Lake Huron House sees local “cabin country” architecture completely reimagined to create a modern family retreat on the banks of one of North America’s five Great Lakes.

Taking a contemporary architectural approach, the residence maximises its breath-taking lakeside views, while remaining sensitive to its surroundings and sustainability impact in the extremes of the Canadian climate.

To achieve its statement aestheti

ISO-Chemie, a leading foam sealant tape specialist, is investing in its international infrastructure to accommodate expansion and growth plans this year.

In a new move, which boosts customer service, the company is constructing an additional warehouse at its factory headquarters in Aalen, Germany, as part of a multi-million pound project to double current capacity and enhance green production processes.

New investment

Established domestic fabricator D&I Window Solutions is scaling up its operation with investment in numerous aluminium fabrication machines from industry specialists Haffner Murat. The large-scale investment is a result of D&I Window Solutions’ strategic expansion into trade manufacture.

David Saxon, Director of D&I Window Solutions, said: “We’ve seen a considerable increase in demand for aluminium bifolds in recent mont

The average UK home spends around £550 a year on space heating alone. Surely there is a smarter way to invest this money and achieve long-term savings? Leading uPVC windows and doors manufacturer, Euramax, has released an infographic that examines five ways homeowners can improve their home this winter to keep warm, without turning up the heat.

When winter approaches and the temperature starts to drop, many homeowners begin t

Trade fabricator Modplan has just completed a largescale investment in 12 new fabrication machines from Avantek to support its next stage of growth. The machines have been installed across Modplan’s multiple production facilities enabling the company to continue to deliver the outstanding quality and efficiencies that support its customers businesses.

Heidi Sachs, Managing Director of Modplan, said: “There were two reasons

Warm-edge pioneers Edgetech have released the latest in a series of outstanding next-generation spacer bars.

Super Spacer® TriSeal™ SG brings the exceptional strength of the firm’s recently launched T-Spacer™ SG to a product designed for manual application.

SG stands for ‘structural glazing’ - and like T-Spacer SG, TriSeal SG has been developed for use on the most demanding architectural projects.

TriSeal SG i

While many companies struggled through lockdown, for CDW Systems, the renowned Gloucester based aluminium fabricator, 2020 was a busy year. In response to increasing demand from customers, they’ve added flat roof lights and Designer Doors to their range.

Now, they’ve added a third product from Smart Systems to their portfolio – the Smart Alitherm Heritage Range, providing the ideal solution for heritage projects.

T

Coronavirus has affected every part of society in one way or another – but the charity sector has been especially hard hit.

With charity shops around the country ordered to close, and hundreds of critical fundraising events forced to cancel, groups offering vital support to millions of vulnerable people are struggling to survive.

But one of the most heartening things to come out of the long and difficult pandemic is t

Over 100 personalised COVID-19 installation policies have been produced by Endurance Doors for their nationwide network of Installer Partners, while the remainder have benefitted from the generic version that was distributed back in April last year.

Much was done last year by the solid and secure composite door pioneer to support Installer Partners through the unprecedented pandemic and both effective communication and the pr

Sash window experts Victorian Sliders will be continuing to operate as normal throughout the UK’s third national coronavirus lockdown unless government guidance changes.

Over the last twelve months, the Ammanford firm has adapted well to the COVID crisis, and for its 200+ staff, social distancing and other COVID-safe practises have become second nature.

The company continued to work through the November lockdown witho

From a bird’s eye view, it looks like a meandering path through a leafy city park. But get a bit closer, and you realise it’s actually a building – one of the most ambitious, spectacular and sustainable buildings Scandinavia has ever produced.

BaseCamp Lyngby is a 415,000 square-foot student accommodation block in Copenhagen, Denmark. It’s a winding, undulating structure with an 800-metre running and walking track, grass, pla

Working with established manufacturer partner FUHR, Carl F Groupco has created a bespoke stainless-steel locking package for Senior Architectural Systems PURe® aluminium door range. Carl F Groupco’s hardware met the fenestration system company’s requirements for quality and innovation for its high-performance door profile, which features an expanded polyurethane thermal barrier for advanced thermal performance.

Carl F Groupco

Sussex-based Nuglaze Home Services recently completed a replacement window and door project with Residence 9, in a period home with true Tudor detailing, including leaded top lights, structural corner posts and two oriel bay windows, all in the No.10 Black finish.

