Adding a Besoke Modern Glass Entrance to your home

Why Choose a Glass Entrance?

A glass entrance isn’t just about making something look sleek. It gives real functional, aesthetic, and experiential benefits.

Maximise daylight — A well-designed glass entrance floods foyers, halls, and adjoining rooms with natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting.
Create seamless transitions — With floor-to-ceiling glazing, you visually connect inside and out.
Architectural statement — A glass front becomes a bold focal point; the entrance becomes a showpiece, not just a portal.
Customisable design — From frameless pivots to structural mullions, you can tailor shape, size, hardware, and finishes.
Modern performance — With the right engineering, you don’t compromise on insulation, weather sealing, or security.

As specialists in bespoke glazing, we get excited because glass entrances combine artistry and technical challenge — and we love solving that.

any architectural glass-entrance projects emphasise balance between transparency and strength — letting in light while maintaining a feeling of solidity.

Design Options & Styles

Glass entrances come in many forms — here are the ones we do (and love):

Frameless / Minimal Framing

Uses structural glazing methods so the glass is the visual star — supports concealed or minimal hardware. Very clean, uninterrupted appearance.
(Often used in contemporary homes, galleries, or modern extensions.)

Pivot Doors

A single vertical pivot point allows large, dramatic doors to open smoothly. They make a grand statement while ensuring smooth movement.
(Willow Barn uses this sort of elegant design approach.)

Sliding / Telescopic Glass Panels

Panels slide or stack out of the way — ideal when space or clearance is limited. Offers flexibility in how wide the entrance can open.
(Often used in extension entrances or in conjunction with side glazing.)

Fixed Glazing + Central Operable Door

Combines fixed glass panels with one or more functional doors. You get large light-transmitting walls with access where needed.

Overhead / Transom Glass Extensions

Glass above or around the entrance, such as clerestories or transoms, to bring light deeper into interior spaces.
(Especially useful when the main door height isn’t enormous, or for matching existing proportions.)

Glass Canopies or Porticos

A glass roof or canopy above the door, supported by steel or aluminium, gives weather protection while amplifying the entrance visually.
(These details are often part of a grand entrance design.)

How Glass Entrances Stack Up: Quality, Durability & Performance

Quality & Craftsmanship

We don’t do off-the-shelf — every glass entrance is bespoke. From our shop floor to onsite finishing, we monitor tolerances, alignments, and finishes. The result: a seamless, high-end architectural detail.

Durability & Maintenance

Glass, properly specified, can last decades. We use:

Laminated safety glass (so broken shards stay bonded)
UV-stable coatings (so no fading or degradation)
Robust seals, drainage channels, and gaskets

You’ll want occasional cleaning of the glass and inspection of seals, but the frame and structure require minimal upkeep.

Thermal & Weather Performance

A glass entrance must also be high-performance. We engineer:

Multi-pane or insulating glass units (IGUs)
Warm-edge spacers, gas fills (argon, etc.)
Good U-values (low heat transfer)
Web-tight weather seals, flashing, thermal breaks

This ensures no draughts, no condensation, and energy efficiency (especially in UK climates).

Security & Safety

People often worry “Is a glass entrance weaker?” The answer is: not with right engineering. We include:

Laminated glass (multi-layer bonding)
Toughened / tempered layers
Multi-point locking within frames
Reinforcements in mullions & transoms
Burglary-resistant hardware

Cost & Project Process

Cost Considerations

It’s not cheap — but you get what you pay for. Factors influencing cost:

Size and scale of glass panels
Complexity of frame design and structure
Hardware, pivots, motorisation
Custom finishes, coatings, low-iron glass
Structural engineering and interface with building
Site access, logistics, handling

For luxury glazing, clients often see returns in added property value, enhanced appeal, and the wow factor.

Project Timeline & Workflow

Here’s how we typically manage glass entrances:

Initial Consult & Concept
- We meet and take survey pics
- Understand client goals (light, openness, style)
- Sketch concept layouts
Design & Technical Specification
- Structural engineer input
- Glass, frame, hardware specs
- Prepare drawings for planning / building control
Planning & Approvals
- Especially relevant for refurbishing historic or listed buildings
- We liaise with local planners, produce supporting documents
Fabrication & Quality Control
- Offsite manufacture
- In-house tolerance checks, frame finishing, glass lamination
Delivery & Installation
- Careful transport (large glass, delicate)
- Precise site installation, alignment, sealing
- Integration of finishing touches (hardware, trims, caulk)
Commissioning & Testing
- We test motion, sealing, drainage
- Final client walk-through
- Provide maintenance guidance

When done right, a glass entrance project can run as smoothly as a high-end steel window install — you just need the right team managing all the moving parts.

Heritage & Regulatory Work: How We Handle It

Glass entrances on historic or listed buildings pose challenges — but it’s not impossible. Here’s how James Price navigates that:

Respect original proportions & materials — we design glass entrances that echo the original style (mullions, proportions, sightlines) rather than “glass-blasting” the facade.
Use discreet framing & sympathetic detailing — blending in with existing architecture, using slender profiles or hidden frames.
Work with heritage officers & planners — we prepare drawings, thermal/massing studies, visuals, and support documentation for planning approval.
Compromise & adaptation — sometimes we retain original stonework or mullions, inserting glass panels where acceptable.
Custom tolerances & testing — to satisfy conservation constraints, we often manufacture in smaller units or use modular glazing that’s reversible or non-invasive.

We’ve done this on heritage properties and barn conversions alike, and our reputation with planners helps smooth the path.

Case Study: Willow Barn Glass Entrance

Let’s briefly tie it back to your own project:

In the Willow Barn glass entrance, we created a stunning glazed frontage that opens up the façade, bringing in framed views of the landscape.
The design included large glass panels, structural mullions, and precision-fitting pivots to ensure both elegance and performance.
We coordinated with the client’s architect and builder to tie the glazing into existing masonry and ensure drainage, threshold, and weathering details were fully resolved.
The finished entrance transformed what used to feel closed and dark into a luminous, welcoming space — exactly the “wow” effect the client desired.

You can showcase that project in this blog post or even include images/screenshots to show visitors real proof of your capability.

Final Thoughts: Why Glass Entrances Are a Great Choice

If you’re aiming for:

A grand, memorable entrance
An influx of natural light
A design feature that elevates your home’s architecture
A blending of inside and outside
Long-term durability with premium materials

— then a bespoke glass entrance can deliver.

At James Price Bespoke Glazing, we pride ourselves on delivering not just pretty glass walls, but fully engineered, performance-driven, site-integrated architectural elements. Whether you're building new, renovating a barn, or tackling a listed building, we’ll partner with you from concept to commissioning.