofing buildings. Clearly, an awareness of current and

future legislation plays an important part inproduct development and managing enduser expectations by ensuring specificationnow will meet future safety criteria too. As manufacturers it is important that we

work with associated legislative bodies –including National Association ofRooflight Manufacturers (NARM) andCentre for Window and CladdingTechnology (CWCT) – to developproducts and systems that not only provideaesthetics for buildings but also supportsafety requirements protecting those thatlive, work, study or occupy those buildingsin whatever way.We all need to remain committed to

developing buildings which are sustainableand safe.

Jim Lowther is sales director at Xtralite

AUTOMATIC OPENING VENTSThe latest AOVs provide enhanced connectivity andboast a powerful 24-volt electric motor

We should all remaincommitted to developingbuildings which aresustainable and safe

30


www.xtralite.co.uk

31


Sunsquare Limited o�er a range of Rooflights including solutions for fixed units, hinged openingwith electrical opening mechanism, rooftop access and walk-on Rooflights. For more informationtelephone 01284 848 656, email [email protected] or visit www.sunsquare.co.ukThe first and only Rooflight manufacturers to be BSI verified and awarded a Kitemark.

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Structural glazing is a common featureof architectural projects across theworld. From the Shard and the

Gherkin in London, to the Louvre in Parisor the skyscrapers that pepper the skylineof international cities such as Tokyo andNew York, it has become an integralaspect of any cityscape.

Many people take the engineeringstrength behind these designs for granted.Buildings that are flooded with light arenow seen as commonplace, yet it is thedesigners and creators of these buildingsthat endeavour to understand the technol-ogy and mechanics that underpin them.

With a knowledge and understandingof the full value chain – from design toinstallation – architects can ensure theirvision becomes a reality.

More than aestheticsOver the past 10 years we have seencontinued investment in research anddevelopment across the constructionindustry, with both the building productsand construction techniques used in thebuilt environment having evolved signifi-cantly.

This is particularly relevant for thedevelopments in structural glazing. Here,a once-niche technology that was usedonly in some of the most cutting-edgeprojects has now become a material usedin buildings across the world, fromcommercial office blocks and shoppingcentres to universities and museums.

As architects continue to push bound-aries and design light-filled spaces, theglass manufacturing industry has evolvedto create and develop products that facili-tate this.

Nowadays, architects can specifyframeless, fixed-point glass systems thatare based on steel tension structures thathold the panes in place. This meanssystems forming otherwise unsupportedwalls of glass can be created to a great

height and incorporated into a design.One project we have worked on

recently which is a great example of thisin action is a new high-rise court complexin Al Farwaniya, a suburb of Kuwait City.

Architecturally, the building is designedto reflect the strength and transparency ofthe Kuwait justice system and, appropri-ately, glazing plays a starring role. Here,the building’s key design feature is a 20-metre-wide sloping glass wall that risesabove the main entrance of the building toa height of 70 metres.

This is made possible using toughenedglass, which provides the strength of thestructural glazing system. The addition oftoughened laminated glass can also addfurther resistance against mechanicalforces, such as high winds or blasts.

However it’s not just the aesthetics of abuilding that the glass manufacturingindustry is contributing to – performanceis also benefitting.

With advancements in glass-coatingtechnology architects are now able tospecify a range of high-performanceproducts into their designs. From insulat-ing glass units (IGUs) that improve theenergy performance of a building throughsolar control and low-e properties to thosethat can reduce noise pollution or provideenhanced security features. All of whichcan be incorporated into the structuralglazing systems of a building.

The importance of installationOnce design and specification is complete,the final stage is installation. This is ofparamount importance to the overallresult and if structural glazing is installedincorrectly, not only will the building notlook as it was intended, it will notperform to its full potential.

Structural glazing systems are designedto last decades, so it is vital that the instal-lation is carried out by a fully trainedprofessional team.

Phil Savage of Pilkington United Kingdom explores the useof structural glazing in modern building design andexplains why the ‘value chain’ is integral to successfullyfulfilling an architect’s vision

Don’t break the chain

601 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington DC

Structural glazing isbecoming increasinglypopular in heritagebuilding refurbishment

33


The preferred route would be for thesystem manufacturer to work with anexperienced installer network, accreditedand supported by the manufacturer. Thisway, architects and specifiers have peaceof mind that those working on the projectnot only have an in-depth knowledge ofthe exact systems they are working with,but they have also been trained in allelements of installation. This will includeeverything from on site safety to howstructural glazing interacts with otherproducts in the building facade.

