Ventrolla, a specialist in heritage restoration and renovation of timber sash and casement windows, recently hosted the third event in its heritage roundtable series. The event placed focus on the complexities of planning and preservation for heritage and listed properties – particularly towards the lack of clarity surrounding the use of vacuum glazing.

The roundtable brought together leading voices from across the heritage, glass and built environment consultancy sectors to discuss the biggest challenges within the industry.

Key discussions highlighted the need for a holistic, case-by-case approach to retrofitting heritage buildings, emphasising the delicate balance between preserving historic fabric and achieving net-zero energy targets.

Mark Flanagan, managing director of Ventrolla, said:

“This third edition of our roundtable series had a slightly different focus to those we have previously run. Vacuum glazing is still relatively new to the industry and there is still a lot of misunderstanding because of that. We are keen to drive forward a more aligned approach and thought process to the use of vacuum glazing, ensuring it aligns fully with planning guidance, as it can really unlock better efficiencies for heritage buildings throughout the UK.

“Some incredibly exciting information came to light throughout the roundtable discussion, particularly around the need for a holistic approach to heritage retrofit and the industry-wide lack of education on vacuum glazing. Vacuum glazing is one of the most promising technologies in the industry for improving the energy efficiency of historic buildings, offering U-values as low as <0.7 W/m²K. But it isn’t a universal solution and that is something we need to build upon.”