Architectural Glazing

Architectural glazing encompasses a premium range of glass products or all aluminium systems, designed to provide a product solution for complex designs, extreme sizes and specific uses. The one common feature of all architectural glazing is its ability to create a striking visual impact. This type of glazing is high-end, meticulously engineered, and expertly crafted to deliver top performance and meet the most demanding specifications.

The façade features high-quality aluminium and glass products, including sliding doors, folding doors, fixed windows, and opening windows. This article will explore various options for architectural glazing.

What is architectural glazing?

Architectural glazing refers to the use of high-quality door and window products with advanced features, superior technical capability and characteristics. These premium products and glass systems are created for discerning customers and are intended for demanding use or special shapes and complex structures. They offer state-of-the-art design, the best possible engineering, capable of extreme sizes, and exceptional functionality.

The companies behind architectural glazing products provide the highest quality, design, and innovation standards. They may also specialise in other glass products, including glass walls and floors. They carefully select their installation companies, ensuring they possess the necessary technical expertise, high service standards, and specialised equipment. Specialists in architectural glazing rarely focus on one system. Instead, they bring together the best aluminium brands and systems in windows, doors, roofing, curtain walling and structural or frameless glazing. Where systems are used, they tend to be those with a proven track record, such as Schuco, Reynaers, Panoramah, Kalwall, Kawneer, Gutemann, Hueck and other top brands.

Architectural glazing is a solution for design challenges

Architectural glazing stands out for its unique problem-solving capability, offering tailored solutions to your design challenges.

Most ‘standard’ products come with size and weight restrictions. Any size and shape requirement that does not fit within the product’s published technical limitations cannot be met.

However, the brands behind architectural glazing work differently. They take a design or client requirement and make it happen.  They push the boundaries of what is usually possible. Often, this means new aluminium profiles, intricate design drawings or working with specialist component manufacturers.

• Architectural glazing specialists manufacture and install their products.  
• There is a close working relationship with the architect, main contractor and structural engineer.
• Complex drawings are often created with a strict sign-off process before manufacture.
• They will not sell directly to the trade/builder unless they are one of their trained installation partners.
• They meet the highest performance standards with specialised installation methods using the latest equipment and tools.
• The higher price reflects the skill and expertise behind the products.
• Many feature slim frames or a bonded structural glass design.
• Most have hardware and components specifically designed for the product and do not use off-the-shelf locks and handles.

In many cases, architectural glazing products are only restricted by factors outside their control, such as the maximum sizes of glass, the limits of production lines, or access installation issues.

Types of products classified as architectural glazing

All manner of products are defined as architectural glazing.  While sliding and folding doors are key products, others offer design ingenuity. Examples include:

• Flat, curved or shaped glass walls.
• Oversized windows.
• Oversized sliding, folding, pivoting and hinged doors.
• Sloped glazing, curtain walling and facades.
• Sophisticated atrium glazing.
• Electrically operated windows, doors and moveable walls.
• Frameless and minimalist windows and doors.
• Luxury front doors using the latest-generation materials and technology.
• Structural glazing, walk-on glass products and ‘smart’ glass technology.
• Hybrid systems and steel products such as those by Crittall®

Brand systems and suppliers of architectural glazing

When homeowners are planning a major project with a significant budget, they often don’t just rely on an architect. Many of them attend exhibitions to explore products, talk to experts, and see what’s available in this specialized market. It’s common to see companies that provide architectural glazing exhibiting at events such as Grand Designs, Build-it Live, Homebuilding and Renovation Show, as well as at regional building events and in their own flagship showrooms.

Our list of glazing specialists below highlights some of the best companies and brands that offer both standard and custom windows, doors, and glass structures:

BRAND
Cantifix	With their products featuring on Grand Designs, Cantifix offer stand-out products from some of the best systems and brands. Typical systems include Skyframe and Schuco as well as motorised sliding systems. Cantifix specialises in glass roofs and walls, structural glass links and precision made aluminium glazing.
Spectrum Architectural Glazing	Spectrum Architectural Glazing are award-winning installers of high-end glazing systems designed for demanding designs, environments and complex technical specifications.
OAG	OAG like other specialists focus their skills on some of the most demanding projects such as headquarters for the worlds, top brands, atria in train stations, demanding glass structures and fire protection systems.
Frameless Glass Curtains	While the concept for frameless slide and fold doors is not new, Frameless Glass Curtains (FGC) offers one of the best slide and fold products with no visible mullion with excellent engineering, weather performance and reliability.  FGC also provides all manner of other products using the frameless concept.
HIRT Swiss Descending Windows	The descending window systems from HIRT is used in the finest homes and buildings all over the world. Electrically operated these very large windows slide down to fully open up a wall. They retract down below or into the wall and even sink into the floor. Revealing a fully open space, HIRT Swiss Descending Windows achieve sizes of up to 20 metres and over 7 tonnes in weight.  These technically superior windows also ensure all types of climates and weather conditions.
ID Systems	Based in Norfolk and working nationwide, ID Systems are a very professional supplier of high-end products widely used in architectural glazing.  From the impressive Sunflex range of bifolding and sliding doors, through to moveable walls and all manner of bespoke glazing. ID Systems carry out some incredible transformations to some of the finest houses and renovations all over the UK.
IQ Glass	The advanced aluminium and steel systems from IQ Glass are some of the finest and most modern on the market.  From the outstanding Apertio front door, guillotine windows, to minimalist contemporary glazing, frameless glass walls and all manner of architectural solutions. IQ Glass also provides contemporary steel products from Mondrian.  By far the best feature of IQ Glass is their Amersham showroom with an exceptional selection of the latest in windows, doors many other products.
Panoramah!	The standout feature of Panoramah is the impressive size capability of their minimal slimline systems.  Their sliding systems go up to thirty square metres in size and nearly 1800kg in weight using motorised patented designs.  So good are Panoramah! systems that their only limitation is the production line of the glass manufacturer.  The system also provides fixed, corner opening, pocket, opening and other types of windows and doors.
Schüco	Just like Reynaers, Schueco is another trusted system used by the best glazing contractors. With slimline bifolding and sliding doors, the Panorama PD slimline door and all manner of windows, Schuco remains the most desirable product for high-end businesses.
Sieger Aluminium Systems	Part of IQ Glass, Sieger Systems offers a full door and window range as well as contemporary architectural glazing, pivot doors, roof structures and other highly-engineered aluminium products.  Of particular note from Sieger Systems is the Sieger Super Lux Bifold Door capable heights up to an incredible five metres tall.  For those looking for the slimmest bifold, the Sieger Lux Bifold offers sightlines of just 32mm at the door mullions and with a structurally bonded construction.
Solarlux	Cero and Solarlux products are some of the best in the world, widely used by premium architectural glazing specialists and installers.   Additionally, Solarlux products integrate perfectly within other systems such as floor-to-ceiling glazing or curtain walling. The overall Solarlux range provides aluminium doors, slimline sliding doors and luxury bifolding doors. The CERO sliding door especially achieves weights of up to a tonne in weight and up to 15m2. The Solarlux range also has a range of glass rooms, glazed extensions and structures.

If you would like help in selecting a suitable architectural glazing company for your project, please get in touch.