The Fenestration Australia Design Awards have once again come to a close, with 2014’s winners revealing the rise in customer awareness of windows doors finishing and skylights.

Aiming to showcase the best use of products in both residential and commercial construction, the awards encompass several divisions, including the Australian Windows Association (AWA), the Australian Institute of Surface Finishing (AISF), and the Skylight Industry Association (SIA).

Winners include G.James for the Abedian School of Architecture in QLD, which took out AISF’s Best Use of Anodising prize. Praised for the use of innovative techniques that overcame the anodising challenges presented by the complexity of construction and use of large frame elements, the project features window walls that provide light and visibility to the surrounding areas.

These, combined with the unique ‘wave’ shape, colour consistency and subtlety of the frame colour, make for a stunning effect.

In addition, SIA recognised Solatube for the Best Use of Skylights at a Lisbon Street office in Villawood, NSW.

“The playfulness of the Swiss cheese effect combined with thermally efficient daylighting devices to deliver natural light into a central atrium provides a technically good solution,” the jury noted.

The Ultimate Sashless Window from Jewel Windows took out the AWA Most Innovative Window System award. Offering unbroken views, the product also takes into consideration environmental concerns – natural cooling ventilation is achieved with the windows venting stale hot air through the top opening, and allowing fresh cooler air to enter via the bottom.

This prize is matched by Breezway’s Powerlouvre Aptivate Control Unit and Powerlouvre App, which won the AWA Most Innovative component Award. It is a touch sensor control unit that can thermally control a building based on temperature and time, with comfortable indoor conditions easily maintained by the unit’s automatic mode.

Image: Breezway.com.au

Image: Breezway.com.au

“Product usability promotes greater overall use of natural ventilation products, which could see a net result of lower use of air conditioning and significant decreases in electricity consumption,” the judges commented.

AWA’s Best Use of Windows & Doors – Residential award goes to Bradford Glass and Aluminium’s Pole House project in Fairhaven, VIC, which was honoured for its wide expanses of glass capturing 180 degree views despite its beachside location and height.

Exposure on all sides to the elements, including sea salt, heavy rain and wind speeds of up to 100kph, created a challenging environment for the project, but the brief was met and enhanced by the use of solid and reliable windows and doors that ensure longevity and structural integrity.

The Pole House by F2 Architecture. Image: Matt Lord. Source: AWS Australia

Full list of winners:

AISF Best Use of Anodising

G.James – Abedian School of Architecture, Robina QLD

AISF Best Use of Powdercoating

Commercial winner: Decorative Imaging – Wet Paint Restaurant, Bronte NSW

Commercial Highly Commended: Aluminium Industries – Medibank, Docklands VIC

Residential Highly Commended: Decorative Imaging, Mackay QLD

SIA Best Use of Skylights

Solatube – Lisbon Street, Villawood NSW

SIA Skylight Showroom of the Year

Small: Skydome Hunter Coast – Brunker Road, Broadmeadow NSW

Medium to large: – Solar Bright International – Progress Circuit, Prestons NSW

AWA Most Innovative Component

Breezway – Powerlouvre Aptivate Control Unit and Powerlouvre App

AWA Most Innovative Window System

Jewel Windows – UItimate Sashless Window

AWA Showroom of the Year

Small: Trend Windows & Doors – Cavendish, Coorparoo QLD

Medium to large: BetaView Aluminium Windows and Doors, Dale Street, Brookvale NSW

Highly Commended: ACME 1 – Woodward Road, Bendigo VIC

AWA Best Use of Windows & Doors (commercial renovation)

Evolution Window Systems, UWS Outreach Camp Lithgow NSW

Highly Commended: Southern Windows – Ulladulla Civic Centre, Nowra NSW

AWA Best Use of Windows & Doors (commercial new construction)

Up to $5 million: Hanlon Windows – Wellgate Avenue, Kellyville NSW

Over $5 million: Breezway – Iglu Student Accommodation, Chatswood NSW

Highly commended: Paarhammer – Nishi Complex, Canberra ACT

AWA Best Use of Windows & Doors (residential renovation)

Bradford Glass and Aluminium – Banool Road, Fairhaven VIC

AWA Best Use of Windows & Doors (residential new construction)

Up to $500,000: ACME1 – Koorook Lane, Bendigo VIC

Over $500,000: Paarhammer – Blairgowrie VIC

Geraldine Chua

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