The Latest in Island Resort Glazing
As island travel continues to grow and evolve, resorts are embracing cutting-edge architectural trends to enhance the overall guest experience, leading to some of the most striking developments in island resort glazing.
From panoramic windows that frame breathtaking views to structural glass seamlessly blending with natural surroundings, island resort architecture is redefining luxury and sustainability.
Trending Configurations for Island Resort Glazing
These contemporary glazing solutions go beyond traditional design approaches, offering guests an immersive and visually stunning connection to the surrounding landscapes. Architects and designers are increasingly incorporating large, strategically placed glazing elements to capture the essence islandic indoor-outdoor living, allowing natural light to flood the interior spaces while providing uninterrupted views of crystal-clear waters, lush greenery, and vibrant sunsets.
Aluminium Framed Glazing
Aluminium, with its inherent corrosion resistance enhanced through anodization, proves to be an ideal material for framing on island resorts, as it prevents the potential corrosive reactions that can occur when exposed to coastal and beachfront elements such as saltwater and other ocean debris.
Aluminium is also a great option in order to avoid issues related to the bi-metallic effect during periods of extreme heat.
The bi-metallic effect pertains to the expansion of thermally broken aluminium profiles when exposed to prolonged direct sunlight. Temperature variations cause aluminium framings and their polyamide components to expand at different rates, potentially leading to profile and unit distortion in extreme heat. Consequently, in locations with high temperatures, glazing often incorporates framings coated in light grey to white shades to prevent the occurrence of the bi-metallic effect.
To empower architects with design flexibility, the latest shear-free interlock technologies of IQ’s glazing systems circumvent the bi-metallic effect through a unique design. This allows for the natural expansion and contraction of the exterior metal in response to high temperatures without compromising the sliding action of the unit.
Ultra Slim Sliding Glass Doors
Also framed in aluminium to achieve incredibly narrow sightlines, ultra slim sliding glass doors have become a focal point of modern architectural elegance in resort designs.
The seamless integration of sleek, minimalist doors, as seen in our work at Sugar Beach Hotel in St. Lucia, contributes significantly to the overall aesthetic luxury island structures, as they maximise unobstructed views and allow guests to effortlessly transition between the interiors and the outdoors.
Furthermore, when equipped with advanced technical glazing solutions such as solar control and hurricane resistant glass, these door configurations create truly immersive spaces all while ensuring the builds structural longevity and energy efficiency.
Essential Technical Glazing Solutions for Island Resorts
From advanced coatings that regulate solar heat gain to highly resistant systems designed to withstand extreme weather events, technical glazing solutions have become integral to creating resilient and sustainable resort structures to last decades.
Solar Control Glazing
Solar control glazing implements specialist coating technologies to regulate solar heat gain, allowing resorts to optimize natural light while minimizing the impact of heat.
This is achieved through the application of silver inlayer coatings, which are highly efficient in thermal regulation and reflectivity reduction. Single or double silver inlayers are applied to the internal face of the exterior glass pane, reducing the amount of short-wave radiation, and consequently the heat that would normally travel through the glass.
The protective qualities of silver intensify with additional layers, maintaining a consistent light transmission comparable to that of a single-layer application.
This is all achievable with a neutral colouration as well as the traditional blueish hues.
Low Maintenance Glass
Particularly advantageous in challenging settings like islands and coastal areas, imperceptible coatings known as ‘Low Maintenance’ preserve the transparent appearance, light transmission values, and reflectivity glass panels.
Applied to the exterior face of the glass, the coating fills the microscopic pores on its surface, acting as a protective layer and rendering it exceptionally smooth to ward off any damage or etching caused by airborne sea salt and other marine debris.
Hurricane Resistant Glazing
In the face of tropical storms and hurricanes, island resorts turn to hurricane resistant glazing as an effective safeguard. Engineered with robust materials, these glazing solutions act as a protective barrier, fortifying structures against high winds and potential flying debris. Beyond their essential role in ensuring guest safety, hurricane-resistant glazing exemplifies a commitment to resilience, allowing island resorts to thrive in the midst of challenging climatic conditions.
IQ’s triple glazed sliding doors have successfully passed the cyclic wind pressure test as per TAS 203 with comprehensive hurricane-resistant glazing testing, conducted at the Rosenheim Institute in Germany. This included specific assessments at the Vinci Technology Centre in 2014, during which our systems exhibited the ability to withstand cyclic wind pressures of up to 3510 Pa.
Contact the IQ team today to discuss your next island resort project.