In the space of just six months since its launch, Virtu-AL – the UK’ s first aluminium textured, non-woodgrain finish composite door – has already topped the bill as the homeowner’ s favourite and proven that it is the new breed of door that the market has been waiting for.

The latest figures from Virtuoso Doors have revealed that the door is storming ahead with it already in the top 5 % of door styles sold by Virtuoso in Quarter 4 of 2017. A complete re-invention of the‘ standard’ composite door, Virtu-AL is the ultimate contemporary entrance door for those homeowners who want to achieve the ultra-modern look of an aluminium door.

With a stylish aluminium textured architectural appearance that’ s virtually indistinguishable from the real thing, Virtu-AL looks and feels nothing like a traditional composite door, yet it benefits from all the characteristics of a composite door.

Virtu-AL is available in several standard colours and can also be sprayed to match any RAL colour in Virtuoso’ s state-of-the-art inhouse paint studio.

www. virtuoso-doors. co. uk

This was achieved in the form of a three-storey atrium, created using the Pilkington Planar™ structural glazing system.

The space sits between the two major elements of the building and is enclosed by a 12.8 metre tall vertical entrance screen and glazed roof.

The designers wanted, as much as possible, for the atrium wall and roof to be an uninterrupted surface of glass and Pilkington Planar™ was the ideal solution.

The roof is supported by stainless steel rod tension structure, while the entrance screen features full-height glazed fins, which provide structural strength without compromising on transparency.

The fixings used in the installation are unique to the Pilkington Planar™ Intrafix system and utilise the Planar 905J stainless steel fittings in the vertical screen and Planar 902 fittings on the roof, in conjunction with the Planar Nexus castings.

All of the glass is toughened and heat soak tested to provide strength and security to the design, and the double-glazed units that make up the surface consist of an outer 6mm pane of glass – incorporating a high-performance 6mm Pilkington Suncool™ 50 / 25 Pro T solar-control coating to help reduce heat buildup in warmer months. This reduces transmission of energy

from the sun to just 27 per cent, while allowing 46 per cent light transmission.

On the roof, the inner pane is 19.5mm Sentry Glas ® laminated utilising Pilkington Optifloat™ toughened and heat soak tested glass, while on the entrance screen it is a single 15mm Pilkington Optifloat™ toughened and heat soak tested glass.

Between the panes of glass is a 16mm-thick argon-filled cavity, contributing to the high level of thermal insulation delivered by the system. The high-energy performance of the glazing has

helped towards the project’ s BREEAM Very Good rating. Jason Eggerton, Pilkington Planar™ Business Development Manager, said:“ This project really shows off the impressive capabilities of the Pilkington Planar™ system.

“ The minimalist rod rigging structure and the ultra-low-profile stainless steel fittings mean there is a spectacular sense of a free-standing wall of glass.

“ This is another example demonstrating the position of the Pilkington Planar™ system as the premier choice for larger structural glazing installations.”

Paul Williams, managing director at Vitrine Systems said:“ Standing inside the brightly lit atrium and looking up, you get an almost uninterrupted view of the sky, creating a truly impressive sense of space.

“ Once again it has been a pleasure to work with Pilkington. We have a longstanding relationship with them in delivering projects like this as a seamlessly integrated team.”

The 50,000 sq ft headquarters is home to 425 employees.

www. pilkington. co. uk