Shopfronts for offices and banks
An office or bank frontage has to look professional and control who comes in. Visitors want a clear entrance, staff want a door that works with their access system, and the glazing may need to resist attack. Professional firms often prefer a calm look, with frameless or slim aluminium glazing, discreet lettering and manifestation that doubles as branding. Security, access control and accessibility should be planned together, so one does not undo another.
What matters most?
Controlled entry
Glass entrance doors can be wired to readers, intercoms and electric locks. The door must still allow a safe exit, so the escape hardware is chosen at the same time.
Glazing that resists attack
Security glazing is graded under BS EN 356 from P1A to P8B. The class should match the risk your insurer or security adviser has identified.
Privacy in meeting rooms
Frosted manifestation gives ground-floor meeting rooms some cover and marks the glass for safety at the same time.
A frontage that suits the building
Curtain walling or aluminium cladding can refresh a dated office front. Structural checks and consents form part of the plan.
In Great Britain, regulation 14 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 covers glass in workplaces. Where health or safety requires it, glazed doors and walls must be safety material or protected, and marked so people notice them. Northern Ireland has equivalent regulations.
Common questions
What does the manifestation on office glass have to look like?
In England, Approved Document K puts the markings in two bands, at 850 to 1000 mm and 1400 to 1600 mm from the floor. Lines, patterns or a company logo can all work, provided they are clearly visible.
Can a glass door work with our access control system?
Yes, in most cases. Glass doors can take electric locks, readers and intercoms, usually through a frame or patch lock. We check the cable route and how the door releases for a safe exit before we quote.