Not only do they look visually attractive, but glazed shop fronts also offer practical advantages that make them a winner for businesses.
They are one of the most recognisable and aesthetically pleasing components of a building. Occupying a highly visible position, at the front of a building, means it’s extremely important to look good. It must attract the attention of passers-by, withstand wind and other weather conditions, create thermal comfort and provide security.
Every façade is unique in terms of its design, as it specifically relates to its location, the climate, the user group and other criteria. Even relatively simple designs can include solar control, anti-glare features, thermal comfort and resistance to seismic conditions.
What are the structural benefits?
The environmental impact and energy efficiency benefits are key considerations of any architectural project. With glass shop fronts, natural light can stream into the building, so it requires less artificial lighting.
The latest technological developments in glazing have resulted in the panes being able to regulate the heating and cooling of buildings. This is useful in terms of meeting energy efficiency requirements and it can also help save money on heating bills.
They provide flexibility over whether you wish to use transparent or translucent glass. Transparent glass is often used for building façades, but the glass can be translucent if required. The structure can also be virtually any shape, so architects can make more creative designs.
In addition, it is strong and can easily withstand the elements, whether it’s in a location where there are harsh winter conditions or all-year-round sunshine. It will retain its appearance and integrity for longer than most traditional building materials, as one of the key benefits of glass is that it doesn’t weather or rust.
Security-wise, shop fronts can be constructed with safety glass that can be toughened or laminated to make them more resistant to intruders. Toughened glass is five times stronger than ordinary glass.
What are the other benefits?
They have great aesthetic appeal, with their appearance being a big part of their popularity. They can transform just about every type of building, making a bold design statement, while presenting a sophisticated, sleek appearance.
The façade provides an ideal balance of visual appeal and functionality, ensuring great acoustics in your business premises.
From the perspective of the customer experience, a shop front creates an inviting and welcoming environment, while also providing space to set up eye-catching window displays and showcase products and special promotions.
As well as saving money on lower electricity bills, the cost of fitting a glazed shop front may be cheaper than you think.
With a team of skilled experts and quick turnaround times; here at Commercial Aluminium Shopfronts, we design and create the perfect facades to suit any kind of business. We have completed numerous successful shop front projects, such as the new shop front for Specsavers in Boston, Lincs. We provided new manual double doors and two large windows with double glazed units.
One of our more unusual projects was installing a glazed façade at an existing shop front at St Pancras Station in time for the station’s 150th birthday celebrations. We were on a very tight schedule as we completed work on the listed shop front – comprising an old system that was no longer available. We installed a similar curtain walling system throughout, alongside some of the existing system that we took out and reinstated, after sourcing matching stainless-steel fabrication.
To learn more about our professional services, please contact us. The window to your premises is the window to your success!