System consistency: mixing and matching windows and doors

Architects often specify the same joinery throughout a home to ensure consistency of design. But if budget is a constraint, choosing the best joinery available and using it throughout the home can make doing this cost prohibitive, which often results in joinery being chosen from systems that are at the lower end of the price range to achieve consistency.

Fortunately, we have two joinery systems that solve this problem, allowing designers to specify from the premium system for the focal points of the home such as living and dining areas, and specify joinery from an almost identical, mid-range system in less demanding parts of a home.

“What we’ve found is that other joinery systems ranges on the market are different from each other, for example, one range will have flat and square facings, while the other will have scalloped facings,” Altus Window Systems’ Haydon Rogers says. “This lack of consistency makes it harder to use different systems on the same home as aesthetically it is visually noticeable and often means that you would use the premium version of the product only for a consistent look, which in turn makes it cost more.”

The two systems, the Atlantic48 High Performance system and Pacific Architectural, which are visually almost imperceptibly different have many common features, but differ markedly in price. This allows designers to keep costs down by easily interchanging the two.

You can have your cake and eat it too.

The Pacific Architectural systems is often specified for larger family homes. “It complements well-chosen materials, fixtures and fittings and can easily handle big units with vast glazing expanses,” Haydon says. Unit heights can be up to 2.8 metres high in this suite, and the minimum wind zone rating for any of the products in this range is extreme, which means it can be specified in almost any application.

With a flat and square front face, it is a contemporary, high quality systems. In contrast, the Atlantic48 High Performance system is generally specified for grand homes, Haydon says. “It suits edgy architecture, extreme locations, heavy weights and requirements of the highest quality.” The products in this range can reach up to 3.2 metres in height, and well exceeds extreme wind zone requirements. The flat and square front facings fit perfectly with those in the Pacific Architectural system.

Both these suites have seismic frame options, a hopper window option, identical sill details with a chevron track and can be paired together in the same area, for example by specifying Atlantic48 High Performance Sliding Doors with Pacific Architectural Awning Windows next to them, there will be no aesthetic inconsistencies.

This ability to use two systems, one at the higher end and one at a lower price point, is a new way for designers to ensure cost restraints can be made, without compromising on quality or visual aesthetics.