In years gone by such installations were the domain of timber only and it is only with the introduction of R9, part of The Residence Collection, that this tradition

The New Year has got off to a start no one expected – so it does not seem right to holler Happy New Year as we always like to do.

Yet, we do need to look forward with positivity and hope; and things will get better!

The architectural and building world is still moving fast and efficiently despite the challenges; and we are pleased to see all Steel Window Association manufacturing members and associate organisations co

Garnalex has launched Sheerline Prestige, its most versatile and thermally efficient aluminium window and door system. Featuring a full depth Eurogroove, Prestige lets fabricators use their existing PVC-U hardware to streamline manufacturing, and is set to help redefine installer expectations in 2021.

Offering unrivalled choice, Prestige boasts the widest range of window styles and includes doors and French doors. The system

Leading UK hardware distributor IFI is celebrating a decade as a supply partner for Rapierstar fasteners, which are used for window and door manufacturing and installation, as well as in timber and general construction.

The Cambridgeshire based company, which is the longest established trading division of Rapidrop Global, has been supplying products to window professionals for over 25 years. From its 30,000 sq. ft national d

Installers can only sell remotely during the National lockdown, Certass Trade Association has confirmed.

Certass Trade Association has been working with Government to get clarity on as many questions from members as possible regarding what is and isn’t allowed during lockdown. After confirmation that installations can still be carried out in homes, most questions from installers were about sales visits. Jon Vanstone, Chair a

Brisant Secure, the hardware house behind Ultion has moved to a new unit which enables it to expand capacity by two-thirds above 2020 operations. The move will secure Brisant’s long-term growth and make room for what the company says are more exciting new products that will change the market.

Brisant saw strong growth in 2020, which more than compensated for two missing months due to lockdown. Homeowner traffic to the Ultion

Leading aluminium fenestration solutions provider Senior Architectural Systems has received a supply chain award from main contractor Morgan Sindall in recognition of the manufacturer’s commitment to offering a consistently high and reliable level of service and support.

Senior was named as the overall winner of the Morgan Sindall’s national ‘Supply Chain Family Member Award’ after enjoying success in the regional heats and

Leading warm edge spacer bar supplier SWISSPACER has extended its range of innovative solutions for glass in the UK with the launch of La Defender Pico, a slimline balustrade system designed for residential applications.

La Defender Pico combines stylish looks with easy, one-sided installation. Measuring just 62x75mm, it is an extremely strong balustrade system, tested to a 300kg/metre linear load and accredited to BS6180 for

Owen Thorogood, sales and marketing director for Kestrel, looks back the turbulent months of 2020 and asks whether 2021 will see continued growth for construction.

Looking back to the start of 2020, feels like a lifetime ago, up until 24 March who had even heard the word furlough let alone knew what it meant? As the country plunged into lockdown, there was a real sense of fear because none of us have been through anything lik

HEGLA UK’s Managing Director Steve Goble will officially retire from managerial duties from January 2021, to become a consultant for the leading, specialist machinery manufacturer. Steve, who has been responsible for the launch and success of the business over the last 18 years, will guide a new management team in the UK.

HEGLA Group’s Managing Director, Bernhard Hoetger will take charge of the UK division as the transition

DOORCO, the UK’s leading composite door manufacturer, is launching an exciting new addition to their composite door range with a new hybrid door slab engineered using GRiPCORE Technology. This new door has the same GRP skin but with a solid timber core, offering unrivalled results when it comes to tolerance and security. It is also backed up by DOORCO’s promises on service, quality and delivery, and will be available to the market in

With ongoing uncertainty regarding Brexit, extensive worst case scenario preparations have been made at Carl F Groupco to protect hardware supply, including a 25% increase in stock levels.

The company has liaised with its major EU manufacturer partners including FUHR and Roto to ensure buffer stock to support sales. An additional 600,000 Euros of FUHR and Roto stock is being sourced, which will be delivered before 23rd Decemb

Ultion orders placed over a weekend will now be delivered to customers on Monday. All telephone and on-line orders placed up until 1pm on a Sunday will be with locksmiths and installers ready for the working week. This also includes bespoke orders for keyed alike requirements.

Brisant Secure, the hardware house behind Ultion, has a reputation in the industry for smashing standards and a series of firsts. Providing homeowners

Chigwell Window Centre, the Essex based trade supplier of uPVC and aluminium windows and doors, have invested in a new 36,000 square foot factory in Basildon, tripling their production capacity.

