Eurocell is a major company in the UK door and window sector. They provide a huge range of products best known for windows, doors, conservatories and roofline products.
For over 30 years Eurocell have been offering an excellent range of PVCu products in the market that have been successfully used in residential and commercial applications.
Eurocell helping improve architect’s perception of PVCu.
For contemporary homes, flats and apartments, architects continue to prefer aluminium over PVCu.
Eurocell recently held a Continual Professional Development Seminar, often referred to as a RIBA CPD. A CPD is designed to enhance the knowledge of professionals across a wide range of sectors beyond any of their standard training.
In the fenestration and construction sector, RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) is actively involved and the various companies in fenestration will also take part in these seminars to bring greater awareness of their products. It all helps ensure a programme of ongoing knowledge, learning and development.
At Eurocell’s seminar, the company reports that it provided an overview of PVCu focusing amongst other areas on energy efficiency, sustainability and its well known low maintenance properties.
PVCu doors and windows have been a dominant force in the residential market for many years already. You will also see some commercial work such as schools, small community centres and small works contracts also feature PVCu windows.
However architects have traditionally chosen aluminium windows, doors and curtain walling for the vast majority of their construction projects.
Do architects have a negative perception of PVCu?
Architects do not necessarily have a negative perception of PVCu windows and doors. Look at any development of new build houses and flats and very often these will feature pvcu windows. Granted, most major developers have in house architects and cost is a huge factor in new build homes hence the widespread use of PVCu windows.
However look also at most commercial contracts and higher end developments of flats and houses and aluminium will often be chosen over PVCu. So what could be the reasons for this?
Whilst PVCu products have their place and today offer a huge amount by way of design, security and thermal efficiency there are many areas where aluminium is regarded as superior.
Sight lines. PVCu Windows and doors generally have thicker frames and sight lines. Bifolding doors are an excellent example whereby some professional PVCu window installers prefer to install bifolding doors made of aluminium.
Sizes. Generally aluminium windows whilst being slimmer can be made wider and taller than their plastic counterparts.
Colour. PVCu is available in many colours but aluminium in many more. Not only do you have the full range of RAL, Syntha Pulvin, British Standards and even NCS colour ranges.
Suitablity. For specific installations such as Crittall replacement windows nothing can match the original metal windows like aluminium.
Added to this, you can also have windows and doors in polished aluminium, silver anodised aluminium, woodgrains, dual colours, textured and metallic shades. Therefore for colour choices aluminium can offer far more than PVCu.
Were the architects convinced with PVCu at the Eurocell CPD Seminar?
Below is a selection of comments that Eurocell published following their CPD seminar and it is good news that architects were educated and better informed as a result.
However, comments by Architects included “would now consider PVCu”, “on the right sort of projects” and “under the right circumstances”. Does this perceived non committal approach indicate that aside from the far better sustainability and environmental credentials PVCu has compared to the past, some architects remain to be convinced?
So what are the right circumstances and the right sorts of projects here architects may now consider PVCu? For the contemporary home, for large windows and doors and generally in keeping with most architect designed homes aluminium continues to dominate the market. It is great that architects are viewing all materials in a fair way but we don’t think there will be a seismic shift to PVCu by architects anytime soon.
You can view the comments on the Eurocell website about their recent CPD seminar.
Have your say.
If you are an architect working on residential and commercial contracts, what influences your decision whether to use aluminium or PVCu? What’s your present perception of PVCu and particularly when compared to aluminium? We would be interested to hear your views.
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