Toughened glass is a great material to incorporate into your home interior. It provides any living space with the same visual appeal and elegance as standard glass, plus the added safety benefits. In addition to that, it’s incredibly versatile and suits a large range of uses, from home furniture to household appliances. So, here are the top 5 applications of tempered glass that homeowners love most. Overview of Tempered Glass Tempering process Tempered or toughened glass is an incredibly strong type of glass that undergoes a process of chemical and thermal treatments. This process is called tempering and it’s what gives this type of glass its unique composition. So, in the tempering furnace, glass is heated until it reaches a uniform temperature of 700 degrees Celsius. Then, the glass is subjected to rapid cooling, exiting the furnace. The cooling part usually consists of a blast of cold air on both sides of the glass at the same time. This treatment leaves the center of the glass in a state of tension while the surface remains in compression. In this regard, the core tension is what determines the pattern the glass will break-in. On the other hand, the compression on the surface is what gives the glass its strength. Characteristics of tempered/toughened glass It’s four to five times stronger than standard glass. Due to the process of tempering, the glass has much higher thermal strength. This means that it can withstand temperatures as high as 250 degrees Celsius. It’s a safety-approved type of glass since it doesn’t break and shatter into sharp fragments. Toughened glass is highly impact-resistant. It has the same properties as standard glass in terms of light and heat transmission. It also cannot be cut or altered after tempering otherwise that will cause a fracture. So, any resizing or cutting should occur before the glass undergoes these treatments. Key benefits Tempered glass cut to size is largely popular in use because it provides cutting edge benefits compared to other traditional types of glass. Strength: the tempering process renders the glass five times tougher than the standard. This means that the glass is less likely to break or shatter due to any low to medium impact incidents. The robust composition of toughened glass also entails that it withstands extreme temperature fluctuations really well. Not only that but it makes it much more durable so it has a longer lifespan. Safety: if your household includes pets or children, then toughened glass is the ideal option to use. Its enhanced safety features will help prevent the risk of being injured in case of breakage. If toughened glass cracks and breaks, it will do so in small round pebbles. So, it will be harmless to the touch, and the subsequent cleanup won’t be dangerous. Impact resistance: the high reliability of this material makes it incredibly impact resistant. So not only is it less likely to fracture into big shards with sharp edges, but it’s also more scratch-resistant. Besides regular cleaning, there will be no additional maintenance to get rid of flaws and blemishes that scratches can cause. Tempered Glass railing System Toughened glass is the ideal material to use in railing systems. Whether it be in balconies, decks, porches, indoors, or in public settings such as schools, shopping malls, and hospitals. Its commendable safety features combined with the strength and durability it provides offer a much-needed level of protection. Such properties ensure that the glass can withstand a lot of wear and tear as well as any potential impacts. Not just that, but the transparency of glass also provides the luxury of an unobstructed view. A perk that other traditional railing systems simply cannot compete with. Tempered Glass Tabletops Toughened glass is widely popular in furniture, particularly tabletops. Whether it’s a patio table, a dining table, or a conference room table, this material is both functional and elegant. It’s thick and durable enough to withstand the weathering that comes with daily use. In addition to that, it’s customizable and comes in a large range of designs and colors. So, you get plenty of options to choose from. Not to mention how versatile glass is as a material since it will flawlessly blend into any interior decor. Large tempered glass windows Windows are the second most common entry points in your home. So, you want to make sure you take all safety precautions to protect your house from burglars. Toughened glass windows can do just that. It comes in handy and it will provide you with safety, enhanced home security, all with a beautiful design. It’s four to five times stronger than other traditional types of glass and it’s meticulously designed to withstand impact. So, you can have full confidence in the protective barrier they provide. In addition to that, the difficulty of fracturing this type of glass will most definitely deter intruders from breaking in. Toughened glass can be a great base material to your windows, especially if you live in high traffic areas. That and if you have really large windows. Tempered Glass Frameless Shower doors Shower rooms and bathrooms can look cramped and cluttered very easily. This is why interior designers and architects mostly rely on glass in furnishing a lot of contemporary homes. And that includes bathrooms. With that said, you can’t get away with using any type of glass. Particularly when you stop to consider how hot and steamy showers tend to get. For that reason, you need to get thick and strong glass shower doors that can withstand those temperature fluctuations. Toughened glass is not only the ideal option for that but it also offers the added benefit of safety. Since frameless shower doors don’t have the kind of support that framed ones do, the glass panes need to be much thicker. So, in the event that your shower door cracks and breaks, there will be no sharp edges or hazardous shards. Tempered Glass Shelves Glass shelves are a common commodity amongst homes and public settings