Chigwell Window Centre includes 6 Day Doors, the specialist supplier of aluminium bi-folds and patios, who will also be operating from the same location.

Until the new factory officially opens in March, the company are manuf

Fentrade Aluminium has recently manufactured and supplied a range of commercial products for a renovation project at Ysgol Pontrhydfendigaid School in Ystrad Meurig, near Aberystwyth. The project involved creating new entrance screens into the main building and various classrooms to improve the school environment for the children.

The various screens were manufactured using a mixture of low-rise Kestrel Aluminium curtain wal

In an industry first for aluminium, Sheerline fabricators can now use Sheerline’s product database on Business Micros Evolution, First Degree and LogiKal.

While it is common for PVC-U systems companies to provide compatibility with multiple software systems, Sheerline is the only aluminium systems company to offer this benefit. Aluminium software packages are often complicated, but Sheerline’s market-leading software partners

The Glazerite UK Group Ltd has appointed Darren Rhodes as Managing Director of its North West Division in Bolton. Darren joins the trade fabricator on Monday 11th January 2021.

Glazerite Group Managing Director, Robert Brearley says of his appointment: “Darren has extensive senior leadership experience in manufacturing and a passion for operational excellence and customer service.

“His appointment foll

A leading West Midlands manufacturer of aluminium windows and doors has launched a new division to take advantage of the huge growth in the construction of modular homes and commercial buildings across the UK.

Alex and Rebecca Sutherland, of Birmingham-based Performance Window Fabrications (PWF), are investing heavily in the business and believe the modular sector offers the company a major opportunity to expand.

Al

In September 2020, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick, announced the first part of the £3.6 billion Towns Fund. Over 100 towns in England will be given up to £1 million to rejuvenate their centres. Town planners should use the money strategically to make as much of a positive impact on the area as possible. Here, Nick Cowley, managing director of uPVC windows supplier Euramax, expl

Bohle has unveiled its new ‘F’ profile for its easy-to-install balustrade system, Vetromount, which offers a flush fit to the edge of the platform.

VetroMount has been developed by Bohle specifically for the growing residential market, simplifying installation, eliminating the requirement for specialist tools and reducing fixing costs.

It does this using a highly innovative mounting kit. This sits inside the profil

Two respected fabricators are set to merge, and bring a more cohesive, consistent service to customers across the Midlands and beyond.

West Bromwich-based Central RPL is now one of the Midlands’ largest fabricators of PVC products, fabricating windows, doors and conservatories from the Optima Range by Profile 22.

In 2016, RPL’s owners, the Boing Boing Group, expanded into the aluminium market by founding Central ASL

Spurring innovation and collaboration between scientists to enhance the student experience was front of mind when American University in Washington DC planned to build a new faculty to house its science programmes.

And as the building will be aiding research into topics including climate change, ensuring that the new facility was environmentally friendly was a key part of the brief.

In fact, the university wanted its

Increasing efficiency and output during the current ‘uncertain’ business climate will be a priority for manufacturers, with many companies carefully considering the impact of many things on their business - not least Brexit and coping strategies with the continual impact of the coronavirus.

HEGLA regularly evaluates the changing market and adapts to the needs of processors accordingly, with the team focused on providing compl

Three million new homes must be built in England over the next 20 years to solve its housing crisis, a report by housing charity Shelter says. Companies manufacturing new-builds in factories possess the ability to speed up the delivery of high-quality, sustainable new housing across the UK. Ilke Homes, who creates up to 2,000 new factory-built homes a year, turned to leading window and door manufacturer Euramax to provide energy-effi

Birmingham window and door manufacturer Shelforce has received its first major fire door order – with 210 fire doors set to be supplied and installed to three blocks of flats.

The flats – Home Meadow House, Hollypiece House and Coppice House – are located on Pemberley Road in Acocks Green, Birmingham and support retirement and sheltered housing.

The project is being headed by construction giant Wates, one of the UK’s

When Steel Window Association member, Cotswold Casements, (www.cotswold-casements.co.uk) was approached to look at a tender for a brand-new housing estate in Oxfordshire, the scale of the project was immediately apparent – over 1000 steel windows! The Station Road Development at Bletchingdon, comprising 61 properties with architecture commissioned by the Duchy of Cornwall, is a collection of exceptionally charming homes in a rural s

IKON Aluminium Systems, part of the Allumette group of companies, is pleased to announce the promotion of operations manager, Kim Ellis to the role of general manager.

