Partner Article

Structural Glazing Will Help You Boost Productivity

Technological advances in the manufacture of glass means the product has gone from a minor material in the domestic and commercial construction industry - doors and windows - to a high strength, environmentally friendly material that ticks all the relevant boxes for modern building construction.

With the focus today on improving our environment, greater recycling, and reducing waste to a minimum, architects are designing buildings which include greater and greater amounts of structural glass. In fact structural glass is nowadays often referred to as ‘architectural glass’ it has become such a popular construction medium, and that’s not just because of its environmental friendliness or its recyclability.

The Benefits of Building with Structural Glass:

With advances in construction technology and bonding products, a building framework of steel or aluminium allows high tensile structural glass to be used to clad the entire building. And it’s not just new buildings that are enjoying improved aesthetics. Older properties undergoing major refurbishment are also reaping the benefits of the use of structural glass in their modernised facade.

Even pointy glass buildings like the Shard in London project a feeling of smooth, clean, rounded contours. But the benefits of structural glass go far deeper than just visual appeal. Modern glazing products can be treated either during manufacture or after, to provide a number of environmentally friendly advantages over traditional bricks and mortar.

Today’s glazing products can be treated to retain heat in offices or home, reducing the need for additional heating during the colder months. It can be treated to reflect solar heat back into the atmosphere, reducing the need for additional air-con in the warmer months. Modern structural glass has high levels of sound insulation, cutting out external distractions such as traffic, or construction noise. And, most importantly the use of structural glazing allows massive amounts of natural daylight to diffuse throughout the building.

The Benefits of Natural Light:

Remember the title. ‘Structural Glazing Will Help You Boost Productivity and Improve Sales.’ Well it’s all down to natural light.

Do you feel more productive during the summer months? Do you seem to suffer more down days than up days during the winter months, or feel more lethargic and irritable? The chances are you are suffering a form of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and it is a recognised medical/psychological disorder. It relates to the fact the body gets less sunlight in the winter than in the summer. In its most acute form it can lead to clinical depression and thoughts of suicide.

Research into the effects of natural light on the human psyche has been carried out by scientists and academics in schools, colleges, and amongst the adult workforce in manufacturing, commercial and retail operations. They have found those working in buildings with limited natural light suffer similar symptoms to SAD. All the results point in the same direction. The greater the exposure to natural light, the higher the creativity and productivity of both students and workforce.

For manufacturing plants and offices, increasing the number of windows, size of windows, and adding skylights; in combination with an all glass office partitioning system, allows greater amounts of light to penetrate the interior. The benefits include reduced days lost to sickness, lower staff turnover rates, and higher moral amongst employees leading to increased creativity and higher productivity.

Retail establishments can reap the benefits of greater amounts of natural light diffusing through the store in more ways than one. All that extra light entering through large all glass shop-fronts and entranceways induces a feel good factor to the staff, which reflects in higher customer care. Customers, browsing the racks on an open-plan shop floor also gain the benefit of a sense of well-being both from the extra light, and the happy helpful staff waiting to serve them. Helpful staff, with happy customers, equals greater sales.

If you are thinking of renovating your property, consider including structural glass. Get as much natural light as possible into offices or shop floor, and release the true creative and productive potential of your staff and employees.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Fine Point .