It’s also worth remembering that as thecomplexity of the design increases, thepool of talent that can install it becomessmaller. As the size and thickness of a paneincreases, it becomes increasinglychallenging for those working onsite. Toovercome this, manufacturers can help toidentify the team an architect needsaround them.

Beyond the confines of commercialbuilding designWhile structural glazing has often been thedomain of commercial construction, it isnow used in projects ranging from high-rise skyscrapers to domestic designs and

everything in between.Today, structural glazing is becoming

increasingly popular in heritage buildingrefurbishments, where its low-profilefittings mean it does not obstruct histori-cal architectural features but is still able togive a new lease of life to a building. It canbe used to seamlessly link old and newbuildings, as well as helping to preserveolder structures by providing anadditional element of protection to thebuilding envelope.

It is also widely specified across theretail sector, where it can provide uninter-rupted glass walls and improve thecustomer’s shopping experience, and intransport hubs where structural glazing isoften used to create open, light andwelcoming spaces for the public.

The benefits of structural glazingsystems are clear, and by striking the rightcombination of design, manufacturer andinstaller, architects can maximise the truevalue of this building product and success-fully see their vision come to life.

Phil Savage is commercial contracts salesmanager at Pilkington United Kingdom,part of the NSG Group

ART INSTALLATIONGlynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea

34


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Architects Data(le (ADF) is a wide-ranging and valuableresource, offering architects a wealth of up to dateinformative content, from the most recent industry newsand projects to the latest products and services.As well as a monthly print magazine, ADF now offer digitalissues, a comprehensive press release archive website,fortnightly email newsletters and a digital marketingservice, as well as a news blog. With an ever increasing number of requested copies, ADFis bucking the national trend and increasing requestedreadership year on year. Ongoing investment in editorial,design and production values make ADF the most costeffective and reliable way to communicate to architects.

“the in�uence of an architect in the specifying of materials is huge, communicating with them is the key”

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@architectsDF

Constructions made of glass havetheir own special charm. As atrained architect and engineer, I am

thinking first of all about architecturalaesthetic appeal and I use the word archi-tecture here to encompass the language ofform, design and tectonics.For more than 15 years the driving

tension field of my work has been ‘atmos-pheres, tectonics and energies. Glass as aconstruction material has an unexpectedlylarge influence on the energy characteristicsof a building, while the climate of a particu-lar location also plays its role. A building’sfacade which is made predominantly ofglass can make a significant part of thesolar radiation effective as useful energy inthe building.Admittedly, in the summer, solar energy

may provide more heat than the user wishesand in the winter, a comparatively largeproportion of the heating energy of thebuilding is lost via the glass facade into theenvironment. During my professionalcareer, I have prepared calculations andplans for many buildings to show how, overa course of a year, buildings can lose theleast minimum energy through the facade.The perceptible comfort of the interior forthe user is the key factor when building aglass extension.Before the research project of the past

three to four years could get fully underwaythere were a few things which had to beprepared and clarified including the instal-lation of the research glass extension on theSolarlux site in 2013. As transparent extensions are glass struc-

tures, research poses a great manyinteresting questions including: How muchenergy can be provided by the sun alone?How does the location affect it? How muchenergy do we need for heating in winter?What savings in heating energy for aresidential house can extensions provideand how much energy does an extensionitself need?

Christian Wiegel at Solurlux discusses glass as a construction material in the context of a research project on the development of ‘energy self-sufficient’ glass extensions

The energy revolution underwayin glass extensions

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The topic and questions are exciting asthey have to be looked at in a holisticmanner. In my view, glass extensions offerthe potential to make a silent contributionto the energy revolution. The tightenedrequirements on the overall energy balanceof buildings due to the energy savingsregulations and legislation on renewableenergy etc, should be sufficient cause toconsider utilising solar architecture.The intention of my research work has

been to develop a completely new glassextensions concept in which the majority of the heating energy required can be gener-ated independently by the extension. Theaim is also to increase the number of hoursper day that can be spent in a maximumfeel-good climate within the extension. Thiscan be reached by the technological devel-opment of glass facades which, in thefuture, through using functional glass infacades, energy will be created and usedimmediately or saved in a seasonal store,

depending on the temperature.The main aim is to operate the glass

extension solely self-sufficiently with regenerative energy and the secondary aim,dependent on location, is to also supply thehouse itself with the energy generated bythe glass extension.In our day-to-day existence, we all need

to think about ways of saving energy. Andgovernments need to play their part bysetting new standards. In my opinionEurope is approaching the matter veryintensively, and luckily others are graduallyfollowing. We have known for some timethat glass extensions are a component ofreliable solar architecture but now we are leading the way proactively as glassextensions can make a significant contribu-tion to the environment. The energy savingpotential of glass extensions is clear.

