Product
LowE Max with Clear for superior performance to maximise both Solar Control and Insulation, without compromising Visible Light (high VLT).
Specification
- Outer: 6mm LowE Max Toughened
- Spacer: 12mm Argon Gas
- Inner: 6mm Clear Toughened
Site Address
ACT 2602
Architect
Fabricator
Builder
Challenge
For Designer Saul Kringas, Mount Ainslie was not simply a distant view. It was the starting point for the design and a continually changing presence that he wanted the occupants to experience throughout the home.
“The mountain was the dominant force, not just a view, but a living presence,” Saul said. “The vision was to create a home that made you feel that connection everywhere, not just from one carefully framed window, but from every room, every level and every movement through the building.”
The site challenged conventional passive solar thinking. The northern boundary adjoins a bushwalking car park operating around the clock, creating a significant privacy constraint. Saul responded with a near-solid northern wall formed from composite precast concrete panels, punctuated only by narrow arrow-slot windows.
The eastern elevation was then opened almost completely towards Mount Ainslie.
The result is a two-storey glazed wall spanning approximately 13 metres and rising nearly six metres. The Great Hall, mezzanine, office, bathroom, bedroom and outdoor shower all face east, allowing the connection to the mountain to follow the occupants as they move through the home.
“The Great Hall needed to feel like it belonged to the mountain, not just looked at it,” Saul said.
Realising that concept required a glazing contractor prepared to take on a highly unconventional residential project. Several suppliers had declined before Saul approached Supaglass Industries.
“What struck me in my first meeting with Steve Whitbread and Jaclyn Daniel was their response to the design,” Saul said. “Most people, when you show them a frameless two-storey glass wall fixed directly to steel fins, see risk. Steve and Jaclyn saw a design challenge worth solving.”
Supaglass was engaged to supply and install all architectural glazing throughout the home. This included the two-storey structurally glazed façade, concealed-frame front entry and a bespoke outdoor shower enclosure.
“Projects like this are why we enjoy architectural glazing,” said Steve Whitbread, General Manager of Supaglass Industries.
“It challenged us technically while allowing us to deliver something truly unique. Every major glazing element was custom, and these projects require careful planning, specialist equipment and close collaboration between everyone involved. That is where we believe we add real value.”
The façade incorporated oversized insulated glass units structurally bonded into custom slimline steel framing. Glass weight, wind loads, support locations, human impact requirements, building movement, structural silicone capacity, drainage, manufacturing tolerances and installation sequencing all needed to be considered before production commenced.
The front entry was equally complex. Custom aluminium framing was concealed completely within the floor and ceiling to create a full-height frameless appearance.
Insulglass LowE Max® units were connected using black structural silicone butt joints, while a specially manufactured stepped insulated glass unit created the appearance of a solid glass corner with no visible framing.
“When you are working with concealed framing and structural silicone glazing, there is virtually no opportunity to hide inaccuracies,” Steve Whitbread said.
“The stepped insulated glass corner, full-height hidden framing and exposed butt joints all relied on millimetre-perfect fabrication and installation. The finished project appears clean and effortless but achieving that level of simplicity requires a tremendous amount of precision behind the scenes.”
Canberra’s climate added another challenge. The extensive east-facing glazing needed to admit generous natural light and preserve a neutral view while managing low-angle summer sun and limiting heat loss during winter.
For Saul, reducing the glass area was not an acceptable solution because it would have diminished the home’s connection with Mount Ainslie.
The glazing therefore needed to achieve three objectives simultaneously: maximise the visual connection with the landscape, control solar heat gain across an extreme climate range and insulate sufficiently to prevent the six metre high glazed walls from becoming a thermal liability during winter.
Solution
Supaglass involved Australian Glass Group before the glazing specification and façade details had been finalised.
As a valued AGG customer with extensive experience delivering technically demanding architectural glazing, Supaglass understood the importance of bringing the glass processor and technical team into the design process early.
“Because the façade was such a unique application, we wanted Australian Glass Group’s technical team to review the proposed design before manufacturing commenced to ensure the system would perform as intended,” Steve Whitbread said.
The AGG Tech & Spec® team reviewed the architectural concept against the project’s energy report, wind loads, human impact requirements and manufacturing limitations. AGG’s specific engineer services also calculated the loads the insulated glass units would experience throughout their service life and determined the appropriate glass configuration.
The final glazing specification successfully balanced the architect’s vision with stringent energy performance, wind loading and human impact requirements, while delivering outstanding optical clarity and abundant natural light.
AGG also worked with Supaglass on the support mechanism required for the upper façade panels, drainage at the sill and the capacity of the structural silicone to accommodate building movement.
This project-specific technical input helped translate an ambitious architectural concept into a practical and durable glazing system.
One of the most important issues was the horizontal junction between the vertically stacked façade panels.
Each bay incorporated two insulated glass units, each approximately 1.8 metres wide by 3 metres high. The panels were fixed directly to custom powder-coated steel fins and separated by a structural silicone butt joint.
The project team did not want to rely on the silicone alone to prevent the upper unit transferring load onto the panel below over time.
AGG recommended adding short horizontal 150mm by 5mm flat-bar wings to the vertical steel fins. These discreet extensions supported the corners of the glass at the horizontal joint without introducing a visually heavy mechanical fixing across the façade.
The detail was incorporated into the steel fabrication drawings, allowing the glass to rest on the supporting structure rather than relying solely on the silicone. It preserved Saul’s minimalist aesthetic while addressing the long-term structural performance of the assembly.
