The Trinity Powersports building was awarded the AGGA Queensland, 2016 Commercial Under $50K Award for impressively showcasing modern framing and glazing technology.

The new glazing system installed gives the business an instant identity boost. Featuring full-height frameless glazing with stainless steel spider clamps, these sensitive modern additions complement this renovated building’s contemporary style. The company’s
branding is highlighted against the elegant minimalist backdrop.

Incorporating advanced technology into an antique shell was an irresistible challenge for JH Glass Innovation. ‘This was a refurbishment of a 50-year-old building, which had fallen into a state of dilapidation,’ John says. ‘As the main foundations were
solid, the owners asked us to bring it into the modern age.’

The team at JH Glass Innovation provided the client with several ideas about the project’s possibilities. ‘The client’s original idea was to go with a standard shopfront,’ John says. ‘However, we quickly realised that the project had significantly greater potential.

Instead, a curtain wall frame with spider fittings and frameless wall panels was designed, aiming to present the building’s interior in a far more striking light,’ he continues. ‘Due to the extent of the renovation,the showroom as you see it today is barely recognisable from the original building.The immense size of the glazing sheets used in the front entrance made for a highly demanding construction process. ‘We used 4.5metre glazed panels for the large frameless automatic door entry,’says John. ‘The expanses of glazing really lift the entrance and interior, giving them a luminous look.

‘During construction, the team had to overcome a taxing challenge with the entrance area. ‘The way in which we had constructed the steel support beams initially obstructed the front door portal,’ says John. ‘To solve this issue, we created a glass portal to be fitted internally to the steel frame, a solution which involved securing the front glazing sections to the frames with stainless steel pins.’

JH Glass Innovation pulled out all the stops to ensure that the streamlined appearance of the entrance continued throughout the interior. ‘We painted the portal panels in the same colours as the steel framing, so that people could see right through to the rear of the building,’ John explains. ‘We’ve replicated that successful aesthetic decision in our latest collaborations with the builders – a Lexus showroom and a Hyundai dealership, the latter featuring 9-metre curtain walls on spider fittings’

This job will remain in John’s mind as a unique challenge. ‘While it wasn’t one of the most intricate projects we’ve ever done, the sheer extent of the transformation makes our achievement quite special in my view.’ John reflects. ‘Incorporating the glass and the portal gives everything a really sharp, clean line. We’ve used that as an effective selling point on several projects since, as more and more people seek this futuristic finish.’