'Glassex has always been a platform to demonstrate the best of the UK glass and glazing industry. From the outset, the Glassex Conservatory Design Competition was conceived to reward excellence within this most dynamic of sectors and to share knowledge, ideas and best practice with Glassex visitors. Many of the previous winners have seen their businesses thrive on the positive publicity gained from success in the Glassex Conservatory Design Competition.

'This year we have a major new sponsor, Pilkington Activ whose product so revolutionised the conservatory market. It is chiefly through the support of Pilkington that we are able to run the competition and create the on-site gallery of winning entries and we extend our thanks for them for their support.

'Our congratulations go to the winners and commended entries to the Glassex 2007 Conservatory Design Competition. They represent the best the industry has to offer and they are worthy of our respect by virtue of having the courage to stand up and be judged against their peers.

'We hope that you take the time to examine the winning entries on the Glassex Conservatory Design Competition stand and that it inspires you to be creative and seek bold solutions of your own. You may even be motivated to enter a project from your own company next year and be a winner yourself. After all, excellence may be its own reward but it’s still great to be recognised.'

Dave Broxton, Sales Director, Glassex 2007

Entrants into this year’s competition were asked to submit their entries in five different categories:

• Small Conventional
• Large Conventional
• Portal
• Innovative Design
• Energy Efficient

It is the measure of the importance of energy efficiency that the Energy Efficient category was introduced this year and attracted an extremely high response, underlining the fact that energy efficient products and services will continue to evolve and develop to impact on our every day lives.

The judges were asked to nominate their top three choices in each category in order to decide the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners. From the five Gold winners, the judges then voted for one entry worthy of being the Glassex 2007 Conservatory Design Competition Overall Winner.

In addition, Pilkington Activ have awarded their own Special Merit Award in each of the categories. All the Gold, Silver, Bronze and Speical Merit winners are highlighted in the following pages, including this year’s outright winner.

The Winners

Small Conventional

Incorporates the majority of standard domestic installations. Styles will be typically lean-to, Georgian, Victorian etc with sizes up to 20 square metres or less.

GOLD
Spooner Brothers

The judges considered this category very difficult to judge but agreed that Spooner Brothers had created an imaginative solution to a tricky specification. Ian Spokes said their design showed ‘an excellent demonstration of the flexibility of the conservatory.’

SILVER
Franklin Windows – Bedford

This entry shows an attractive double Edwardian with a very unusual storm porch. The crowing glory of this is a handmade lead flashing and finial.

BRONZE
P&P Glass – Veats
The judges agreed that this entry from P&P Glass showed ‘a lovely extension to a listed building that keeps the character of the existing property while providing a room that makes the garden feel like part of the house.’

Pilkington Activ™ Special Merit Award)
SJM Ltd
Ian Spokes commented ‘This is an attractive use of Pilkington Suncool High performance glass to reduce unwanted solar gain. This conservatory replaced an existing one that was rarely used because it was difficult to control the environment inside. The solution offered by SJM gives greater environmental control as well as being an attractive extension on an Edwardian property.’

Large Conventional

Covers conservatories over 20 square metres. Styles in this category will typically be P or T shapes, large wraparound lean-tos and domestic pool enclosures.

GOLD
Ashcroft Conservatories
Ashcroft Conservatories created a stunning extension to an 1860 property in Australia. The judges felt that the conservatory fits beautifully onto the existing dwelling and had to meet strict planning requirements. It also collects and re-uses rainfall from the roof.

SILVER
P&P Glass – Charlesworth
One judge commented that this entry is ‘an attractive extension in hardwood which required piling for the foundations as well as planning permission’ to create a ‘beautiful and well thought out finished product.’

BRONZE
Franklin Windows – Fisher
This Orangery is installed on a Grade II listed building and, according to the judges, adds ‘a significant living space onto the dwelling’ giving an ‘impressive’ end result.

Pilkington Activ™ Special Merit Award
Tradeplas
Of this entry Ian Spokes says, ‘Tradeplas have produced a visually impressive conservatory that uses Pilkington Activ Blue in a large and difficult to access roof to reduce solar gain and the need to clean. They have produced an imaginative living room and hot tub room extension for the customer. They also had to meet strict planning requirements as well as being wheelchair-friendly.’

