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Community Wind Power, CMP Group

ultimate 2nd July 2019

Community Wind Power, CMP Group

Modern, light and open office space for Community Wind Power.

With an exciting new office space, the Community Wind Power group wanted to create an open feel between their upper floor working space and the relaxed meeting areas below. To do so, they turned to internal glass balustrades.

Glass & Stainless installed 85 linear metres to give the space a more open feel, allowing plenty of light to flood down from the mezzanine. Designed to make the entire space feel like one room whilst offering a degree of privacy to the working areas, Glass & Stainless had to engineer the solution carefully. Frameless glass design was one of the most important aspects of the brief, as was sticking to the £30,000 budget.

What glass balustrades did we use?

The frameless glazing chosen was complemented by 304 grade 50mm Diameter glass adaptors and M10 rod fixings. The glass used was a 21.52mm toughened laminated clear glass with a PVB interlayer. A form of safety glass, it is ideal for use in a residential and commercial spaces as the glass will simply remain intact if shattered because of the PVB interlayer.

How did we choose the glass balustrade design?

Sturdy glass balustrades with a neat and elegant finish were a perfect addition to the new office spaces. The three openings were all slightly different sizes so Glass & Stainless had to ensure that each were dealt with accordingly. The detailing of the glass balustrade was carefully chosen so that it didn’t detract from the overall aesthetic of the design. Though all part of the final look, it had to be both functional and in keeping with the surrounding aesthetic.

The client was incredibly happy with the frameless glass balustrades as they created an open plan office with an unobstructed view. In addition, the project was completed on time and within budget. The elegant minimalist look can often be difficult to achieve but this simple solution worked well to offer that aesthetic through both the frameless glazing and the careful detailing.

How did we overcome the challenges of the project?

Glass & Stainless only had three weeks to install the frameless glass balustrades, and a manufacturing slot of the same length. This tight turnaround didn’t prove to be an issue and the outcome was exactly what both Glass & Stainless and the client were looking for. However, the Community Wind Power Group project wasn’t without difficulty.

Unfortunately, the initial original steels of the project were not installed straight. This was packed out so we had to install longer rods to reach the steel required for the connections. This added a slight amount of time on to the project, eating into our contingency time.

The final result

From the photo gallery, you can see images of some of the detailing that was used throughout the space, as well as grasp a feel for the space as a whole. The balconies offer a perfect view to the space below, whilst keeping the working space slightly set back from the meeting areas to avoid disturbances.