“That solution came directly from AGG’s technical knowledge of how their product performs under load over time,” Saul said.
“It is the kind of insight you can only get from the people who made the glass.”
Steve Whitbread said AGG’s early involvement was invaluable.
“AGG’s Tech & Spec team reviewed the proposed façade design and provided engineering recommendations for additional glazing support and several design refinements to ensure the installation complied with the relevant Australian Standards,” he said.
“Having direct access to that level of engineering expertise gave both ourselves and the builder confidence that the finished system would not only look exceptional but also perform correctly over the long term.”
Resolving these issues during the design stage reduced the risk of problems emerging during fabrication or installation. It also allowed Supaglass to proceed with confidence that the glass, steel support system, structural silicone and installation methodology would operate together as intended.
“Rather than discovering issues during installation, we were able to resolve potential challenges during the design stage,” Steve Whitbread said.
“That significantly reduced project risk and allowed us to move into fabrication and installation with confidence. Having local engineering support available throughout the project made the entire process much smoother.”
The selected glazing was a 24mm Insulglass LowE Max® insulated glass unit comprising 6mm LowE Max Toughened outer glass, a 12mm argon-filled cavity and 6mm Clear Toughened inner glass.
LowE Max incorporates a high performance triple-layer of silver soft coat that improves the energy performance of the glazing compared with conventional clear double glazing.
The coating allows natural light and a controlled amount of solar energy to pass through the glass while resisting the outward transfer of heat.
The specific combination and arrangement of the LowE coating components resist heat flow back through the glass. Coupled with heat generated inside the home, a high performing coating such as LowE Max provides excellent insulation.
Its neutral appearance from the inside, looking out, was equally important. LowE Max has a subtle tone only seen from the outside while inside remains completely neutral, preserving natural colour rendition and allowing the truest possible view through the glazing.
“In a project where the glass is the architecture, you cannot afford a specification that compromises the view with heavy tinting or visible reflectivity,” Saul said.
“LowE Max delivered the solar control we needed without turning the mountain green or grey. You do not see the glass; you see the mountain.”
The glazing forms part of a broader environmental strategy developed by Saul.
Fifty roof-mounted solar panels feed a hydronic system embedded within three concrete floor slabs, while the building’s concrete structure provides substantial thermal mass. In winter, the system gradually charges the concrete, which radiates warmth back into the home. In summer, the process reverses and the mass is cooled.
Six individual motorised external blinds, each approximately 1.8 metres wide and 6 metres high, provide the first line of protection against direct summer sun while still allowing the occupants to see Mount Ainslie.
Insulglass LowE Max® then manages residual solar gain and helps limit heat loss through the expansive glazed walls during winter.
“The building does not fight the sun. It redirects it,” Saul said.
“The LowE Max specification was what made this possible in practice. Its solar control performance meant the glazing could be maximised without the building overheating in summer. Its thermal insulation meant the vast east wall did not bleed heat in winter.”
The installation demanded the same level of technical skill as the design and fabrication.
Restricted site access required Supaglass to crane the glass A-frames over the boundary fence using a Hiab truck crane. The oversized insulated glass units were then transported around the house using a Quattrolift glazing robot.
The Quattrolift was used to position the ground-floor glazing, while a Maeda mini crane and vacuum lifting equipment safely installed the upper façade panels.
The concealed-frame entry glazing required meticulous alignment of the hidden framing, structural silicone butt joints and stepped corner unit. Each panel needed to be positioned with exceptional accuracy to achieve the seamless glass design.
Steve Whitbread said working with Australian Glass Group provided the consistency and confidence required for glazing of this scale.
“When we are installing large architectural glass, we need complete confidence that every unit has been manufactured accurately and to a consistently high standard,” he said.
“Working with Australian Glass Group gives us reliable Australian manufacturing, consistent product quality, excellent availability and lead times, technical engineering support, confidence in compliance with Australian Standards and reliable after-sales support.
“Those factors become extremely important on bespoke projects where there is very little margin for error.”
The local manufacturing also provides immediate access to technical support when an unexpected issue arises. This can include site inspections, problem-solving relating to unfamiliar glazing systems, communication during delays and practical assistance when conditions on site differ from those anticipated during design.
Early collaboration smooths out potential issues and results in the best outcome for the homeowner.
For Supaglass, the project demonstrates the breadth of its architectural glazing knowledge and installation capability.
Within one residence, its team delivered a structurally glazed two-storey façade, a concealed-frame entry incorporating a stepped insulated glass corner and a bespoke outdoor shower enclosure. Each feature required a different technical approach, together with specialist lifting equipment, precise fabrication and close coordination with the architect, builder, steel fabricator and AGG.
“This project showcases what is possible when skilled builders, specialist suppliers and experienced glaziers collaborate from the very beginning,” Steve Whitbread said.
“AGG’s willingness to provide engineering advice, recommend compliant glazing solutions and support the project throughout fabrication and installation made a genuine contribution to the final outcome.”
The completed home demonstrates how architectural ambition, specialist glazing expertise, Australian manufacturing and project-specific technical support can work together.
For the occupants, the outcome is experienced not as engineering, but as comfort, clarity and a continuing relationship with the landscape.
“The east wall is the emotional centre of the house,” Saul said. “The occupants experience none of the engineering. They experience a quiet room with a mountain in it.”
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