These buildings, often centuries old, possess historical and cultural significance that must be preserved while incorporating contemporary design elements. Frequently asked questions raised by architects are almost always associated with how the glazing interfaces with the building and the impact on the integrity of these heritage structures.

Integrating modern glazing without compromising the historical integrity of the building lies in a detailed design approach. The challenges with installing glazing in uneven, and sometimes dilapidated, historic buildings rely on precise measurements. Frequent site surveys using 3D digital scanning technology are invaluable in this context, allowing architectural glazing specialists to capture the exact dimensions and contours of existing structures.

Grain House in Covent Garden, designed by Barr Gazetas, was a special project on a five-storey Victorian building with each level overlapping and uneven. Each of the countless cills and frames had to interface seamlessly with the surrounding structures and finishes. What makes this project even more special is the curtain walling to the ground floor of this highly-complex and prestigious building was steel framed, not aluminium, preserving the characteristics of its original Victorian period with its unsmooth and weathered appearance due to the inherent composition of steel. 

Custom fabrication of glazing components are essential to realise a design on a commercial listed building, preserving character while providing modern functionality.

Award-winning Warwick Hall by Acanthus Clews Architects underwent a substantial redevelopment extending the community space attached to the Grade II-Listed church. The architects sought to extend the community space from the original church. The design was unlocked by moving the access point into the churchyard and entering via a new access point through the old stone wall, allowing central entry to new facilities offering the flexible use of a range of community facilities for old and young. The well-considered new interventions and detailed fixings of the structural glass work with the sensitive restoration and repair reveal earlier uses of the retained and restored Warwick Hall building.

Traditionally, arches and other architectural features were handcrafted, resulting in each being unique. Modern templating methods are unsuitable for such irregularities. 3D digital scanning technology comes into play by creating precise digital models of existing structures.

Blenheim Palace, a World Heritage Site, is home to the 11th Duke of Marlborough and is a very important monument of British heritage located in Oxfordshire. 3D digital surveys were required to design the perfect-fit frameless glass doors to the entrances’ uneven arches. The glazing specialists needed to ensure that all pre-bonded, stainless-steel fixings to the glass directly lined up with the mortar joints between the stone so that when the glass arrived on site, it was able to simply slot into the archways with no holes, drilling or fixing to interact directly with the listed stone archways.

Another challenge architects and specialist glaziers are presented with is designing in accordance with ‘global alignment’. The term, coined by engineers and architects, is where the glazing frames or other materials must align with the framing of structural elements, such as beams or posts.

At Hanbury Hall, it was important for architect firm, Glenn Howells, to sensitively design the new pavilion using reclaimed timber from the very same estate and local materials representative of its vernacular. The opening elements of sliding glass doors required the framing to align with the timber beams of this National Trust property, maintaining a clean unobstructive appearance – as though it had always been part of the original historical building.

The role of advanced technology in heritage projects and listed buildings is pivotal because architects and custodians can realise their design visions and improve the performance of a building, helping to design for longevity – which is fundamentally sustainable architecture.