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COMMENT
The sky’s the limit with glass, but play it safe!
Justin Seldis of Sunsquare looks at why glass has become the building material of choice for architects, but also explains why it’s never been more important to put safety and security first as designs get bigger and more elaborate
G
lass remains ‘on trend.’ Natural light and ventilation have become increasingly important to all buildings over the last 20 years, and that’s why glass is now everywhere you look. Architects are always keen to use elements from nature where they can, and glass lets them do this. It’s a fantastic, natural, recyclable material that also brings a host of benefits to any building, big or small. Since the pandemic started, the popularity of glass has only accelerated, and there’s been a huge surge in demand for skylights and walk-on indoor panels. This is because people are re-evaluating the functionality of their homes as they spend far more time in them. Aside from the aesthetic benefits, skylights are helping people to transform their homes – bringing in natural sunlight, providing access to rooftops, and allowing for a fresh flow of air to create comfortable living and working environments. Genuinely ‘thermally broken’ skylights are also helping to keep rooms warmer, drier and more energy efficient all year round, saving people money on energy bills and reducing their carbon footprint. The benefits of glass are clear, and the rise in its popularity has led to increasingly bigger and more elaborate specifications. The good news is that architects can ‘dream big’ with glazing, and there is a great deal you can do with it – in fact, the sky’s the limit! However, they must ensure they’re selecting skylights that meet the highest quality, safety, and efficiency criteria. This is, after all, glass hanging over people’s heads.
Bigger, more elaborate designs
As glass continues to be a more prominent feature in buildings, architects are dreaming up ever more extravagant ways to use it. It’s all about size – they’re looking for bigger panes of glass, covering larger areas of buildings. However, the bigger the pane, the thicker it needs to be – otherwise there’s more chance of it ‘ponding’ due to gravity. This is when a dip forms in the glass, allowing water to collect. For architects, this is a big design consideration, and robust calculations need to be made to minimise any possibility of bowing.
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK ADF MARCH 2022
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