The flexibility and style of the Pilkington Planar structural glazing system, and the practicality of the company's Activ self-cleaning glass, have been combined for the first in the refurbishment of a Birmingham office block. Nigel Pitt, senior manager of the company that owns the building said: 'The new entrance is quite a complex piece of architecture. The roof has a 22° slope with a canopy above it. This impedes access, making it difficult to clean and maintain. This problem was solved perfectly by using a self-cleaning glass. Pilkington Planar looks good and crisp in terms of architecture and combined with Activ it provid

This product appeared in Building Products more than 12 months ago. Please contact Pilkington Architectural directly for further details.

Passengers at Oban Ferry Terminal are being treated to views of Scotland's coastline while they wait for their ferry to arrive, thanks to the structural glazing system from Pilkington, the Pilkington Planar. The new terminal building incorporates more than 300m² of the Planar system. The insulating glazing units incorporate 15mm toughened Pilkington Optifloat as the outer pane and 6mm Optitherm as the inner pane with a 16mm air gap. Jerry Almond, project manager at the subcontractor who installed the system, said: 'Pilkington Planar met the challenge of minimising the amount of steel used in the glass support structure to maximise transparency. The result is a spectacular structure that gives the terminal a lighter, more natural appearance.'

This product appeared in Building Products more than 12 months ago. Please contact Pilkington Architectural directly for further details.

What has been described as an extraordinary window solution for secure hospitals has been developed using Pilkington Activ self-cleaning glass as a major component. The SafeVent Window was developed by fabricator BRITplas after being approached to develop a window that would provide an appropriate level of security whist retaining the appearance and general performance of conventional windows. The window has an in-line horizontal sliding action which allows up to 50% of the window area to open without the need to for hinges, locking points, levers or handles that may be used as ligature points. It is said to have an easy sliding action to allow use by frail patients while also preventing use as a ligature point. The SafeVent's open area is covered with a sheet of stainless steel punched with holes to make a mesh. Although it sounds austere it is claimed to be surpisingly discreet. The mesh prevents escape and the passing of contraband.

This product appeared in Building Products more than 12 months ago. Please contact Pilkington Architectural directly for further details.