The Konayuki is a new luxury resort development in the heart of Australia’s Snowy Mountains where guests can have a great and welcoming experience throughout the year. Thanks to the installation of the high performance thermally broken window and door products from Alspec’s ThermAFrame range, occupants of the Konayuki apartments will be well-protected from both summer and winter weather extremes.
Located in the Falls Creek alpine village, the Konayuki retreat features the ThermAFrame centre pocket framing suite, hinged doors and awning windows. The ThermAFrame system has been designed and developed using the Polyamide Thermal Break technology. A ‘thermal break’ results from adding a different element to the aluminium frame during construction. Since aluminium is a good conductor of heat and cold, a product with less conductive properties inserted between the aluminium’s inside and outside sections will cause a ‘break’ in the window frame, reducing the ability for heat or cold to transfer between the two areas.
In Alspec’s ThermAFrame products, the break is constructed from polyamide, a synthetic nylon material reinforced with fibreglass. Thermal break framing technology has been used in aluminium products in Europe for more than 30 years as it maximises the insulation of a property, provides a stable, comfortable environment and ultimately delivers significant energy savings.
For the Konayuki apartments, the ThermAFrame centre pocket framing suite was a key component of the build. Available in two depths, 101.6mm and 150mm x 60mm, the centre pocket framing can accommodate glass thickness up to 32mm thanks to the wide glazing pocket. The addition of ThermAFrame sub framing ensures appropriate support when heavy double glazed frames are used. Depending on the glazing options chosen, the ThermAFrame system can see windows achieve U-values (rate of heat flow) as low as 1.7, indicating superior insulation performance. In buildings where the 150mm system is utilised, the heavy duty mullions can also offer the capacity to span openings of more than 4.5m.
Similar to all ALSPEC systems, the ThermAFrame centre pocket framing integrates effortlessly with other products such as the ThermAFrame 50mm commercial door. Featuring heavy duty aluminium hinges, a stronger sash and the double-strut thermal break, the ThermAFrame commercial door is well equipped to handle the demands of the busy ski resort environment. With top and bottom seals for enhanced weather performance, the commercial door can be installed in hinged, pivot or sliding configurations as required. The commercial door can be fitted with glass of up to 32mm thickness to deliver enhanced thermal and acoustic performance.
The ski resort also features ThermAFrame awning windows wherever openable windows were required. ThermAFrame windows feature a 56mm sash and double-strut thermal break; can accommodate glass thicknesses up to 32mm; incorporate overlapping internal and external seals to optimise weather performance; can be installed with sashes with either manual or electric chainwinders or cam handles (locking or non-locking); and are also available in casement style to be easily adapted to integrate insect and security screens from the inside of the building.
Alspec’s ThermAFrame door and window systems combine their versatility and comprehensive insulation properties to ensure year-round comfort for all the residents at the Konayuki apartments.
