A custom aluminium extrusion solution from Alspec met the unique sliding door requirement at the Anglicare Woolooware Shores retirement village in Taren Point, NSW.

Designed by Jackson Teece Architects and built by Growthbuilt, the project involved the addition of a new building to the premium retirement living complex. The designers sought a novel sliding door solution and found exactly what they needed with a custom aluminium extrusion from Alspec. The successful combination created by housing flyscreen doors and glazed sliding doors within a single extruded aluminium frame will be used for all future buildings at the retirement facility.

The new building at Anglicare’s Woolooware Shores Retirement Village is the first part of a three-stage expansion of the site, and includes 42 seniors living apartments and 48 residential aged care facility beds. The remaining two stages will deliver another five buildings and an additional 140 self-contained apartments in one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations.

The new sliding door and flyscreen combination was required to provide secure and protected access to balconies and courtyards at the new building. Alspec’s custom aluminium extrusion is a cost-effective way to create complex cross-sections to suit specific uses, which are then easily assembled with other building components. In this case, the flyscreen framing was incorporated into a single frame directly alongside the ProGlide High Performance sliding door, removing the need for the usual ‘add-on’ section to guide the screen.

As a further enhancement appropriate for the retirement and aged care environment, the ProGlide sliding doors were also selected with the flush sill option, allowing a smooth transition from indoor to outdoor spaces to assist residents of all mobility levels.

Additionally, Alspec windows and doors were chosen for installation across the project, not just for their versatility, but also because of the site’s proximity to the ocean and impacts from the elements. The coastal location meant all key building components needed to have excellent weathering and corrosion resistant properties. Alspec’s aluminium frames are made from architectural grade aluminium, delivering high corrosion resistance and exceptional strength.

All the Alspec products selected for the project offer good weather performance. The McArthur Evo centre pocket framing includes self-draining sub-sills, which prevent water penetration while the 50mm awning windows use the overlapping external and internal seals to deliver weatherproof openings. The ProGlide sliding doors have sill sections with drop-in tracks that prevent water ingress and the Hawkesbury commercial multi-fold doors include Weatherseal technology to keep out wind and rain, as well as make them airtight.

Alspec products used in the Anglicare Woolooware Shores project included McArthur Evo 101.6mm centre pocket framing; Hawkesbury commercial multi-fold doors; ProGlide High Performance sliding doors; awning and casement windows; and Swan Evo 45mm commercial shopfront doors.

Photography: Tom Ferguson Photography