Office Glazing, Secured By Design Windows, Selectaglaze Ltd

Even in the time of virtual working, offices will continue to provide important spaces that can separate work from Home, provide opportunities for exchanging and developing ideas and help maintain social contact within teams. The environment must be attractive and encourage a sense of well-being.

Offices with secondary glazing at Premier PR London — Premier PR, Bucknall Street London

Royal College of General Practtioners offices with acoustic secondary glazing installed by Selectaglaze — Royal College of General Practitioners, London

Comfortable working environments with secondary glazing

Managing health and well-being in offices helps with staff retention and productivity. An important aspect of this is thermal comfort within working areas. Well sealed secondary glazing will provide a more even temperature across the floor and help reduce energy consumption. An additional benefit of the seals incorporated in the secondary glazing is cleaner air through the reduction of airborne dirt and dust from outside.

Quiet offices – secondary glazing blocking the external noise

High noise levels can lead to distraction and damaged concentration which will affect performance. Many offices in town or city centres will be impacted by noise from road and rail traffic. Noise levels on a busy road can be 70-80dB whereas the recommended ambient noise level in a meeting room is 35-40dB and a cell office 40-50dB. Standard windows will not generally provide sufficient noise insulation but Selectaglaze secondary glazing fitted with a minimum 100mm cavity will reduce noise levels by a certified 45dB or more and create the quiet internal space needed for productive work.

MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards) and offices

From 1st April 2018 there is a legal requirement for commercial properties to hold a valid EPC certificate of Grade E or higher before renting to new tenants or renewing an existing lease. Higher EPC grades will also assist with the sale of a building. Listed properties are currently not covered by the scheme as they are not required to hold an EPC. However, many owners of Listed properties wish to improve their properties energy performance irrespective of legislation. A number of different improvements may be required but Secondary glazing can be a fast and effective way of dealing with the windows.

Office Security

Offices are an easy target for theft, particularly of computers, and the disruption and potential loss of information could adversely affect the business. Ground floor windows and those accessible from flat roofs are particularly vulnerable. Secondary glazing even with simple locks provides a second barrier to entry and higher levels of protection are available through a range of products achieving Police Preferred Specification under the Secured by Design initiative (SBD).

Interior design

Secondary glazing can be used as part of a plan to introduce clean, fresh lines to the office. Blinds can be mounted in the cavity to protect them and be remotely controlled. During refurbishments new wall insulation may be introduced and the secondary glazing can be designed to fit within this. Coloured frames can also be used to good effect.

Installation without disruption

Disruption is minimised by working closely with the office or facilities manager. Works can be planned for vacant rooms or low occupation areas during normal hours, whilst busy areas can be dealt with outside normal working hours.
When an office is being fully refurbished close cooperation with the professional creative team to establish specifications, discuss interfaces with other trades and identify any preparatory works will achieve the best outcomes.

Offices