Portal

Includes either very large domestic portals or a commercial project such as a hotel extension. Projects in this category will invariably require both planning permission and building regulation approval.

The judges commented that all entrants in this category should take pride in the high level of technical competence shown, as all the conservatories in this category displayed specialist products and considerable time and effort in the planning stages.

GOLD
Sash UK – Quatela (This entry is also the overall winner)
This entry for the swimming pool extension attracted comments such as ‘truly outstanding’ and ‘technically and aesthetically excellent’. All the judges agreed that this entry should be awarded the Glassex 2007 Conservatory Design Competition Overall Winner.

SILVER
Orchard Conservatories
The Silver Award in this category goes to Orchard Conservatories for their 18m x 10m swimming pool and sauna room which had to be specifically designed as it was above the maximum design sizes for their usual roof system.

BRONZE
Sash UK – Diplomat Hotel
The judges were impressed with this entry, which they said was a ‘visually impressive extension to the entrance to a hotel.’ The glass lantern was seen as particularly noteworthy.

Pilkington Activ™ Special Merit Award
Franklin Windows – Bradley
Ian Spokes commented that this entry from Franklin Windows was ‘an attractive extension that was sympathetic to the lines of the existing Victorian cast iron pergola. This replaced a very unsightly extension and greatly improves the lines of a fine Victorian dwelling. The use of floor to ceiling glass panels and a glass roof makes the conservatory feel a very light and airy space that is in harmony with the rest of the building.’

Innovative Design

This category might include a rooftop conservatory, a conservatory or balcony on top of a multi-storey building or perhaps an unusual use of the building itself. This category also covers the innovative use of materials used to build and install the conservatory. The size of the conservatory is not significant.

GOLD
Sash UK – VEKA Inc
The winner in this category is Sash UK for the massive VEKA headquarters, which turned a courtyard between 2 buildings into a stunning entrance and showroom with a mezzanine floor. This was a complicated technical build with the conservatory roof being very large – 45 feet high and mounted on 2 different height buildings.

SILVER
Sash UK – Artists Studio
This is another conservatory over 2 floors that allows a large amount of natural light into a work space for an artist. The judges commented that this entry was ‘technically impressive.’

BRONZE
Payne Timber
The judges felt that this entry displayed an interesting solution to the customer’s brief and the final result is a highly competent first storey conservatory, which is also combined with glass floor panels to allow borrowed light into the ground floor kitchen.

Pilkington Activ™ Special Merit Award
Payne Timber
Ian Spokes says, ‘This project was a first floor conservatory. This was a very difficult to access conservatory and the use of Pilkington Activ Blue reduces the need for window cleaning. The choice of blue glass in the verticals as well as in the roof makes the project visually striking from the outside. Inside the solar control glass reduced unwanted solar gain and the borrowed light into the kitchen

Energy Efficient

This new category covers designs which make the best use of energy efficient products such as building solar control measures into the structure of the building, ie solar control glass or built-in blinds; low energy lighting; use of natural ventilation; energy efficient heating with thermostat and separate controls and will and floor U values to met or exceed current Part L requirements for new build.

GOLD
MC Glass
The winner in this category is MC Glass who produced an attractive design in a conservation area that not only reduced heat loss, but also unwanted solar gain by the choice of high performance glass. One of the planning requirements was to carry out an archaeological survey on the site but the only remains found were an old tooth!

SILVER
SJM Ltd
The judges commented that this entry from SJM came a very close second to the winner for their use of high performance solar control Low E glass to reduce heat gain where they replaced an old under-used conservatory on an Edwardian house.

BRONZE
Sherbourne
The judges called this entry ‘a well designed and thought-out’ insulated lean-to which opened out the existing living space and linked existing rooms. The end product will give the customer a year-round living space.

Pilkington Activ™ Special Merit Award
MC Glass
Pilkington Activ judge Ian Spokes said, ‘This conservatory is both visually attractive as well as extremely practical. The use of Pilkington Activ Blue in the roof means the owners have reduced cleaning as well as a reduction of unwanted solar gain. The use of Low E glass as well means that heating bills will also be reduced.’

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