Bespoke specialists Ion glass will take your ideas from concept to completion, with particular expertise in frameless solutions in structural glass. They offer a wealth of technical expertise over an impressive range of products.
‘Many of our clients don’t realise we offer a ‘one stop’ solution that includes everything from glass entrance porches to frameless shower screens or back painted wall cladding,’ says Ion MD Peter Hazeldean. ‘Working with the architect or direct with the builder to meet all the structural glass requirements for a project makes it much easier to plan and develop for the optimum result.
We often find clients know what they want to achieve but don’t have the specialist glass knowledge required to take their ideas beyond the ‘rough sketch’ stage. We discuss every project in detail, visiting the site so we can fully understand the design parameters and how best to achieve the results. With renovation projects there are often other implications to consider, especially with older, listed properties.
Our CAD technicians will produce the drawings, ensuring they meet all the relevant structural requirements and overcome any issues with regard to the installation. The beauty of glass is the apparent simplicity of the result, often at variance to the level of complexity required to achieve it.’
Glass link for an older village property
The owners of a period village house had built a modern family room in their garden to increase space, but needed to link this to the original property.
A glass linkway overcame the problems of the difficult interface between the heritage building and the modern construction of the garden room, providing both an indirect interface and a visual divide.
‘It was a surprisingly complex project in a tight space,’ said Peter, ‘with one side of the structure formed by the original gard
en wall, creating both a link between the buildings and a modern porch for visitors using the side entrance to the property.’ Full frameless, the structure makes innovative use of glass fins and beams, with Ion creating securely interlocking joints between the glass beams and the vertical fins. Access to the installation was difficult and involved management of the cranes and lifting gear as well as the accuracy required to create interlocking joints in glass.
Other installations maximise on the breadth and scope of Ion’s skills.
At a recent project at Streele Farm, Ion provided an impressive span of frameless glass balustrading to the outside of the property so the owners could enjoy the far-reaching views of the Sussex Weald. Ion also designed some simple but effective Juliette balconies to permit full height windows on the first floor, again maximising the views and open spaces.
Built less than twenty years ago, the property had been designed in the style of a mediaeval country home and the impressive arched entrance door is a focal point on the façade. Bespoke double arched glass doors provide a contemporary touch, allowing light to flow into the interior and offering a welcoming aspect to visitors. ‘Each door was manufactured to fit the exact space,’ added Peter, ‘and we installed hydraulic hinges to ensure they opened smoothly, despite the over-sized proportions.’
The glass link between the main house and the garage ensures weatherproof access with minimal visual impact on the overall look and style of the property. Fully frameless, the glass walls are set into concealed channels. ‘The result is clean and minimal,’ said Peter, ‘but structurally robust and fully complaint.
‘Taking a project from concept to completion makes full use of Ion’s expertise. Even for architects who have already produced detailed designs, our in-depth knowledge ensures the finished project is functional, meets all structural requirements and is fully compliant.’
If you have a structural glass project you’d like to discuss, visit the website, call Ion Glass on 0345 658 9988, or email them via info@ionglass.co.uk. Their technicians will be pleased to provide their help and advice.