aluminium
Latest trends within
architectural glass and
glazing revealed by
Reynaers at Home
When Reynaers at Home conducted
an in-depth survey involving hundreds
of professionals to reveal architects’
thoughts on important aspects of their
work, including trends in residential
housing, design and major challenges,
they got some interesting answers.
Energy efficiency
comes top
When asked what the most
popular industry trend was in
residential housing, almost 60%
of architects surveyed stated
energy efficiency as the leading
design issue. Reynaers at Home
has recognised energy efficiency as
a top concern for architects and is
setting a new standard in thermal
performance with its latest
products, meaning heat loss is
kept to a minimum and the home
is kept cosy and warm.
For example the company’s
CS104 window and door system
can achieve whole window
U-values as low as 0.77 W/m2K,
and its Hi-Finity sliding door
offers floor-to-ceiling glass and
Ud values as low as 1.3 W/m2K.
Reynaers at Home has a range
of windows and doors that have
been awarded the Swiss Minergie
accreditation for low-energy
homes.
Head of Reynaers at Home,
Hugh Moss said: “Our belief
is that specifying our range of
energy-saving products means
that architects no longer need
to be constrained by energy
efficiency, leaving designers free
to do what they do best – design
innovative breathtaking homes.
“Other market research that we
have conducted has shown that
modern panoramic windows,
and huge bifold and sliding patio
doors, are at the top of thousands
of British homeowners’ wish lists.
Architects too have fallen in love
with floor-to-ceiling glazing and
we are witnessing massive demand
in this area.”
Value for money
Reynaers at Home asked
architects whether they felt that
the UK was coming out of the
recession, based on their level of
business. A buoyant mood was
reported, after 67% agreed with
the statement.
Mr Moss added: “We’ve found
that throughout the recession,
consumers are still prepared
to spend, but are being more
selective. When spending their
hard earned money, they are
happy to pay more for a product
that is well designed, carefully
manufactured and installed by a
company that understands the
value of customer service.”
Size matters
Big picture windows were
identified as ‘the one’ architectural
feature that can really make a
home come to life, according
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to 40% of UK architects.
Additionally almost three-quarters
of respondents agreed that most
UK homes are missing out on
space and light.
“New innovations are enabling
the industry to use structural
glazing technology to push all
previous boundaries in terms
of size. Combining minimal
frames with a maximum height
of 3.5m and individual door
leafs weighing up to half a ton,
our new Hi-Finity sliding doors
are our biggest ever, allowing
customers to create a virtual
wall of glass giving wonderfully
uninterrupted panoramic views,”
said Mr Moss.
Inspired thinking
When it comes to finding
inspiration, 46% of architects said
that art and architecture books
were the primary sources.
Mr Moss said: “Fashion trends
and tastes develop over time in,
and this is also true within the
housing market. There are many
homeowners who say they don’t
like the appearance of uPVC
windows and instead people
want vast expanses of glass letting
in maximum sunlight, narrow
frames, no fanlights and as few
mullions as possible.
“When deciding which
windows and doors to choose,
today’s homeowners are on the
whole more knowledgeable
than they were in the double
glazing boom of the 1980s.
This knowledge comes from
experience – having bought
cheap windows and doors once,
people quickly learn that not
all windows and doors are the
same. The web also makes it
possible to research the different
products and companies and
reveal the experiences of other
consumers. All of this means that
today’s householder is often more
experienced and more educated,
and is prepared to spend a bit
more money to get a product
that will be reliable.
“The main trend we have
noticed is a huge shift towards
big aluminium patio and bi-fold
doors and large single insert
windows with aluminium
frames. While it’s true to say that
aluminium’s share of the market
remains modest at the moment,
we sincerely believe that this will
rapi