Howells Patent Glazing has played a key role in the transformation of the University of Gloucestershire’s new City Campus, a major regeneration of the former Debenhams store in Gloucester city centre. Working alongside main contractor Morgan Sindall and ADP Architecture, Howells supplied and installed five bespoke rooflights and two mono pitch glazing systems to flood the redeveloped structure with daylight.
The new campus combines heritage architecture with modern educational design, retaining Victorian and mid-20th-century elements. The deep floor plates of the existing building limited natural light, prompting the introduction of multiple new rooflights to enhance brightness across all levels, from social learning spaces to the basement.
Howells’ scope included two hip-ended rooflights, two self-supporting octagonal rooflights, two mono pitch glazing areas, and one tapered ridge rooflight. The largest hip-ended unit measured 3.2m x 6.3m, the biggest rooflight ever manufactured by Howells. Each was trial-assembled in the factory for accuracy before on-site installation.
Structural engineers calculated additional load capacities for each aluminium system, accounting for glass weight, wind pressure, and snow loads. To meet performance standards, the glazing bars were reinforced with steel inserts, increasing span and strength. 
All rooflights feature Class 2 non-fragile, double-glazed units with 11.5mm heat-strengthened laminated inner panes and 6mm toughened solar-control outer panes, providing UV protection up to 99%. The tapered ridge rooflight, spanning 12.5m in length with a 5.1m–4.3m taper, includes shaped self-cleaning glass to reduce maintenance. Each aluminium frame is powder-coated in Black Grey RAL 7021 (matt) for a sleek, contemporary finish.
As ADP’s Natalia Lopez concluded, “Daylight defines the campus’s identity, creating open, connected, and energised spaces for students and the wider community.”
Source: https://www.howellsglazing.co.uk/ with additional information added by Glass Balkan