Kim joined the business five years ago and, in that time, has gained valuable insight working in a number of roles, giving her a unique perspective on procurement, planning, production, quality control and the commercial aspects of this fast-moving manufacture

Trade and retail fabricator Bedfordshire Windows has just invested in a new TT405 Double Mitre Saw from machinery experts, Haffner Murat.

Tom Pitts, Director at Bedfordshire Windows, said: “We saw a dramatic uplift in sales following the first lockdown and we needed to upscale our production fast. Automation gives us the ability to do this quickly and easily. The TT405 Double Mitre Saw automates profile cutting and gives

Yale is urging fabricators and installers to ensure they are ready for the new UKCA mark, which is replacing CE marking for products sold in Great Britain. This includes products such as fire-resistant and emergency locks, panic exit devices and door closers.

The UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) marking is the new product marking system that will be used for goods being placed on the market in Great Britain. It covers most goods

Trade aluminium fabricator Fentrade has recently manufactured 13 sets of single and double entrance doors for the refurbishment of the University of Bath’s main campus.

The project’s main contractor was Bray & Slaughter and the window contractor was Fentrade customer EWS Façade. Chris Reeks, Director of Fentrade, said: “We were delighted to be asked to manufacture the doors for this high-profile project and it was great to w

Jonathan Crohill has joined the expanding Garnalex technical team as a Sheerline Project Manager. Jon will be responsible for overseeing and delivering further innovative Sheerline products, expanding on the current window and door range.

With 25 years’ experience in the industry Jon brings with him a wealth of knowledge, grounded in practical experience. He started his career aged 17 on the shop floor fabricating conservato

Following the purchase of its new 2-acre warm edge production site in Wigan, Thermoseal Group has invested significant additional funds in the extensive reconstruction of the building to accommodate a raft of new equipment to further automate and increase its Thermobar and Thermoflex Warm Edge Spacer production capacity.

The new site on Challenge Way, Martland Park in Wigan, which is a stones-throw from Thermoseal Group’s ot

Dekko, UK glazing’s premier high-end product supplier, has expanded its manufacturing capacity with a new aluminium factory.

The 25,000 square foot facility, located close by the fabricator’s main base in Greater Manchester, will allow Dekko to significantly ramp up production of its celebrated Räum range.

First launched five years ago, Räum bifolds, patio doors, windows and entrance doors offer sleek sightlines, smoo

Sales to builders by Britain’s builders’ merchants surged in September, with sales up 8.3% compared with September 2019, according to the latest Builders Merchants Building Index (BMBI) report.

Q3 2020 sales also increased compared to the same period last year (+1%) and were significantly up on Q2 2020 (+63.2%) when many merchants were closed. Kitchens & Bathrooms saw the strongest quarter-on-quarter recovery (+131%), but Q3

Senior Architectural Systems is inviting specifiers to get in touch to discuss how aluminium window systems can help create healthier interiors that can limit the spread of coronavirus through improved natural ventilation.

Along with daylighting, the benefits of ensuring an adequate supply of fresh air to boost both the physical and mental wellbeing of occupants has long been recognised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE

Abcell is encouraging installers to think differently to combat current lead time issues on PVCu products. With WarmCore and AluK windows and doors available from Abcell in just 3-4 weeks, this is the perfect time to push the many benefits of aluminium to homeowners.

When it comes to the retail market, aluminium windows and doors have traditionally been thought of as the more expensive option. However, the rising popularity o

Following UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement of £350 million in funding to help cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in industry, construction and transport, Yorkshire based windows and doors manufacturer Euramax explains how modular construction could help the country build back greener, as well as better.

The funding, part of the “Build Back Better” campaign, is designed to help combat CO2 emissi

A trusted German partner for KÖMMERLING, Kaspari GmbH, recently completed a renovation for Middle School Vulkaneifel in the Ulmen community, Eifel region using the PremiSlide and System 76 tilt and turn product platforms.

Kaspari installed 105 PremiSlide sliding windows in the classrooms, due to the fact that the opening sashes slide horizontally and don’t intrude into the limited space inside these teaching rooms. A further