Christian Wiegel is research projectmanager, Solarlux

RESEARCHBefore the project could get fully underway there werea few things which had to be prepared and clarified,including the installation of the glass extension

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www.solarlux.co.uk/

Integral blinds – blinds that are fittedbetween the two panes of glass inside asealed unit – provide a hygienic,

functional and stylish solution for commer-cial and residential buildings includinghospitals, schools, hotels, leisure facilitiesand offices.

They deliver privacy and sun shading,without obscuring the view or preventinglight from entering a room. Unlike tradi-tional curtains and blinds, integral blindsnever need cleaning, don’t clutter thewindow sill and are low maintenance. Theyare securely fitted inside the sealed unitwhich prevents them from becoming dirty,dusty or damaged.

They can be fitted into new or retro-fittedinto existing internal and external doorsand windows of all materials – PVCu,timber and aluminium – including curtainwalling. The maximum size of integralblinds is 2500 mm (w) x 2500 mm (h) andthere’s a choice of operating systems from

manual and solar controlled to fullyautomated operating systems – dependingon your specification, requirements and budget.

Manual, solar or automatic systemsFor manual systems, the slat raising, lowering and tilting function is achievedusing a securely attached cord fitted to arotational magnetic transmission throughthe glass, thereby guaranteeing the insulat-ing glass unit’s hermetic seal. A primaryconsideration with regard to the use ofcords is safety. The British Blind andShutter Association (BBSA) provides guide-lines for the manufacture of blinds that arechild safe, so always check that yoursupplier conforms with these guidelines.For added safety, some systems also supplyanti-ligature knobs, which are often speci-fied in psychiatric and mental health units.

Other manually-operated systems usemagnetic sliders to raise, lower and tilt the

Blinding bene�ts

Unlike traditional curtainsand blinds, integral blindsnever need cleaning, don’tclutter the window sill andare low maintenance

Integral blinds are not simply an open and shut case, explains Ian Short of Morley Glass & Glazing

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Venetian or pleated blinds. The cordlessslider devices are often quite slimline indesign so they can even be used on slidingand bi-fold doors.

Energy efficiency is a key issue and somesystems are powered using rechargeablebatteries that can be charged via a smallexternal solar panel on the outer face of the

window. This also eliminates the need for,or cost of, an electrician, as the system isn’thard-wired into the mains – and saves on-going running costs.

A fully-automated system is hard-wiredinto the mains – and is most often used inhigh-end residential applications, as well ascorporate office spaces. For added luxury,you can even synchronise the movements ofgroups of up to 12 blinds for simultaneousraising and lowering. Plus, with the growthof home automation systems, somemanufacturers can integrate the automationof integral blind operation within thesesystems, using pre-wired control boxes, andmaking for a smooth problem-free installation.

Integral blind systems are available in awide range of colours as well as a full rangeof glazing options including toughened,solar control, triple glazing, thermal insula-tion, noise reduction and fire resistance.

Integral blinds for fire-resistantglass unitsCommercial buildings frequently featureinternal doors, screens and windows thatrequire fire resistant properties. These areoften made from steel, steel-clad aluminiumand fire resistant timber.

The design of fire resistant doors,windows and glazed partitions requiresthem to provide half-hour or one-hourprotection in the event of a fire. They arealso required to perform as normalwindows and doors. Integral blinds can befitted inside sealed units manufacturedusing specialist fire glass products therebycreating a practical and aesthetically pleas-ing product.

Thermal performance & qualitycontrolIntegral blinds combine the thermalcontrol performance of an insulating glassunit (IGU) with the benefits of anintegrated Venetian or pleated blind. Youcan manage sun shading, solar heat gainand light control within a single product.Designed for installation in frames inglazed facades, sealed units with integralblinds inside are also ideal in specialistapplications in interior partitioningwindows.

The manufacture of sealed units withintegral blinds inside requires specialistequipment and skills to ensure a highquality finished product.

Ian Short is managing director at MorleyGlass & Glazing

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www.morleyglass.co.uk

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Preserve and enhanceSince the original Conservation Rooflight®

was designed by The Rooflight Companyover 20 years ago, numerous imitationshave appeared. However, the original theConservation Rooflight® remains the mostauthentic in its class. Slim steel sections, aglazing bar, glazing clips and traditional

opening mechanisms are just some of the reasons why this rooflightshould be the first choice for our Nation’s much loved historicdwellings and landmark structures. For more information about theConservation Rooflight®, contact The Rooflight Company today.

