Aesthetic, conservation and planning requirements can make the introduction of glazing into barn conversions difficult but steel windows supplied and installed by Steel Window Association member, West Leigh Limited, have provided the answer for one Surrey barn.
West Leigh was contacted after the architect had approached a number of other window manufactures with his sketch for the provision of doors and screens to enhance the barn. A site meeting followed, attended by West Leigh, the architect and the builder, and a final design was then developed.
The double glazed units were fitted within the original cart door entrances on either side of the barn, giving a clear view through the building. A standard RAL colour black was chosen to help further blend the steel with the barn's aesthetics.
Unlike other materials, that are of necessity more bulky, W20 steel screening and doors offered the slim glazing bars, mullions and transoms required for the project. To prevent flexing within the glazed structure, which stands around 4m high, steels were incorporated full height either side of the door.
David Grew of West Leigh commented: "The architect wanted to retain the character of the barn while allowing the maximum amount of daylight inside. This meant using as much glass as possible but keeping the structural elements as unobtrusive as practicable. Our in-house expertise allowed his vision to come to fruition in around ten weeks, start to finish."
