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Reaching net zero with structural glass

Building Products Index Ltd March 25, 2026 Architectural Glass, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Modernising or improving with structural glazing offers a sensitive and effective route to achieving net zero ambitions, improving the functionality of the building with minimal impact on the existing structure.

Structural glass specialists, Ion Glass are well-renowned experts in wholly bespoke, frameless or minimally framed glass installations with an impressive portfolio of work across a wide range of contemporary, heritage, historic and listed buildings. Their ethos is to respect the sensitivity of the building whilst working to ensure that the glass installations meet all your current requirements – including the drive towards net zero.

We asked Peter Hazeldean, MD of Ion Glass to share one of the most effective uses of structural glass to improve energy consumption and heat loss.

The benefits of frameless glass entrance doors and porches

Peter’s initial suggestion is to consider the entrance to the building. Adding a structural glass porch creates a thermal buffer zone, reducing heat loss and improving internal comfort without increasing heating output. A porch installation has the added advantage of generally falling under the planning umbrella of permitted development.

Glass can be used to infill an existing open porch; fitted internally, behind the existing door or used to construct an external structure in either single or double-glazed panels.

Owners of a heritage barn conversion in Reading commissioned Ion Glass to design and install an impressive, visually striking porch to the front of their new home: the unusual triangular glass porch followed the steep slope of the original barn roof. The glass porch serves to retain the heat that would otherwise have been lost via the double doors of the original barn entrance – whilst providing additional security.

Use of structural glass fins and beams to create the porch makes this a fully frameless installation with nothing to compromise the original barn structure.

Ion designed an internal porch to a traditional 1930’s style house, upgrading a draughty front entrance with a new internal glass door set between two fixed side panels. The original timber door was re-used externally, set between two leaded, double-glazed panels to retain the look and feel of the home whilst improving internal light levels to reduce energy costs and significantly minimising heat loss.

(above) This deceptively simple glass porch infills the original entrance area to create an attractive porch with a frameless glass door, offering considerable benefits for thermal retention.

Peter continued: ‘Replacing timber doors with bespoke glass can eliminate draughts and reduce heat loss whilst also improving the levels of natural light to the interior. For public buildings, an automatic opening and closing system means the door is only open as required, which improves both heat retention and security.

The new porch recently installed at St John the Evangelist Church at Newbury is double-glazed for maximum heat retention, with the curved double-glazed panels perfectly following the distinctive arch of bricks over the original door. The original wooden doors are now permanently fixed open allowing natural light to flood the interior (saving on lighting costs) whilst the replacement sliding glass doors are fully automatic, providing easy access as required whilst minimising heat loss.

The expert team at Ion Glass will take your bespoke structural glass design from concept to reality, providing technical advice and drawings to ensure your project meets all criteria before our fully trained and experienced installation teams achieve optimum results on site.

For more information on our frameless glass porches and doors, glass screens or other architectural glass installations visit our website www.ionglass.co.uk and book a call to discuss your project.

Call 0345 658 9988 or email info@ionglass.co.uk

Bespoke structural glass in any shape, size or situation

Building Products Index Ltd October 21, 2024 Glass Leave a Comment

View the Ion Glass entry on BPindex

Visit the Ion Glass website

Ion Glass have a wholly bespoke approach to structural glass installations which has resulted in projects that often involve complex, over-sized or challenging glass. And sometimes it’s not just the size but the shape, the curve or the location and the additional challenge to manoeuvre large glass panels into difficult locations.

Every project is individually designed, manufactured and installed to meet even the biggest challenges.

Two 7 metre high corrugated glass screens were used to create this unique and impressive entrance to a commercial building in Reading. Each screen is comprised of individual panels of corrugated glass designed to work flawlessly both vertically and horizontally.

The individual arched panels installed in the loggia at Grade II Lainston House Hotel were supplied in anti-reflective glass to comply with a stipulation from Historic England – but each panel was only millimetres less than the maximum size available in Amiran glass. The precise measurements supplied by Ion Glass had to fit around all the nuances of the brickwork as well as meeting the requirements of challenging and accurate computer controlled cutting.

A mezzanine floor at the top of a Martello Tower in Folkestone was finished by Ion Glass with a continuous span of frameless glass balustrading to ensure nothing detracted from the fabulous coastal views. The large curved panels at the top of the stairs interface seamlessly with the straight panels across the face of the mezzanine.

All the glass for this complex project had to be winched up the outside of the tower and delivered via a window as the only other access was a narrow staircase built into the walls.

The frameless glass door designed and installed by Ion Glass for Kippington Church is a wholly non-standard 3 metres high, set between two narrow side panels and a curved overhead glass transom. Despite its size, the door opens flawlessly, pivoting on a fully concealed, heavy duty floor spring.

The door is finished with a bespoke manifestation, also designed by the team at Ion Glass.

Ion Glass fitted a glass walling and an infinity edge to the external swimming pool at Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa. The vision panels are manufactured in 63 mm triple laminated glass, creating a stunning design feature in keeping with the style and luxury of the property.

A similar vision panel to a swimming pool in a luxury beachside property measured a staggering 4.7 metres long, 2.25 metres high and is 80mm thick – quadruple laminated, it weighed over 2000 kilos, manoeuvred into position by crane. The panel provides the owners with stunning sea views when they swim (images of this installation are not permitted).

The expert team at Ion Glass will address not just over-sized installations but also complex and unusual projects. We provide a full design and installation service to ensure your designs are fully compliant, meeting all relevant building and construction requirements and managing the installation logistics as appropriate.

For more information on our solutions in glass screens, bespoke glass doors, glass shower screens, internal or external balustrades, structural glass porches, glass linkways or other architectural glass installations call us on 0345 658 9988, send us an email via info@ionglass.co.uk or click on the enquiry form on our website.