[email protected]

Commercial structural glazing specialistsMelayway Glass Associates Ltd is a specialiststructural glazing and contracting business,based in Sunningdale, Surrey. It specialisesand focuses its business on the design, supplyand installation of a variety of bespokeglazed structures and solutions. Both its U.K.

And International specialist supply partners underline its attentionto the importance of detail and exclusivity, combined with long termfunctionality. MGA’s offering is completely unique to the construc-tion industry. MGA’s very experienced team are available to provideconsultancy services in all aspects of structural glazing and facades.

[email protected]

Good lighting is always essential butsometimes a well-lit interior alsoneeds to be discreet when viewed

from outside. This is the case with the verylong Pier 1 which runs alongside the baggagesystem and gates at Gatwick Airport’s SouthTerminal Building. The two stringentrequirements of privacy and security havebeen neatly solved using Kalwall®, with theadded benefit of enhancing the long walkwayby creating a pleasant interior ambience.Kalwall offers complete line-of-sight

protection, maintaining privacy for buildingoccupants while bathing the interior with dif-fused daylighting regardless of the weather. Itcan also be manufactured for blast resistantapplications such as in airports and othersensitive public environments, or to protectworkers in areas at risk from explosions, suchas in refineries or industrial complexes.Kalwall is also key to overcoming securityconcerns. Apart from providing visualprotection, its inherent strength makes it ideal

for secure locations. With heavy duty impactresistance properties, access through wall orrooflights can be denied while fire and mostchemicals will not affect its surfaceAesthetically, Kalwall will eliminate

shadows and glare and the stark contrasts oflight and shade. The system also enhancessimplicity by doing away with the need forblinds, curtains or solar control. Even oncloudy days, the interior is flooded with

natural daylight, which means less artificiallighting and, because Kalwall is highlyinsulating, energy costs are reduced. Thestandard Kalwall 70mm thick panel offersinsulation up to 0.28W/m2K – equivalent toa cavity filled solid wall.Apart from being specified for all types of

new build project, Kalwall is increasinglyused for the refurbishment of cladding orrooflights on aged buildings. Case studies andtechnical information are available fromStructura UK Ltd please call or visit thewebsite.Structura UK is the exclusive distributor

for Kalwall translucent daylight buildingsystems for England, Wales and NorthernIreland and a leading supplier, fabricator andinstaller of glass curtain walling, rainscreens,glass atria, windows and other architecturalglass building products.

01233 501 504www.structura-uk.com/kalwall

Kalwall® brings light and security toGatwick Airport

More ground-breaking innovations...The brief for The Grange, sat on a hill side nearPenzance, was to construct a multi-level clear struc-ture that opened up onto the landscaped hillside,which formed the family garden. Access to thegarden with the largest seamless opening was the

challenge to be overcome. A corner opening frameless structure andnew innovation in glass was required to achieve the clients dreams,Glasspace designers and structural engineers created a cantileveredglass corner solution incorporating Glasspace Infiniti Fineline slidingdoors. You are invited to take a virtual tour of this structure at: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/grange/The+Grange+VT.html

[email protected]

Architects Datafile websiteThe Architects Datafile (ADF) website isan online provider of past and presentproducts and news items for the architector specifier. architectsdatafile.co.uk is aone-stop source for all the latest pressreleases providing any visitor with accessto information about products and services that they may require. From thewebsite, you can find links to digital

issues that have live links to advertisers’ sites, as well as daily emailalerts to keep you as informed as possible.

www.architectsdatafile.co.uk

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incorporating Building Projects magazine

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Sunsquare’s opening roof lightThe Aero Access is an electrically operatedopening roof light that opens fully to provideaccess to your roof space while bringingabundant natural light and ventilation intothe interior below. The hinged design incorporates an extruded and CNC-machined structure. Along with its functional

side, the BSI Kitemarked rooflight remains a classic, timeless designthat outstrips the competition in terms of extreme wind loading, air permeability and weather tightness. Combined with a Sunsquareupstand, the Aero Electric provides U-values of 0.35 W/m²K.

01284 846596 www.sunsquare.co.uk

Senior brings light to new schoolAs the first new secondary school to be builtin Cambridge for 40 years, the recentlycompleted Trumpington Community Collegehas been given a bright and modern designthat features various aluminium windows,doors and curtain walling systems from

Senior Architectural Systems. Positioned around a central atrium thatmaximises the flow of natural light, the L shaped building featuresSenior’s thermally efficient SCW+ and SF52 curtain walling,SPW 300 aluminium tilt and turn windows and SPW501 aluminiumcommercial doors.

