Structural Elements 7 8 9
including safeguards against rot and fungal attack. Increasing these lifetime values means that developers can significantly reduce ‘whole life’ costs for housing associations and landlords by minimising maintenance and retrofitting expenditure during a property’s lifetime. A new study by Dr Gillian Menzies of the
Institute for Building and Urban Design, Heriot Wyatt University, Edinburgh, shows that in buildings with mild to severe exposure wood windows manufactured to Wood Window Alliance standards have an expected service life of 56-65 years. A long-term approach to property develop-
ment has added benefits when hitting targets for sustainable developments. The Lifetime Homes requirements, which counts towards Code for Sustainable Homes level achievement, provides a
model for building accessible and adaptable homes that support the demands of a household through life. From raising small children to coping with illness or dealing with reduced mobility later in life, the choice of windows and doors can be fundamental in ensuring people’s lives are easier to manage. Low thresholds on doorways are a good example of this adaptation – ensuring that properties are easily accessible by parents with pushchairs or wheelchair users. Focusing on sustainability doesn’t mean that
developers need to compromise on design or aesthetic appeal. Another advantage of timber windows is that they can be machined to match specific architectural styles, meeting design aspi- rations and providing attractive homes for tenants to move into. There has also been a notable increase in the rise of aluminium clad
windows, which marry the natural benefits of timber with the weathering advantage of alu- minium. As aluminium clad windows are also available in a range of colours, developers can provide windows with both extremely low main- tenance costs and an attractive finish, which makes them appealing to both housing associa- tions and tenants alike. Properties that appeal to tenants, keep costs
low for housing associations and meet all of the government requirements, are the holy grail for builders and manufacturers. The latest, pioneer- ing developments in timber window and door manufacturing are ultimately paving the way to providing these appealing, life-long homes with a sustainable future.
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