Brise Soleil
Aluminium Louvre Suppliers and Installers for Commercial Buildings
About Architectural Louvres
Architectural louvres are rows of angled blades that let air through while keeping out rain, sun and sightlines, and BDF Architectural supplies and installs aluminium louvre systems for commercial, mixed-use and high-rise buildings across London and the UK, powder-coated to any RAL colour.
On commercial buildings louvres do three quite different jobs: screening plant on roofs and at ground level, ventilating plant rooms and car parks, and shading glazed façades from solar gain. Fixed louvres are set at one angle. Operable louvres rotate, by hand or by motor, and can be linked to the building management system to track the sun. Blade shape and spacing decide how much air gets through and how much rain is kept out, so the profile is chosen for the job rather than the look alone: a plant room louvre is specified for free area and weather resistance, a shading louvre for the sun angles on that elevation.
Louvres can be built into curtain walling and unitised façade panels, fixed as free-standing plant screens, or run as horizontal or vertical shading across glazing alongside brise soleil and fins. A wide range of blade profiles and chord widths is available, in custom sizes and configurations to suit the opening. BDF Architectural fabricates and installs the louvres from its facility in West Drayton, west London, and can supply them in the same package as the curtain walling, cladding, brise soleil and fins around them.
Screening louvres are usually run as a louvre wall or louvre screen: a continuous line of blades in a framing system on posts, enclosing rooftop plant, condensers, bin stores and service yards while letting the equipment breathe. Planning conditions often ask for rooftop plant to be screened, and the frame and posts are designed for the wind load at roof level, which increases with the height of the building. For sun shading, fixed aluminium louvres are set at the angle that suits the elevation, with horizontal blades on south-facing glazing and vertical blades on east and west elevations, in the same way as brise soleil.
On high-rise residential buildings the fire rules for external walls also apply. In England, Regulation 7(2) of the Building Regulations requires materials in the external walls of relevant buildings, broadly those with a storey at least 18 m above ground that contain flats or certain other residential uses, to achieve class A2-s1,d0 or A1. Solar shading devices attached more than 4.5 m above ground are covered, so the shading blades must meet the same classification, and louvres that form part of the wall itself, with any acoustic infill, should be checked against the fire strategy too. Aluminium blades and frames are well suited to this.
To price a louvre package, send elevations and sections, what each louvre has to do (ventilate, screen or shade), any free area or airflow figures from the services engineer, the finish, and programme dates.
Last reviewed 2 November 2026
Key features
- Fixed and motorised (adjustable) louvre options
- Wide range of blade profiles and chord widths
- Solar shading, ventilation and privacy in one system
- Integrates with BMS for automatic solar tracking
- Aluminium construction — corrosion-resistant and low maintenance
- Powder-coated in any RAL colour
- Suitable for façades, plant screens and roof-level screening
- Custom sizes and configurations available
Specifications
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Architectural Louvres.
What are architectural louvres used for?
Screening plant on roofs and at ground level, ventilating plant rooms and car parks, and shading glazed façades. BDF Architectural supplies and installs aluminium louvre systems for commercial, mixed-use and high-rise buildings across London and the UK.
What is the difference between louvres and brise soleil?
Brise soleil is designed purely to shade glazing. Louvres are rows of blades that can also let air through while keeping out rain and blocking views, so they are used for ventilation and plant screening as well as shading.
Can louvres keep out rain?
Weather louvres are designed to let air through while limiting rain penetration, and the blade profile and spacing decide how well they do it. Louvre rain performance is tested to BS EN 13030, and the level needed depends on what sits behind the louvre.
Can louvres be motorised?
Yes. Operable louvres rotate by hand or by motor and can be linked to the building management system to track the sun automatically.
What is a louvre wall system?
A continuous run of louvre blades in a framing system on posts, used as a screen around rooftop plant, condensers, bin stores and service yards, or across a plant floor or car park. The frame and posts are designed for the wind load at that height.
Can louvres be used on high-rise buildings?
Yes. On relevant buildings in England, broadly those with a storey at least 18 m above ground containing flats or certain other residential uses, Regulation 7(2) requires solar shading blades attached more than 4.5 m above ground to be class A2-s1,d0 or A1, and louvres in the wall itself should be checked against the fire strategy. Aluminium blades and frames are well suited, and wind loads are designed for the height.
Do you make the louvres or only install them?
Both. BDF Architectural fabricates and installs aluminium louvres from its facility in West Drayton, west London, for commercial, mixed-use and high-rise buildings across London and the UK, often in the same package as the curtain walling or cladding.
How do I get a price for louvres?
Send elevations and sections, what each louvre has to do, any free area or airflow figures from the services engineer, the finish and programme dates through the enquiry form on our contact page, by email to info@bdfa.uk or on 0800 999 5575.
Pricing Architectural Louvres?
Send drawings, schedules and programme dates for a tender price, or call 0800 999 5575.
