Enhancing the indoor outdoor flow of your home

ARTICLE Ronnie Pocock,  PHOTOGRAPHY Fletcher Aluminium.

Windows are a fundamental and uniquely powerful design element of a home. They provide an intimate connection to the surrounding environment, allow light and warmth to stream in and control ventilation. They can also make a bold statement about your style and the way you live.
There are many different configuration and style options – awning, casement, vertical sliding, sashless, double hung, horizontal sliding, louvre, bifold, skylight, bay, raked and curved. The main factors to consider are a window’s location and function. Renovations can be challenging, because you are working with an existing type of home. If it’s a classic villa or a bungalow, there are distinct characteristics you may want to preserve, so a sympathetic approach is needed. Old state homes or houses built during the 50’s through to today tend to be more suited to changing styles and configurations.
When replacing windows you should consider what you want to achieve with the replacement. Do you want to improve ventilation? If so, opening sashes (a framed piece of glass) or louvres are good options. Do you want more light in your room? Increasing the size of the opening or adding another will achieve this. Do you plan to increase indoor outdoor flow? Changing the opening to fit a door is a possibility.
Awning windows are hinged at the top of the sash and appropriate for both modern and traditional houses. This suitability – combined with ease of use, style and functionality – is part of their appeal. Restrictor stays can be added to allow continuous ventilation and a degree of security.

Casement windows are hinged on the side of the sash. They are ideal for narrow openings and suit a location next to a sliding door. They are designed to maximise both the use of light and the flow of air in a streamlined, elegant manner.
Enhancing the indoor outdoor flow of your home, bifold windows fold easily and elegantly to maximise views and air flow. In some cases there are options for installing a foldback bifold window, which allows the panels to fold 180 degrees and lay flat against the exterior cladding for uninterrupted views and access.

Horizontal sliding windows allow for non-intrusive openings onto decks and walkways, encouraging indoor outdoor communication between guests, hosts and family members. Installed over kitchen sinks and bench tops, sliding windows reduce the risk of strain when you reach to open and close them.

Vertical options include double hung and sashless window systems. Vertical sliding windows can be locked into place for continuous airflow and additional security, whether open or close.
When fully open, the blades of louvre windows are close to horizontal. This means that they provide very little resistance to the entering air. In effect, you get twice as much ventilation as you would through a same sized sliding window or double hung window. Other benefits include that they don’t get in the way of passing traffic and can be left open in gentle rain. Their inside and outside surfaces can be cleaned from within the building (handy in multi-storey buildings).
Modern joinery and glass options offer such a wide choice of colour and design possibilities that even the simplest construction can be transformed into a stunning architectural statement that sets the tone for the overall house design. You can go for curved windows to capture panoramic views, choose raked windows to follow the roofline, or install a skylight to allow natural light to flood in. You could even highlight an under-floor wine cellar with a window built into the floor.
Some window frames come with a passive ventilation system, which is built in and hidden from view. Passive ventilation allows rooms to ventilate while windows are closed. It’s a cost-effective, secure, maintenance free way to control condensation on windows, and improve the quality of air within your home.

You might be interested in reading: Indoor outdoor flow.

This article by Ronnie Pocock featured in Issue 003 of Renovate Magazine. Renovate Magazine is an easy to use resource providing fresh inspiration and motivation at every turn of the page.

 

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*All information is believed to be true at time of publishing and is subject to change.