Structural Glazing in Cheltenham | Maggie’s Centre

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Maggie’s Centre, Cheltenham

Structural glazing in Cheltenham formed a key part of the extension to Maggie’s Centre beside Cheltenham General Hospital, where a new single-storey addition was required after the existing accommodation was outgrown. Because the centre provides free practical, emotional and psychological support to people with cancer and those close to them, the new space needed to admit more daylight, maintain clear movement routes and stay closely connected to the garden. IQ Glass designed and installed a glazing package combining thermally broken Invisio structural glazing, frameless-effect roof glazing, glazed aluminium casement door sets, a glazed casement window, a concealed structural gutter and a fire-rated glazed screen, bringing together frameless glass, shaped roof glazing and controlled openings across the extension.

Products Used

Credit

Photography by Fred Howarth

Location

Cheltenham, UK

Structural glazing in Cheltenham - Maggies Centre Cheltenham - IQ Projects

Structural glazing in Cheltenham for a Grade II listed healthcare extension

The principal challenge was to insert a contemporary glazed addition beside the existing Grade II listed Victorian lodge, which forms part of the original Cheltenham centre completed in 2010. By 2019 the centre was receiving nearly 20,000 visits a year, so the later extension by Metropolitan Workshop needed to add new rooms and group space without losing the domestic quality that distinguishes Maggie’s from a more clinical environment. For the glazing package, that meant resolving three pressures at once: increasing daylight, preserving clear step-free movement through the new accommodation and keeping junctions, frame depths and visible fixing details as restrained as possible within a sensitive setting.

Invisio structural glazing as a response to key junctions

A key part of the solution was the use of thermally broken Invisio structural glazing where the design called for the lightest possible junctions. One full-height structural glass pane was detailed with a glass-to-glass connection to the roof glazing above so that the change between vertical and overhead glass could be resolved with minimal visible metal. Curved structural glazing was also used within the vertical walling, where a softer curved edge provided a more controlled corner condition than a faceted or heavily framed alternative. Elsewhere, a three-pane silicone-jointed structural glass screen created a broader glazed elevation with only narrow joints between the panels. Each of these elements solved a different geometric or visual requirement while keeping the structural glazing consistent in appearance across the extension.

Roof glazing, high-level glass and controlled openings

Daylight could not rely on perimeter glazing alone, so roof glazing formed a second part of the response. The package included three frameless-effect fixed rooflights formed from shaped silicone-jointed panes, with glass beams supporting the larger roof sections. Separate high-level glazed bands also introduce daylight deeper into the plan and into the joinery-lined circulation areas, reducing the dependence on larger vertical openings for internal brightness. At ground level, inward-opening glazed aluminium casement door sets were used in several configurations, including single doors, door sets with fixed side and toplight arrangements and wider openings with fixed sidelights. A side-hung glazed casement window added a further opening element with trickle ventilation. Together, these framed and frameless components solve daylight, access and airflow as one coordinated glazing package.

Performance considerations

Solar control glass was specified to all items, and heat soak testing was applied across the glass panels to support consistent performance throughout the extension. The thermally broken structural glazing system supports improved thermal performance while maintaining the frameless appearance of the glass. Selected glazed door and window elements incorporated trickle vents for controlled background ventilation, while the concealed structural gutter was integrated into the roof glazing drainage strategy so rainwater could be managed without adding visual clutter at roof level. Finished in RAL 9006 White Aluminium, the visible supporting elements were coordinated so the framed and frameless components read as one architectural assembly.

Technical details

Structural glazing: Thermally broken fixing profile depth 63mm; max glass thickness 41.5mm; expected Uw 1.1 W/m²K; included a 1510 × 2675mm full-height pane, a 2100 × 2600mm curved pane and a 4000 × 1900mm three-pane silicone-jointed screen
Roof glazing: Frameless-effect fixed rooflights with shaped silicone-jointed panes; rooflight run up to 9600 × 1200mm; larger sections supported by glass beams
Glazed door and window elements: Aluminium casement door sets up to 2700 × 3110mm overall; side-hung casement window 720 × 1125mm; selected trickle vents and cill details
Specialist glazing: EI30 steel-framed fire-rated glass screen; concealed structural gutter; solar control glass and heat soak testing throughout

For architects and specifiers, Maggie’s Centre demonstrates how structural glazing in Cheltenham can resolve daylight, access and heritage-sensitive detailing within a healthcare extension. The same approach is suited to projects where thermally broken structural glazing, roof glazing, controlled ventilation and restrained junctions need to be coordinated as one architectural system. To discuss structural glazing in Cheltenham or a comparable architectural glazing package, contact us now.