Top 5 Glazing Solutions For Residential Projects In 2021

No renovation project or architectural design is complete without some form of glazing, from glass floors to sliding doors, and motorised glass to energy-efficient windows. All of these effectively flood your projects with natural light and create an enhanced sense of space for your clients.

As the world of architecture continues to develop rapidly, the role of glass has also evolved. Glazing now offers more flexibility than ever before, and client requests and requirements have changed.

When it comes to planning spectacular glass solutions for your clients, it’s important to stay ahead of the game – which means you need to know what’s available. With this in mind, here are 5 of the top residential glazing solutions for 2021:

1: Glass Floors

Primarily designed for internal installations, glass floors are an innovative solution for increasing the amount of natural light that can flood into a room and transforming even the darkest home or commercial space. As one of the most elegant, versatile, and visually impressive glazing products on the market, this solution is guaranteed to be one of the most popular trends in 2021, as it offers a comprehensive range of both practical and aesthetic benefits.

From small, simple floor panels which add elegance to a living room, to opening glass floor designs that can elevate a basement or lower floor entrance, a glass floor promises to lend an eye-catching, innovative aesthetic to any interior space. A sliding glass floor can also seamlessly link interior and exterior spaces, while providing access to lower and higher levels.

In addition to the visual aspect, glass floors can also provide your interior space with ventilation, flood spaces below with natural light, and provide insulation. Glass floor panels also have the potential to be used externally to create striking features, such as over a well in a kitchen, or to create a statement feature in a garden.

Glass floors are a stunning interior solution for a wide range of people: from homeowners looking to add a practical but elegant glass feature to their home, to designers who want to link sections of their planned spaces together in unique style, and architects who want to add luxury flair to their designs.

2: Frameless Glass Sliding Doors

Whilst sliding doors have been around for a while, frameless glass sliding doors are another emerging architectural trend in the glazing industry for 2021, as the desire for simplicity and minimalism continues.

These sliding doors effectively act as large floor-to-ceiling windows with minimal frames creating an instant focal point that looks sleek and effortless. They offer large and expansive glass panels that are sophisticated in style, and couple a sense of spaciousness with spectacular views.

They usually provide easy access to the garden, and are essential for creating the current trend for seamless indoor/outdoor living – something that is set to continue into 2021, particularly as we move closer towards the summer months.

Whilst there is still a market for French doors in more traditional settings, frameless glass sliding doors provide an ultra sophisticated, timeless look. Above all else, they allow a large section of the room to be opened up to the outside world – something that will be much in demand this year.

3: Motorised Glass

Motorised glass is perhaps the ultimate combination of modern technology and seamless luxury. It is one of the more unexpected, unusual glazing products we’ve seen in 2021, but is also one of the most dynamic trends that we’re keeping an eye on.

From motorised sliding floors to opening sliding roofs, motorised glass offers a premium way to merge interior and exterior spaces.

There are a variety of ways to conveniently control motorised glass for ease of operation; they might include the use of a wall panel, or even a remote control for ultimate convenience. This eliminates the need for any manual operation or physical exertion, letting you simply enjoy the view.

Innovative technology also means that motorised glass (such as sliding glass floors) can be integrated with home automation systems including smoke and rain detectors, allowing the glazing to for open and close automatically. This makes it a safe and effective glazing solution as well as having a high aesthetic value – just two of the reasons why we expect this product to be hugely popular in 2021.

4: Rooflights

In 2021, we predict that architects and homeowners alike will start looking to the skies to bring more light into their spaces. One of the best ways to wash interiors with bright daylight is to introduce light from above (a rooflight, for example, introduces almost twice the amount of light as a vertical window of the same size).

Rooflights and structural glazing are both good ways to bring in light from above, and work in a variety of different environments, from a kitchen ceiling to above a bath. The warmth of the sun will stream in through the roof above, ensuring that interiors are kept at optimal temperatures. This unique benefit means that rooflights can reduce electricity costs, as well as providing a host of wellbeing benefits.

A rooflight is available either as part of a fixed or opening glazing system, meaning that you can prop your glass panel open and keep a soft breeze ventilating your home during the warmer summer days.

5: Energy Efficient Glazing

As the world evolves, we are becoming increasingly aware of our impact on the planet, and the effects that architecture might have on the environment. Architects and designers across the world are taking steps to ensure they minimise their carbon footprint, and are creating more considerate designs with sustainable materials. For this reason, we believe energy efficient glazing will be a big trend in 2021 and beyond.

Energy efficient glazing is the term used to describe double glazing or triple glazing, usually found in more modern buildings. Unlike original single glazing or old double glazing (which can lose around 10-40% of heat), energy efficient glazing uses innovative coated (low-emissivity) glass to stop heat from escaping. This makes the windows highly terminally insulated, improving the energy efficiency of the property.

Glazing is an essential component to any successful build, but there are many ways to heighten it from a purely functional feature to something much more stunning and striking. 2021 will see more innovative designs than ever before, as people begin to better understand how glass can contribute towards a happier, healthier home – as well as one that lets more light in.

This article was written by Cantifix, structural glazing specialists based in London.