Checking out at the library

The new library at the University of Birmingham is wrapped in cladding that offers an interesting new variation on granite in four different finishes. Brian Newell of Shackerley looks at the aesthetics and function. The University of Birmingham’s landmark Edgbaston... View Article

Tackling staircase challenges

Nick Bligh of JELD-WEN discusses how involving manufacturers at the early planning stages of a project can make all the difference in ensuring a smooth delivery of a structurally sound staircase. Stairs can be viewed as a complicated element of... View Article

Smarter glass

Russell Shipton, marketing manager, ESG, explains why smart glass has come of age and why it has clearly got a bright future. The past 20 years has seen a dramatic increase in the use of glass as both an external... View Article

When scale, safety and style collide

For large scale, modern constructions, virtually anything is achievable in glass. Andrew Lake, Vetrotech UK general manager explains why selecting the right fire-rated glass system is therefore critical to the specifying process. From the dizzying heights of the Burj Khalifa... View Article

Aesthetics and functionality in glazing for historical buildings

Preservation efforts are primarily orientated towards maintaining historical structures and, if possible, cautious restoration. However, when material loss or irreparable damage threatens to halt the effort, alternative options need to be considered explains Ulrich Huber, Sales Manager EMEA, SCHOTT AG.... View Article

Legal Compliance for fire-resistant glazing

Steve Rice, director of technical affairs for the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF), outlines the compliances and CE marking issues that impact all those responsible for making the glazing in a building fire-resistant. Making Insulating Glass Units (IGUs) with a fire-resistance characteristic... View Article

A study in glass

A landmark educational building featuring an innovative use of glazing has lit up a run-down part of the Spanish town of Torrelavega, writes Steve Menary. A mix of squares, circles and an innovative use of glazing has been used to create... View Article

A close-up view on polycarbonate glazing

Vicky Evans, director, Twinfix Limited, discusses the comparison of polycarbonate and glass in overhead glazing. Polycarbonate, a modern day engineering thermoplastic glazing sheet, offers many benefits over glass for use in overhead glazing. Polycarbonate sheet, with its high strength to... View Article

Skylights break new heights

With an increased preoccupation with creating more energy-efficient buildings, skylight manufacturers have seen a heightened demand for intelligent glazing solutions. But how do the flat roof skylights fair in comparison to their window counterparts? Justin Seldis, managing director of skylight... View Article

Daylight – the new building product

Architect Christopher Sykes looks at how the ‘rediscovery’ of daylighting is radically changing architecture and is having an increasing influence on our lives. He also examines the new design and engineering solutions delivered by leading glazing engineers and contractors, such... View Article

An altogether different glass

Increasingly used in modern railway station design, security glass is not only an aesthetically useful material, it helps to make these busy public spaces safer. Ray Philpott reports. The UK’s railway stations are visibly benefiting from significant overall investment in the... View Article

Design versus functionality

Jon Palethorpe, commercial director at Sapa Building Systems, examines the growing trend for using aluminium curtain walling systems and explains why they’ve become integral to contemporary architectural design . Creating beautiful and striking buildings that are also innovative and push... View Article

Mount Pleasant Mail Centre sorted

For Boyes Rees, architects working on the project to redevelop London’s historic Mount Pleasant Mail Centre, the differing styles in the external envelope were to present a challenge, particularly with regard to the windows and glazing. Steve Menary reports. The Mount... View Article

Gehry’s Parisian Dream

Featuring 12 giant glass and steel ‘sails’, the £80 million Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy Foundation for Creation in Paris is arguably Frank Gehry’s most structurally daring project to date, requiring a plethora of innovative construction products and technologies to realise.... View Article

The design options for internal glazing

The design options available for internal glazing are as wide as the design options available on the external face of a building, but there are two clear trends emerging at the moment and they sit at opposite ends of the... View Article