Sustainable buildings have been around for about half a century now, with the first concepts dating back to the 1970s. In recent years, with the rising concerns around climate change, they’ve become even more prevalent – especially in major cities like London and Manchester. As the name suggests, they’re built (literally) from the ground up for sustainability – from reducing energy consumption to enhancing indoor environmental quality, every aspect of the building’s design plays a crucial role.
As and as you’d expect, glass partitions have a big role to play in creating sustainable environments, and with around 20 years of experience here at Altitude Glass, we know all about the specific ways they’re often used! So, if you’re curious, here’s exactly why glass partitions can be so useful…
If you’ve visited our blog before, you may well have seen our post about how important natural light is for the happiness and healthiness of everyone who works in the building. What’s more though, it also does a great deal for boosting the energy efficiency of the building.
A big part of that is because it reduces the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours, reducing reliance on electric lighting and consequently lowering energy consumption. It also creates a passive solar heating effect that contributes to helps to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures, further enhancing energy efficiency. Some companies go a step further by using daylight harvesting sensors to complement their glass partitions, which automatically adjusting artificial lighting levels based on available natural light to maximise energy savings throughout the day.
One of the key advantages of glass partitions is their recyclability. Unlike certain materials, glass is infinitely recyclable without losing its quality or purity, making it a highly sustainable material choice that reduces the environmental impact associated with construction and renovation. (It’s normally quite significant!)
Using recycled glass in partitions can further enhance sustainability by conserving raw materials and reducing carbon emissions associated with glass production. Many glass partitions – including ours here at Altitude Glass – can also be designed with longevity in mind. That ensures they can be reused or repurposed at the end of their lifecycle, minimising waste generation and supporting a circular economy.
One of the defining characteristics of sustainable buildings is that they’re designed to be flexible and adaptable, to accommodate changing needs over time.
Glass partitions can facilitate that flexibility by creating dynamic, multifunctional environments. Essentially, they can easily be reconfigured or relocated without the need for extensive demolition or construction work, which minimises material waste and optimises the use of existing building resources.
This adaptability allows spaces to evolve with the needs of occupants, effectively supporting longevity and sustainability in building design. Glass partitions can also support agile working environments by providing visual connectivity while maintaining acoustic privacy – in other words, allowing colleagues to see each other without necessarily being able to hear each other, so they can stay comfortable and productive without feeling isolated and miserable. It makes a big change from the notorious “cubicle farms” of yesteryear!
We’ve already touched on this slightly above – in a nutshell, glass partitions can be just as useful for heating sustainable buildings as they can be for lighting them, which can further help save on energy costs (and let’s be honest, utility bills).
Modern glass partition systems are designed with advanced thermal performance features that can help to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures year-round. By integrating double or triple-glazed glass panels with low emissivity coatings, glass partitions minimise heat transfer the inside of the building and the outside of it – that not only reduces energy consumption for heating and cooling, but also enhances the overall sustainability credentials of the building. What’s more, the use of “thermally broken” frames and seals around glass partitions can further improve its insulation capabilities.
Those are just some of the most universal benefits that glass partitions can have for sustainable buildings – it’s far from an exhaustive list! If you’ve got any further questions or queries, or you’re looking a project of your own, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team here at Altitude Glass.
We have around two decades of experience behind us in working with a varied range of residential and commercial clients – check out our case studies to get a better idea of what we can do! Find out more about our products and sectors here, or just give us a call on 01254 812112 to get a free quote today. We’re always happy to help!
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