[email protected]

On track for success: GLASSOLUTIONS employs unique system A truly innovative approach to structural glazing installation has enabled industry-leading commercial glazingspecialists GLASSOLUTIONS to overcome a series of stringent health and safety limitations on a high-profilecommercial project in central London. Using a specially designed sliding track system, GLASSOLUTIONSwas able to reduce the glass installation footprint for the site, safeguard the installation team from the risksassociated with working at height, and advance the speed of the installation at One Bedford Avenue by a veryconsiderable margin. Occupying a prominent corner of Tottenham Court Road, One Bedford Avenue is amulti-use development which combines commercial offices with retail units to create a versatile multi-usespace. Designed by Stirling-nominated architects Bennett’s Associates, One Bedford Avenue replaces two outdatedoffice blocks with highly attractive and energy efficient spaces, with natural light on three sides and spectacularviews at the upper levels. Working with project managers Mace, GLASSOLUTIONS delivered a semi-bespokewindow system, with window profiles designed specifically for the project to meet the design intent.

01904 610077 [email protected]

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Saint-Gobain Building Glass introduces its best performing conservatory roof glassSaint-Gobain Building Glass has further enhanced its popular collection of conservatory roof glass, with theintroduction of Azura+, setting new benchmarks for the lowest g-value in the SGG BIOCLEAN low mainte-nance self-cleaning range. More than a year’s development has gone into incorporating the best solar perform-ing low maintenance self-cleaning coating onto the popular Sapphire Blue tinted substrate, offering an 83 percent heat reflection and 0.17 g-value, firmly placing the product at the top of Saint-Gobain’s roof glass range.The high performance solar control coating of Azura+ is also complimented by SGG BIOCLEAN, a revolu-tionary low-maintenance self-cleaning function that uses both rain and natural light from the sun to efficientlycombat dirt and grime. Saint-Gobain’s roof glass range already includes the bronze tinted Solara and the bluetinted Azura, both with BIOCLEAN coating and, to streamline the range ahead of the launch of Azura+, thecompany’s green tinted Aqua and virtually neutral Natura roof glass products have been rebranded to Aqua+and Natura+ to reflect their parallel use of the solar control coating.

@SG_GlassExperts www.saint-gobain-glass.com

Commercial Success For FrameXpressThe frameXpress Ltd portfolio is nowrecognised as a leading PVC-U brandthanks to the quality guarantees, choice andaesthetic benefits it adds to new build andrenovation projects for the domestic andcommercial sectors. Over 16 colour foils

with optional faux timber finish are available in the new Optimasystem which won G-16 Award - New Product of The Year. Also, thecompany’s aluminium range offers a striking alternative for bifolddoors with a combination of unique and attractive colour options thatare BSI, Secured By Design and Constructionline accredited.

01952 581100 www.frameXpress.co.uk

Making the most of daylight Our range of Flatglass rooflights are anaesthetically-pleasing and cost-effectiveway to bring extra daylight into bothcommercial and residential buildings.Roofglaze’s Online Shop offers variousstock sizes of Fixed and Hinged Flatglassrooflights, as well as the opportunity to

add Ritec ClearShield treatments to protect your purchase. We havealso recently added some stock sizes of Walk-on and Sliding Flatglassrooflights, which provides a quick and easy way to buy these morecomplex units for your project.

01480 474 797 www.roofglaze.co.uk

Architects Datafile websiteThe Architects Datafile (ADF) website isan online provider of past and presentproducts and news items for the architector specifier. architectsdatafile.co.uk is aone-stop source for all the latest pressreleases providing any visitor with accessto information about products and services that they may require. From thewebsite, you can find links to digital

issues that have live links to advertisers’ sites, as well as daily emailalerts to keep you as informed as possible.

www.architectsdatafile.co.uk

Crittall acquires high security glazingCrittall Holdings has announced the acquisition ofthe Trade and Assets of Fendor – a leading UKcompany with expertise in the provision of highsecurity, ballistic and bombproof fenestration. Thecompany is also a major supplier of windows usedin custodial and mental health institutions and the

petrochemical industries. The acquisition creates Crittall Fendor thatwill complement the Essex-based Crittall Group of companies in anumber of significant ways. It expands the range of products andmarkets served, and offers geographical benefits in assisting CrittallWindows with its North of England and Scottish operations.

01376 530800 www.crittall-windows.co.uk

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GLASS AND TRANSLUCENT adf MATERIALS 05 Wiegel at Solurlux discusses glass as a construction material...

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Transcript of GLASS AND TRANSLUCENT adf MATERIALS 05 Wiegel at Solurlux discusses glass as a construction material...