Creating Lifestyles

Sunplan Systems was recently approached by a luxury house developer to assist them with the provision of two sliding folding glazed aluminium screens for their latest development overlooking Poole’s glorious Harbour. Innovative design, high quality and style were called for to compliment the architects’ free-flowing minimalistic design. The design brief was to provide a 7 metre curved screen for the first floor with a 4.5 metre straight screen for the second floor to fully maximise the magnificent panoramic views.

Aluminium systems available were either 50mm or 70 mm thick, thermally broken to provide high energy saving thermal qualities. The systems were robustly constructed and fitted with toughened double glazed low ‘E’ units in compliance with the latest building regulation requirements. The panels lock into position by aluminium shoot bolts covered with polyamide coated end caps to prevent metal-to-metal contact, operating against the top and bottom tracks.

The system is locked with a single handle activating full cylinder and half cylinder locks, all fully compliant with British Insurance regulations. Being in such an exposed coastal position the system also had to provide weather rating protection and be able to cope with sand and salt particles, for which a ‘Marine’ polyester powder coated finish was chosen. Few manufacturers can supply a faceted screen that will provide a weather rating suitable for the exposed position of the property. The Architects’ requirements for the faceted screen was for a continuous floor level between the living space and the balcony, this was achieved with the use of a flush track. The upper level straight screen required an alternative design solution to cope with different levels between the living area and the balcony, for this the use of the ‘stepped’ aluminium bottom track was proposed. With all of the above in mind the HSW50 system for the curved screen and SL50 for the straight screen with its matching profiles were recommended.

The curved HSW50 incorporated panels moving in pairs, stacking at either end of the system and therefore fully flexible with the additional benefit of allowing the client access to the balcony by way of pass doors’ at either end of the system that could be used while the remaining panels were securely locked into place. Each panel could also be locked in any partly open position by activating the shoot bolts.

The straight SL50 system operates in a similar way, though all 5 panels slide effortlessly in one direction, moving together, stacking at one end. For both systems, it was advised that the panels open to the outside, enabling the client to maximise the living space inside the room and to allow the window to be dressed with curtains and blinds accordingly. Once either system is fully opened, the panels are stacked neatly at either end of the system and the room is opened out providing one open area, bringing the outside in.

Developer Geoff James stated that "the use of the sliding folding doors certainly introduced the ‘wow’ factor to this stunning development".