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This month’s front cover features Monkfield Park School in Cambridge, which makes extensive use of the Domus range from Rationel Windows and Doors. The striking appearance of this school has been accentuated by the use of Rationel’s window façade system, with the windows and doors complementing the beauty of the wood used in the rest of the structure. The body of the windows and doors are made from 60% heartwood – the strongest part of the tree found at its centre – with 100% heartwood used on all external facing components. The decision to use Rationel was influenced by the clean lines of the products and the high quality of manufacture and performance in use. The specification included double entrance doors, side-hung and fixed light windows, and combined units with bespoke shapes showcasing Rationel’s manufacturing flexibility.The glazed screens to the gable end of the extended school building are a key design feature to allow natural light into the teaching areas. Each glazed gable has an extended canopy area adjacent to ensure that there is a covered area for children’s play and to provide shade on sunny days. Safety and energy glass has been used in the windows and doors to meet the requirements for Secure by Design and energy efficiency to reduce heat loss during winter months. where a longer maintenance cycle is desired.

This month's Housing Focus front cover features the Beddington Zero Energy Development – more popularly known as BedZED – which showcases windows and doors from Rationel. Located in Wallington, Surrey, BedZED is a mixed-use, carbon neutral development that incorporates innovative approaches to energy conservation and environmental sustainability. The architectural practice involved was Bill Dunster, and the developer was the Peabody Trust. The design includes the use of Rationel windows including fixed light, top and side guided units, along with double terrace doors - all critical components of the carbon neutral building. The timber used in the manufacture of the Domus range is taken exclusively from Northern European softwoods which bring with them high levels of dimensional stability, and resistance to rotting, warping and bowing. All timber sections are protected against rot and fungus prior to jointing. Factory-finished elements are stained or painted coverstory with two coats of water-based microporous highbuild paint in a variety of RAL colours, or translucent wood colour stains. Dwellings at BedZED are arranged in south facing terraces to maximise heat gain from the sun, known as passive solar gain. Each terrace is backed by northfacing offices where minimal solar gain reduces the tendency to overheat and the need for energysapping air conditioning. Through the innovative design and construction, heat from the sun and that generated by occupants and everyday activities such as cooking, is sufficient to heat BedZED dwellings to a comfortable temperature. The need for space heating, which accounts for a significant part of the energy demand in conventional buildings, is therefore dramatically reduced to about 10% of an average dwelling. Rationel has worked with Bill Dunster on other, similar schemes throughout the UK – further endorsing Rationel's environmental credentials.

Secured by Design status has been awarded to the windows and doors collection from Rationel. Both the Domus and Aldus window ranges have been given accreditation. Constructed from slow-grown softwood, Domus' arctic timber is resistant to weathering, rotting or warping. Aldus is similar to Domus but also has an aluminium cladding on the exterior in order to lengthen the maintenance cycle.

This product appeared in Building Products more than 12 months ago. Please contact Rationel Windows (UK) Ltd directly for further details.

Hall 9, Stand E48 With Part E regulations raising issues of noise transmission, Rationel's Aldus window range provides a potential solution. Constructed from timber, the range features an external cladding of aluminium. The fixing system makes use of synthetic clips which ensure the aluminium cladding is not in contact with timber.

This product appeared in Building Products more than 12 months ago. Please contact Rationel Windows (UK) Ltd directly for further details.

While the Domus range of windows and doors from Rationel Windows (UK) may have a timber finish, and the Aldus range is faced with aluminium, both can have an identical finished appearance. Constructed from timber, Aldus features an external cladding of aluminium. The robust fixing system makes use of synthetic clips which ensure the aluminium cladding is not in direct contact with the timber - allowing ventilation.

This product appeared in Building Products more than 12 months ago. Please contact Rationel Windows (UK) Ltd directly for further details.

Specified for high thermal insulation, windows and doors from Rationel?s Domus all timber range have been used for a private housing scheme at The Green, Wychwood Park, Crewe. The insulation qualities are provided by the 28mm double glazed sealed units which produce a rating of 1.1 M/m² K. This low figure, Rationel claims, is almost three times that of similar timber windows.

This product appeared in Building Products more than 12 months ago. Please contact Rationel Windows (UK) Ltd directly for further details.

Described by John Prescott as a blueprint for future developments, The award winning Abode development at New Hall Farm, Harlow, has incorporated the Domus range of all timber windows from Rationel. The availability of a full selection of RAL microporous paint colours for all the factory finished windows proved to be a key reason for the choice of the Domus range. Their appearance was required to combine with other specified finishes and textures used in the buildings in order to produce close visual similarities with the Essex barns found in the locality.

This product appeared in Building Products more than 12 months ago. Please contact Rationel Windows (UK) Ltd directly for further details.