Why Open-Plan Living Is Being Reconsidered Open-plan living transformed the way modern homes were designed because it answered several problems at once. Removing internal walls could bring kitchens, dining areas and living rooms together, allow daylight to travel further through a floor plan and create a greater sense of space within an existing footprint. In […]
Tag Archives: Architectural Glazing
01
Sep
Sep
The Return of the Curve Is Bigger Than Glazing Curved and arched glazing is becoming more visible in contemporary residential architecture. But the change is not really about windows. The curve itself is returning to architecture. Arched doorways, rounded corners, curved walls, sweeping staircases, softer joinery and sculptural kitchen forms are appearing within homes that […]
01
Sep
Sep
Steel-Look Is an Aesthetic. Steel Is a Material. The phrase “steel-look glazing” can make a complicated design decision sound surprisingly simple. It is often used to describe dark-framed windows and doors with narrow-looking profiles, strong glazing divisions and the distinctive geometric character associated with traditional metal glazing. But there is an important distinction to make […]
01
Sep
Sep
Bronze Is Not the New Anthracite—and That Is the Point Bronze and warmer metallic finishes are becoming increasingly compelling alternatives to the black and anthracite frames that have dominated contemporary residential architecture. But bronze does not need to become the new anthracite. In fact, replacing one default finish with another would miss the more interesting […]
01
Sep
Sep
How Black Became the Language of Contemporary Glazing Black and very dark window frames did not become dominant in contemporary residential architecture by accident. They became popular because they solved several visual problems extremely well. Against large areas of glass, a dark frame can appear relatively recessive, allowing the view or opening to carry more […]
28
Aug
Aug
The Best Glazing Trend May Be Not Looking Trend-Led When planning a major renovation or new home, it is natural to want the finished building to feel contemporary. The difficulty is that what feels current today can become the detail that dates the building tomorrow. Glazing is particularly exposed to this cycle. Frame colours become […]
28
Aug
Aug
The Glazing Project Starts Before Anyone Chooses a Window An architectural glazing project rarely begins with a product. It begins with an idea about how the building should feel and function. At the earliest design stage, the important questions are usually architectural. Where should daylight enter the building? Which views deserve to be framed? How […]
28
Aug
Aug
Retrofit and Replacement Are Not Opposites When homeowners begin planning a low-energy renovation, the glazing conversation can quickly become binary: keep the existing windows or replace them with higher-performing ones. In reality, a well-considered retrofit can involve a much broader range of interventions. Depending on the building and the condition of individual openings, the options […]
28
Aug
Aug
There Is No Reliable “Window ROI Percentage” Search for the effect of new windows on property value and you will quickly encounter confident claims about percentage returns. Spend a certain amount on replacement windows, the argument goes, and a predictable proportion will come back through a higher sale price. Residential property value is far too […]
27
Aug
Aug
Forty Years Is a Design Question, Not a Warranty Claim Architects routinely design homes expected to remain useful for many decades. Yet glazing decisions can become dominated by what happens at the beginning of that life: how the system looks, whether it meets the current performance requirements, what it costs and how successfully it delivers […]
27
Aug
Aug
Age Is a Clue, Not a Diagnosis One of the easiest ways to judge ageing glazing is also one of the least reliable: looking at how old it is. Homeowners are often told that windows have a particular expected lifespan and that, once they approach a certain age, replacement should follow. In reality, chronological age […]
27
Aug
Aug
Before Asking Where an Old Window Goes, Ask Why It Is Coming Out When discussing the environmental impact of replacement windows, the conversation often begins too late. We ask whether the glass can be recycled, what happens to the aluminium or timber frames, and whether the old units will avoid landfill. These are worthwhile questions, […]
26
Aug
Aug
Aluminium Has an Environmental Cost — and We Should Start There Any credible discussion about the sustainability of aluminium windows should begin with an uncomfortable but important point: aluminium is not an impact-free material. Before it becomes part of a window frame, raw materials have been extracted and processed, aluminium has been produced, profiles have […]
26
Aug
Aug
Embodied Carbon Starts Before the Window Reaches the Building The embodied carbon of glazing does not begin when a window or door arrives on site. By that point, materials have already been extracted and processed, glass has been manufactured, frames and components have been produced, and the complete system has been assembled and transported. Each […]
26
Aug
Aug
The Most Important Glazing Decisions Often Happen Before a Product Is Chosen One of the most useful distinctions in architectural glazing is the difference between designing the glazing and selecting the product. Homeowners often associate the glazing decision with choosing a manufacturer, comparing frame materials or deciding between particular window and sliding-door systems. By the […]
26
Aug
Aug
A Brand Specification Is Often a Decision About Risk, Not Recognition When an architect names a particular glazing brand on a drawing or specification, it can be tempting to interpret the choice as a simple product preference. Perhaps they like the appearance, have used the manufacturer before or trust a familiar name. Those factors may […]
25
Aug
Aug
Put Glazing on the Programme Before You Need the Glass One of the easiest ways for glazing to become a programme problem is to introduce it to the programme too late. On a construction schedule, windows and doors can sometimes appear as two simple milestones: Order glazing. Install glazing. But there is a considerable amount […]
25
Aug
Aug
Clear Information Early Enough to Build Around For a main contractor, glazing information has value only if it arrives before the work that depends on it. A beautifully detailed threshold section is considerably less useful once the screed has been poured, the external levels established and the surrounding construction completed around a different assumption. That […]
25
Aug
Aug
Not All Drawings Are Trying to Tell You the Same Thing One of the easiest misunderstandings on a building project begins with a perfectly reasonable sentence: “But that isn’t what the drawing showed.” Sometimes that matters enormously. But before deciding something has gone wrong, there is another question to ask: Which drawing? A project develops […]
25
Aug
Aug
Stage One: Let the Architect Establish the Architectural Intent There is such a thing as involving a glazing specialist too early. At the beginning of a project, the most important questions are not usually about frame systems, glass specifications or individual products. They are about architecture. How should the home relate to its surroundings? Which […]
24
Aug
Aug
Tell Your Architect How You Want to Live—Not Just What You Want It to Look Like Most homeowners begin a project with images. A photograph of a glass-box extension. A minimal sliding elevation disappearing into a garden. A picture window framing open countryside. These references are useful. They help an architect understand the visual language […]
24
Aug
Aug
“I Want More Glass” Is Not Yet a Design Brief It is easy to understand why homeowners ask for more glass. Large panes can bring daylight deep into a room, open views towards the landscape and create the sense that the garden has become part of the interior. But “I want as much glass as […]
24
Aug
Aug
First Decide What You Are Actually Trying to Shade When a glazed room becomes uncomfortable, the instinctive response is often: “We need some shading.” But that is not yet a complete design brief. Before choosing blinds, screens, overhangs or a different glass specification, establish exactly what problem the shading is supposed to solve. There are […]
24
Aug
Aug
The Difference Between Openness and Exposure Large areas of glass can make a room feel extraordinarily open. Daylight reaches further inside. The garden becomes part of the interior experience. Long views can make the room feel larger than its physical boundaries suggest. But there is a point where openness can become exposure. The difference is […]