Winter Night Shelter, Roof Patent Glazing Scheme
Background
Standard Patent Glazing Company was appointed by Neville Special Projects Ltd to design, supply and install a new roof patent glazing system for the Winter Night Shelter development in Milton Keynes.
The scheme formed a key part of the refurbishment and upgrade of the building, delivering around 200m² of high-performance roof glazing and 24 no. opening ventilators to support the project’s natural ventilation strategy.
The brief required a solution that would maximise daylight, control solar gain and provide safe, robust access for future maintenance – all while supporting the building’s role as a safe and comfortable environment for occupants.
Challenges & Solutions
- Coordinating the ventilation strategy.
The design needed to integrate 24 opening roof ventilators within the patent glazing layout, aligned with the mechanical and natural ventilation strategy for the building.- Working closely with Neville Special Projects and the design team, we coordinated ventilator sizes, positions and controls to ensure adequate air changes, reliable operation and clean integration with the roof glazing grid.
- Preventing overheating under a large glazed roof.
With 200m² of glazing in the roof, there was a significant risk of overheating if solar gain was not carefully controlled.- We addressed this by specifying solar-control toughened outer panes with approximately 70% light transmission and a g-value of 0.37, allowing ample natural light into the space while significantly reducing solar heat gain.
- Ensuring a safe, compliant maintenance strategy.
The roof needed to be safe and robust for future maintenance activities, as well as protecting the occupants below.- To achieve this, we incorporated a 1B1 laminated safety glass inner pane, which, when combined with our proprietary Skyline glazing bar system, delivers a Class 2 non-fragile assembly in accordance with CWCT TN66 & TN67. This provides a durable, compliant solution for both building users and maintenance personnel.
Design Considerations & Performance
The key design drivers for the Winter Night Shelter were:
- Maximising natural light.
Provide generous daylight to the internal spaces to create a welcoming, uplifting environment for occupants. - Reducing solar gain and overheating risk.
The specified solar-control glazing balances high light transmission with effective control of solar heat, improving comfort and reducing reliance on mechanical cooling. - Delivering an effective natural ventilation strategy.
The integration of 24 opening roof ventilators within the patent glazing allows for controlled natural ventilation, contributing to good indoor air quality and thermal comfort. - Providing a robust, non-fragile solution.
The combination of solar-control toughened outer glass, 1B1 laminated inner panes, and our Skyline glazing bar system achieves:- Non-fragile Class 2 performance in accordance with CWCT TN66 & TN67.
- A secure, durable and maintainable system for residents, staff and maintenance teams.
Outcome
The completed roof glazing scheme at the Winter Night Shelter in Milton Keynes provides a bright, comfortable and safe internal environment, supporting the vital work carried out within the building.
By carefully balancing daylight, solar control, ventilation, and non-fragility requirements, Standard Patent Glazing delivered a solution that meets the project’s technical demands while enhancing the quality of the internal space. Close collaboration with Neville Special Projects Ltd ensured the system was coordinated, buildable and delivered to programme.
Testimonial ~ Jim Box, Project Manager, Neville Special Projects Ltd
“The roof glazing package at the Winter Night Shelter was a critical element of the project, both in terms of performance and the comfort of the people using the building. Standard Patent Glazing worked closely with our team to coordinate the ventilation strategy, solar control requirements and non-fragility standards into a single, well-resolved system.
Their design input around the solar-control glazing and laminated inner panes has given us confidence that the building will perform well in use, without overheating and with a robust, compliant maintenance strategy. Installation was well managed and integrated smoothly with the rest of the works. We were very pleased with both the process and the end result.”
