What to look for when choosing windows and doors – the concept of socially responsible investment in construction
4 WELLINGTON PLACE, Leeds, United Kingdom. Systems used: MB-77HS, MB-86 Fold Line HD, MB-SR60N, MB-SR60N HI.
Windows and doors in a building are more than just links between the interior and the outside world. Beyond their aesthetic value, their functional performance and energy efficiency are far more important. This is especially true in the era of socially responsible construction, where the key criteria for selecting building materials and components are their insulation performance and environmental impact.
Careful selection of windows and doors in construction projects is also driven by applicable legal regulations. Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is the main objective of the proposed revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in the European Union (EPBD), which ultimately aims to standardize zero-emission construction over the coming years. These requirements oblige architects and investors to seek solutions that reduce a building’s energy consumption to a minimum. Choosing the best window and door systems plays an important role in these efforts.
First: energy efficiency
One of the most important issues to consider when selecting doors and windows is their energy efficiency. Although window openings account for an average of around 10% of a building’s surface area, heat loss through them during winter can reach as much as 45%. That is why thermal insulation is a key parameter of window systems. An example of a product with a low heat transfer coefficient (Uf > 0.83 W/(m2K)) is aluminium windows and doors in the MB-79N system.
– MB-79N is the most advanced cost-effective window and door system in Aluprof’s portfolio, introduced to meet increased thermal insulation requirements – explains Tomáš Buček, Project Business Manager at Aluprof System Czech s.r.o. – In addition to the economical MB-79N E version (with a single-component central gasket in windows) and the MB-79N ST version (with a two-component central gasket), the product is also available in the MB-79N SI variant with the best thermal insulation, featuring profiles equipped with insulating inserts and a two-component central gasket – he adds.
The Forge, London, United Kingdom. Systems used: MB-SE 120 SUM, MB-104 Passive.
High thermal insulation is one of the distinguishing features of Aluprof’s aluminium solutions. As one of the leading manufacturers of aluminium systems, the company continuously works on optimizing its solutions, supported, among other things, by its own Research and Innovation Centre. Excellent proof of this includes not only the innovative systems introduced in recent months, but also numerous certificates confirming the high performance of its products. One of them is the Passive House Institute certificate from PHI Darmstadt, which confirms the high thermal insulation of aluminium windows and doors in the MB-104 Passive system.
– This system, with its high thermal insulation performance, is intended for passive construction, where the key issue is not only reducing energy loss through window and door openings, but above all optimizing the use of solar energy in the building – explains Tomáš Buček.
An added value of aluminium windows and doors in the MB-104 Passive system is their excellent water and air tightness combined with high structural strength. The system is suitable for both residential and commercial construction. One of the projects in which aluminium windows and doors in the MB-104 Passive system were used is The Forge in London, where key importance was attached not only to the building’s energy efficiency, but also to reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Second: functionality
Windows and doors should also be functional and tailored to the individual requirements of both users and the project itself. Products based on Aluprof aluminium systems offer such a wide range of possibilities in this respect that the only limit is human imagination.
Vinařství Lahofer, Vinice, Czech Republic. Systems used: MB-78EI, MB-SR50N, MB-104 Passive.
Solutions that combine functionality with originality include aluminium windows in the MB-79N CASEMENT system and the MB-86 CASEMENT system. Their characteristic feature is outward opening while maintaining good thermal and acoustic insulation, as well as water and air tightness. Another undeniable advantage is the possibility of creating large-size structures, with sash weights of up to 180 kg.
– Both systems are designed for the fabrication of architectural exterior elements such as various types of fixed windows, outward-opening windows, vestibules, display windows and spatial structures, all of which are subject to high insulation requirements – emphasizes Tomáš Buček. – Both meet the requirements for energy saving and environmental protection, and the performance of windows made from MB-86 Casement system components even exceeds the requirements of the strictest applicable regulations and standards – he notes.
Third: innovation
The innovativeness of aluminium windows and doors in Aluprof systems is also reflected in unconventional solutions. Even the most demanding investor will find a solution in the range that meets their expectations.
This group of products certainly includes aluminium doors in the MB-86 FOLD LINE HD system. These aluminium folding doors are not only visually striking, but above all very convenient to use. Depending on the investor’s or user’s requirements, the doors can open inward or outward. It is also possible to create a structure with up to 8 leaves.
– The appeal of aluminium doors in the MB-86 FOLD LINE HD system is further enhanced by the availability of corner and panoramic solutions. Such doors work perfectly as a wide passage from a house to a terrace or as a connection between a café or restaurant and its outdoor area used seasonally – suggests Tomáš Buček.
Nowy Targ, Wrocław, Poland. Systems used: MB-78EI, MB-SR50N HI, MB-86 SI, MB-86 ST, MB-SR50N EFEKT, MB-SR50N EI.
Let’s build a better future!
Contemporary construction demands much more from windows and doors than simply ensuring the right energy performance or meeting functional needs. The impact of systems on a building’s energy efficiency, as well as the technologies used in their production, directly affects the natural environment. Considering that residential buildings in the EU are responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions, implementing the principles of sustainable construction becomes particularly important. Aluprof, as one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of aluminium systems, is fully aware of this and therefore continuously works on environmentally friendly solutions. One example is the use of recycled aluminium scrap in its products, which reached 65% in 2022. In addition, the company places key importance on social responsibility toward the natural environment.
– Our aluminium systems for windows, doors and façades hold Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) certificates. This independent, globally recognized certification is awarded on the basis of a product life cycle assessment (LCA), which should reduce the product’s negative impact on the natural environment – explains Tomáš Buček. – The innovative systems offered by our company respond to the needs of the construction market for ecological, lightweight and highly energy-efficient solutions – he adds.