GLASS & SEALEDUNITS
SECONDARY GLAZING : A TALE OF TWO MUSEUMS
» SECURED BY DESIGN ( SBD ) member company Selectaglaze , a Royal Warrant Holder , explains how its expertise in designing and providing secondary glazing systems has helped transform two Listed buildings – one a former town hall and another a former hotel – into two renowned museums .
Both of these projects use Selectaglaze products that have met SBD ’ s Police Preferred Specification , which seeks to deter and reduce crime . This standard requires products to have gone through rigorous , independent testing and certification to demonstrate they are capable of resisting physical attack . Certification is key because it requires regular retesting and production audits to ensure robust qualities are maintained .
Museum and Gallery , St Albans : Selectaglaze played a key role in the transformation of St Albans ’ Grade II Listed , former Town Hall , which had fallen into disrepair , into St Albans Museum and Gallery .
Financed in part by the Heritage Lottery Fund , Selectaglaze worked on the first floor Assembly Room where large tripartite single-glazed windows offered poor thermal insulation whilst other windows required significantly improved security to meet Arts Council guidelines for inclusion in the Government Indemnity Insurance Scheme . This meant units had to meet LPS 1175 standards .
In addition , the work had to meet exacting conservation requirements to be sympathetic to the original design . A sample threepart vertical sliding window was produced measuring 4.3m high x 1.7m wide . It was constructed with powder painted aluminium sections to match existing paintwork and 6.8mm low emissivity laminated glass . The finished installation was inspected and approved allowing the remaining windows to be treated .
The results are impressive : low emissivity glass reduces heat loss by more than 60 %, frame seals eliminate draughts and the laminated glass not only removes 99 % of UV light , which can cause fade to fabrics and paintings , but also provides additional safety . Windows in other areas were treated with a certified security range using specialist glass . The building , which dates back to 1830 , now showcases more than 2000 years of ‘ priceless heritage and contemporary artworks ’.
Holburne Museum , Bath : Selectaglaze was involved in upgrading the Ballroom Gallery at the Holburne Museum . With windows to three sides , the gallery captures the sun throughout the day , presenting perfect viewing conditions but potentially detrimental to the sustainability of the exhibits . In addition to providing protection from the sun ’ s harmful rays , there was a need to achieve much-needed added security .
Selectaglaze proposed a single hinged casement to each window incorporating anti- UV glazing . To provide an appropriate level of security to the windows , an SBD accredited multi-point locking system was incorporated . Other design considerations included a paint finish to match the surrounding décor and maintenance of clean lines through the use of flush hinges and locks .
Today , the secondary glazing blends imperceptibly with the gallery ’ s large windows and retains spectacular views across Bath . Other advantages have been the high level of sound insulation afforded by a double window system and the inclusion of a low emissivity coating to the glass , which markedly reduces heat loss – an important factor to reduce energy costs and manage environmental impact .
The Holburne Museum was named after Sir William Holburne ( 1793-1874 ) who at the age of 11 took part as a midshipman in the Battle of Trafalgar ( 1805 ). He went on to collect objects of beauty . In 1916 , the ornate Grade I Listed 18th century Sydney House Hotel was purchased to accommodate his collection and became the Holburne Museum .
www . selectaglaze . co . uk
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