CHANGE

The speed with which architecture changes can be seen in more than just the stylistic developments which quickly follow one after the other. If you look at the architecture of the 1960s or 1980s, it is easy to see a world of difference from today. The fast pace of change can also be seen in the massive developments in terms of the comfort level of buildings. Here, as well, the space of a century brings countless changes, and often enormous innovations will take place over a decade. How long ago was it the norm to have single glazed windows? It took an oil crisis and an increase in the price of fossil fuels in the early 1970s before double glazing started to become popular. The gradual increase in popularity for triple glazing is an even more recent development. 

PERFORMANCE

Rising energy costs and a growing awareness of sustainability have contributed to greater attention being paid to a building’s energy performance. Energy performance standards, established and often made stricter by regulation, are indirectly an important driving force behind the increase in the comfort levels of buildings. Michel Van Put, product manager at Reynaers Aluminium, agrees that comfort often develops from technological innovations that focus on efficient energy use. ‘In thermal insulation, we have reached a limit for U-values at Passive house level, well under 1.0 W/m²k. The high insulation value of our systems is indeed a very important aspect, but it is also important to pay attention to ventilation, solar control, and airtight building connections. The combination of these aspects makes it possible to maintain a comfortable climate directly behind a large glass façade, regardless of it being freezing or too hot outside.’

ACCESS

It is still possible to achieve gains in terms of improving the air-tightness and water-tightness of windows, sliding windows, and doors. Comfort is associated, on the one hand, with a feeling of well-being and on the other hand with convenience. These two are combined in the innovations and improvements to the Reynaers system sills and thresholds, which meet the highest standards of air- and water-tightness even when the thresholds are very low. Van Put says, ‘Schools, hospitals, and public buildings, in particular, must meet high standards for easy accessibility. Reynaers makes sills and thresholds for various systems that meet the relevant European norms, which permit a maximum height of 18 millimeters. In specific systems, we have even achieved the stricter British norm, which dictates a maximum height of 7/16 inches. These low threshold solutions allow us to meet the requirements for easy accessibility in almost all circumstances and particularly in renovations where it is not always possible to adjust the substructure of the floor’.