Prevent Autumn and Winter Sun Glare

Now that we are well and truly into autumn and the sun has started to get lower in the sky, many offices and buildings will still be suffering with excessive heat and glare caused by the autumn and winter sunshine, particularly those which are glass-fronted or have glass roofs or glass features.

This can make for very uncomfortable and unpleasant working conditions for anyone working in these areas, for example the reception staff, and for any visitors to the building. Natural light improves the quality of life for workers – but if your office environment gets too much direct sunlight, this can have the opposite effect on employee happiness and productivity.

One solution to this challenge can be to introduce some strategically placed fabric shades which will still let sunlight in and still feel light and airy in the area, whilst preventing the actual glare and heat from the sun and making the environment much more pleasant to be in. At the same the fabric enhances the look of the building and actually becomes an attractive feature in itself.

At Tensile Fabric Ltd we would start by carrying out a thorough sun-path analysis, creating a 3D model of the space and tracking the sun-path data. This shows exactly how the area is affected as the sun moves throughout the day and over the course of the year and the four seasons. Once we understand the full extent of the problem, we can design the perfect solution to ensure that the low winter sun and the high summer sun would both be covered.

We would then select and recommend the perfect interior fabric depending on what look and feel the client is trying to achieve, and design either one or a series of shade sails depending on the requirement, the space and of course the budget. As you can see from the selection of images below, there are numerous looks and designs to suit every space. 

Once completed the sails can easily fix into the space using a strap clamp detail which requires no drilling. The sails can be simply unclipped for easy cleaning and for the glass behind to be accessed and cleaned.

Benefits of interior shade sails:

• Happy employees and visitors
• A comfortable working environment
• Reduction of sun glare
• Prevention of uncomfortable heat
• An eye-catching feature 

Get in touch if you need some help with sun glare in your building.

By Abi Smith, 9/25/2024