Case Study:

Frameless Glass Entrance to St Lawrence Church Hungerford

Background of the Project:

Undertaken as the initial phase of the program of improvements to St Lawrence Church, we were asked to design, supply and install a frameless glass entrance to Main Entrance of the Church.

The aim was to improve the accessibility and openness of the Church whilst also helping to reduce draughts and heat loss.

Working with the Architect, the design was passed through Faculty before we undertook any works. We worked closely with both the architect and members of the Church to ensure we met both the aesthetic and functional requirements for the new entrance.

Inside View of Frameless Glass Doors at St Lawrence Church

Brief:

A frameless glass entrance, shaped to suit the existing architectural features, comprised of a central pair of double doors, adjacent side panels and shaped overpanel above the doors. The doors are fitted onto 105 degree hold open door closers to ensure the maximum clear opening is achieved.

Specification:

12mm clear toughened glass with polished edges all round.
12mm clear toughened glass with polished edges all round.
Recessed hydraulic door closers holding doors open at 105 degrees.

Project Timeline:

Our leadtime – 4-6 weeks

Design Considerations:

To achieve minimum door opening size for Pall Bearers.
To hold open when required.
To minimise risk of finger trap.
To reduce draughts.

Project Details:

Method:

12mm thick toughened clear glass panels were processed to match the shape of the existing arched opening and set into bespoke glazing channel to the perimeter edge. The doors were mounted onto recessed hydraulic closers, secured with pinch free patch fittings and fitted with large oak pull handles and vinyl manifestation “crosses” to reflect the Church.

Survey:

The survey was undertaken using our 3D disto to produce a precise digital survey to reflect the shape of the existing opening to a level of high accuracy, allowing us to produce the glass. Our survey took into account additional factors such as the location of the existing radiators to ensure the doors wouldn’t clash with them, and the fall of the existing floor to ensure the doors could open/close.

Design:

A key design element was to ensure the doors were a suitable size for the Pall Bearers. This meant the doors had to achieve a certain height and width within the existing space. With the use of pinch free patch fittings, the doors fitted precisely within the opening with approximately 3mm spare on either side.

Challenges & Solutions:

Challenges:

Some of the challenges on this project included the suitably sized doors within the space as mentioned above, the existing floor levels which ran upwards away from the doors, and installation in the main entrance whilst maintaining access to the Church.

Solutions:

The use of pinch free patch fittings helped us to both maximise the opening width of the doors whilst also minimising the pivot point of the doors to reduce the risk of trapped fingers. Extended spindles were used to overcome the uneven floor and installation was achieved with co-operation from the Church. An alternate entrance was used whilst we were working and then we ensured that the installation was left at a safe point for temporary access during a pre-booked service.

Conclusion:

Overall, the design worked incredibly well, and was installed perfectly by our in-house team, down to the mm. The Church and congregation were very happy with our work and happy to recommend us .

The new entrance doors allow the church to have an open appearance, whilst keeping the draught out, providing a welcoming place for everyone.

Problems and challenges were overcome at design stage and designed into the solution to eradicate problems later on and ensure we remained within budget.

Client Feedback:

“We could not be more pleased with the project. The team were friendly and professional, and that really showed when one of the metal mouldings turned out to be the wrong shape. They arranged for their contractor to produce a replacement that fitted correctly and the whole thing only caused a days delay. The new doors are fantastic, they opened up the church to passers by and replaced the closed door attitude and instead welcome people inside the church. The best proof of our thoughts on the project is that a year or so after the doors were installed we needed specialist glass in our reordering project. we got Precision Glass to supply and fit this without even looking at another supplier.”
George Ham, Church Warden
St Lawrence Church, Hungerford