Commercial shopfronts

Getting the entrance right before anything else

The entrance is where a shopfront quietly passes or fails. Part M asks for a level or gently ramped threshold, an 800mm clear opening and an opening force light enough for a wheelchair user to manage unaided. Retrofit a heavy manual door onto an old stepped threshold and the unit is not compliant, however good the glass looks.

On high-footfall units the answer is usually an automatic sliding set. On smaller units a well-specified swing door with a back-check closer and a low-rise threshold does the job at a fraction of the cost.

Manifestation is a legal requirement, not decoration

Full-height glazing has to be marked so it is visible to someone approaching it. Part K asks for manifestation in two bands, roughly 850–1000mm and 1400–1600mm from floor level, in a contrast that reads against whatever is behind the glass.

Vinyl branding usually satisfies this and looks intentional rather than bolted on. Frosted bands, etched logos and printed film all work. What does not work is a single small logo at eye height on an otherwise clear wall of glass.

Listed buildings and conservation areas

In a conservation area or on a listed unit the shopfront is normally the most heavily controlled element of the whole building. Expect conditions on frame colour, sightline width, stallriser height, signage zone and whether an external shutter is permitted at all.

Internal shutters, timber-effect powder coating and slimline heritage sections usually get through where a standard commercial front will not. Getting the specification agreed with the conservation officer before manufacture saves a great deal of money.