Windows, curtain walling and doors feature on the new London Screen Academy. Architectural glazing systems by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer, including aluminium heritage-style windows appropriate for the conservation area, have helped to transform the façade of an old radio and television factory into the new London Screen Academy. Kawneer’s GT70S slimline renovation open-in windows were the “focal new element” of the renovation of the façade of the four-storey building at Highbury Grove in Islington, north London, where Kawneer’s AA®100 zone-drained curtain walling and series AA®190 TB entrance doors also feature. The GT70S windows with narrow sightlines were installed over 12 weeks by a team of eight from specialist sub-contractor and Kawneer dealer JPJ Installations throughout the 8,050m2 building, with the AA®100 curtain walling, which also has narrow 50mm sightlines, used on the rear elevation and the series AA®190 TB severe-duty welded doors used on the main entrance. This cutting-edge new free school by the Department for Education provides world-class film industry focused vocational training, including behind-the-camera roles, costume design, production management, distribution and marketing, alongside a broader curriculum, for 17 to 19-year-olds. Procured through the Southern Construction Framework, main contractor Willmott Dixon Interiors worked closely with the design team from Architecture Initiative to deliver the project over 13 months, ready for the first intake of students in September 2019. Sponsored by Working Title Films, the end user is the Day One Trust. The building, also formerly a London Metropolitan University facility, was subject to a dramatic internal reconfiguration, with the core of the deep-plan multi-storey industrial space demolished and replaced with a steel-framed three-storey film production studio and supporting facilities. The general teaching and workshop spaces wrap around the centre core, responding to and utilising the existing external envelope which has remained largely unaltered in appearance. The insertion of a new rooftop courtyard with film theatre and extensive views over London completes the arrangement and provides informal social space for staff and students. Architecture Initiative’s brief was to design a creative education facility that would provide an inspirational learning environment alongside specialist technical facilities to train students in all aspects of digital and film technologies. The practice’s Lee Mainwaring said: “We combined the natural features of the existing building – large windows, generous floor-to-ceiling heights, exposed finishes – with state-of-the-art new technical training facilities based on extensive research and analysis of professional film studios, to create a unique building for students and the wider community. “The building is in a conservation area so any works to the external façade were carefully considered. We also needed to work with current building regulations for schools to ensure we could provide a safe learning space but which also enabled us to make the most of the existing building and provide professional standard technical spaces. “The local authority planners were really happy with the upgrades to the existing building façade which had been unsympathetically altered in previous times.” He added: “The external windows are the focal new element of the façade renovation. The Kawneer window system, which was offered by the contractor as a more cost-effective alternative, effectively met the technical requirements needed whilst achieving a 1930s warehouse “Crittall” window lookalike. “The windows have greatly enhanced the existing façade as well as referring to the building’s history with its design. The final product was of great quality and in keeping with the design concept.” He concluded: “The façade has been visually transformed, in part through the addition of the new windows that are perfectly in keeping with the heritage of the building. From a previously dilapidated appearance, the building has been rejuvenated. We are extremely happy with such an incredible looking product.” The creation of the London Screen Academy follows a recent report published by the British Film Institute which suggested the money spent on production in the UK reached a record level of £3.16 billion across all sectors including film, television and console games. Production investment in the UK has grown by 63% over the four years to 2016.

