img(height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=2939831959404383&ev=PageView&noscript=1")

The bespoke approach to structural glazing

Turning the roofs and walls of commercial buildings into windows can maximise daylight, boost loadbearing capacity and open up a world of design possibilities

In association with
Xtralite structural glazing: Healthier, brighter spaces with greater access to daylight and the outdoors.
Xtralite structural glazing: Healthier, brighter spaces with greater access to daylight and the outdoors.

Structural glazing systems are fixed and installed using various methods to give the appearance of being part of the fabric of the building. They allow commercial buildings to have windows as walls and roofs and hold structural elements together to create a strong and secure building envelope.

The high levels of customisation possible produce buildings with more homogenous finishes that minimise visual interruption of the facades or roofs.

The advantages of structural glazing lie not only in its ability to maximise daylight, but in its loadbearing capacity. With careful design, the loadbearing capacity of a system could be used to minimise the steel structures required to support a conventional glazing solution.

As with standard rooflights, skylights and facade glazing, qualifying criteria have to be taken into consideration. However, the installation of structural glazing is not as predetermined by the available opening. The size or span of each glazing unit can be significantly larger, depending on the rafter depth used and the fragility rating required for the design. 

  • From large span roofs to specialist structures, Xtralite works across multiple construction applications, including education, public buildings, retail and travel infrastructure and heritage buildings.
    From large span roofs to specialist structures, Xtralite works across multiple construction applications, including education, public buildings, retail and travel infrastructure and heritage buildings.
  • Xtralite's structural glazing specification service offers support from initial consulation to converting design concepts into technically sound and operationally efficient solutions.
    Xtralite's structural glazing specification service offers support from initial consulation to converting design concepts into technically sound and operationally efficient solutions.
  • Xtralite manufactures structural glazing solutions in glass, polycarbonate and its own Lumira option.
    Xtralite manufactures structural glazing solutions in glass, polycarbonate and its own Lumira option.
123

This allows the designer to create larger unsupported shapes with fewer sightlines and better light transmission. In commercial buildings, daylight quality is improved for building users and there are fewer obstructions to the view of the outside, providing a stronger connection with the surroundings.

Bespoke structural glazing systems give architects the ability to choose the ideal span, size and shape of the opening. In terms of the building envelope, the location of the opening is flexible and the glazing can be customised to interface with the desired surface curvature or roof pitch. 

A bespoke approach to structural facade glazing can open up design possibilities. Curved external glazing or even multiple curvatures can be deployed and non-rectangular and irregular shapes can be used for multifaceted facades. The resulting designs add dimension, light and light reflection to a building.

To find out more, download the Velux Commercial Xtralite 'Guide to bespoke structural glazing solutions for commercial buildings'.

For more information and technical support, visit xtralite.co.uk 

 

Contact:

01670 354157

sales@xtralite.co.uk


 

Latest

Great architects deeply understood, and responded to, their context. We should talk the language of now, but never let the status quo limit us, argues Muyiwa Oki

We should talk the language of now, but never let the status quo limit us, argues Muyiwa Oki

In Blackheath, south London, Francisco Sutherland Architects replaced a failing 1980s glazed linkway with a barrel-vaulted space that offers glimpses of newly landscaped courtyards

Francisco Sutherland Architects replaced a 1980s glazed linkway with a barrel-vaulted space that offers glimpses of landscaped courtyards

Propose an installation that 'transcends utility' for a square in Bridgetown, reimagine the civic centre of an historic market town, bid for a spot on a construction consultancy services framework - some of the latest architecture competitions and contracts from across the industry

Latest: Caribbean pavilion contest

In the Portuguese capital, Metro Urbe's Museu de Arte Contemporânea Armando Martins deftly weaves together history, culture and hospitality into a harmonious narrative

Metro Urbe's Museu de Arte Contemporânea Armando Martins deftly weaves together culture and hospitality

At O’Donnell + Tuomey's densely programmed dance studio and performance venue in Stratford, east London the acoustic design goes unnoticed - just as intended

Just as intended, the acoustic design goes unnoticed at O’Donnell + Tuomey's Stratford dance studio and performance venue