One of the North West’s leading glass partition firms, Altitude Glass based in Blackburn, has completed work on two commercial office schemes in Lancashire. Altitude Glass has supplied and fitted the glass for a new office scheme in Ribchester for design and digital agency, Workhouse Marketing; and completed a stunning acoustic glass fit-out for the accountancy firm, Towers and Gornall. Workhouse Marketing were extending their existing office floor space into a new barn conversion, creating a large mezzanine floor with a modern, contemporary feel. Altitude Glass were tasked to install more than 14 linear metres of internal glass partition walls and doors, to create separate offices within the building. The new office exudes a fresh and elegant look, which ensures maximum use of natural lighting and effective use of the space. The second project, for accountancy firm Towers and Gornall, involved a significant remodelling of the building to create three separate offices, a reception area, boardroom, kitchen and storeroom. The offices were on the top floor in the loft space, an area where natural light is limited. The solution needed to create a more open plan, modern feel in the area, yet also maintain privacy. To meet the brief, Altitude Glass worked with acoustic glass to create the all-important light-filled space. This type of glass was ideal for the project due to its soundproof qualities. Sharon Snape, managing director of Altitude Glass, said: “Open-plan spaces are losing some favour because of the lack of privacy and the distraction that noise has on employees. Organisations instead want to create a mix of both open and private spaces that are linked together and flooded with natural light. Glass partitions are the perfect solution for this. This trend is driving demand for internal glazing, in particular, acoustic glass, to create private but connected spaces that significantly reduce noise in the workplace.” She added: “The Towers and Gornall project focussed on the sound transference element. For this reason, acoustic glass was selected for the partitions, and framed glass doors were incorporated to ensure minimal sound transference. We also designed the graphics for the glass partitions, which for privacy purposes, were sized to reach halfway up the glass. “The graphics featured a subtle use of colours generated from Towers and Gornall’s logo, to complement their branding and offer consistency throughout. The resulting office, with the acoustic glass, was a great success as the sound rating was around 48db once the door was closed instead of 32db.” Altitude Glass are experts in glass partitions and panels. The team develop and install products including glass partition walls, balustrades, doors and bespoke glass panels. The company has worked on many major glass projects for commercial office buildings, spas and hotels.

Architects behind the development of a new building at Wolverhampton Girl’s High School have called on Sto’s new rainscreen cladding system. Seymour Harris Architects deployed the StoVentec Glass solution on the project because it matched the firm’s vision. “The design of the school’s new sixth-form building was extremely important given its location and context, and this played a major role in driving the specification of the most appropriate materials,” explained Joe Harris of Seymour Harris Architects. “In contrast to previous pastiche additions to the school, we wanted to use modern materials which would complement the original architecture of the school. The new building is harmonized with its surroundings through the colour and pattern of the high-level cladding and by physically reflecting the attractive landscaping of the site, and the school’s original buildings which date back to 1911.” The original idea of cladding the building with a reflective metallic finish was changed, as the school environment could easily lead to the metal being scratched and dented. “We chose the StoVentec Glass system instead,” added Joe. “It’s tough and scratch-resistant, but it still provided the high degree of reflectivity that we were looking for. Sto worked closely with us, providing many samples and helping us to arrive at the final choice. The StoVentec Glass proved to be an excellent way of translating our design into reality.” The BBA-accredited StoVentec Glass system incorporates an adjustable sub-construction, which is designed bespoke for each project. This can easily be adjusted to suit any uneven substrate and creates a ventilated cavity which keeps the wall dry and allows it to breathe. Tempered safety glass panels are bonded to unique StoVentec carrier boards in the factory, and then fixed to the sub-construction at the project site. The glass panels are manufactured in bespoke shapes and sizes to suit individual requirements. As well as being available in any RAL or custom colour, with reflective, non-reflective or metallic finish, they can also be screen printed with individual logos or designs. The project included perforated Adapta cladding that was supported on a structural frame penetrating the StoVentec Glass. This necessitated close and careful co-ordination between the architect, Craft Interior and Sto to ensure that the cut-outs in the glass mirrored exactly the location of the steel beams. The manufacturing process includes the fusing of colours on to the back of the glass, before the toughening process. The colour melts into the glass providing permanent coloured glass panels that will not wear, scratch, fade, or incur water damage.  “We have installed the StoVentec Glass system previously on several projects, but this one was without doubt the trickiest in terms of design and co-ordination. The positioning of the Agraffe fixing rails to the rear of the Glass Panels ensures that the final install is a relatively quick and easy process,” added Graham Chadwick of authorized Sto applicator Craft Interior. “The result on this project is a stunning piece of architecture that all parties should be proud to have been involved with, and that is extremely important on a high-profile project such as this.”