An Alspec custom aluminium extrusion for a sliding door met the exact needs of the designers of a premium retirement living complex in Taren Point, NSW.
Designed by Jackson Teece, the building was a new addition to Anglicare’s Woolooware Shores Retirement Village, being the first part of a three-stage expansion project at the site. While the first stage will accommodate 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 designers sought a novel solution that housed flyscreen doors and glazed sliding doors within a single extruded aluminium frame. Utilising their custom aluminium extrusion expertise, Alspec created the new sliding door and flyscreen combination to provide secure and protected access to balconies and courtyards.
A custom 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 areas to assist residents of all mobility levels.
Alspec’s custom extrusion solution will now be used for all future buildings.
Additionally, Alspec windows and doors were chosen across the project, not just for their versatility, but also due to the site’s proximity to the ocean and exposure to the elements. The coastal location of the retirement village meant that key building components needed to have good weathering and corrosion-resistant properties. Alspec’s aluminium frames are made from architectural grade aluminium, which is highly corrosion resistant and exceptionally strong, making them perfect for this project.
Excellent weather performance was another requirement, which was addressed by the selection of Alspec products. The McArthur Evo centre pocket framing includes self-draining subsills, which prevent water penetration while the 50mm awning windows take advantage of overlapping external and internal seals to deliver weatherproof openings. The ProGlide sliding doors have sill sections with drop-in tracks, which prevent water ingress and the Hawkesbury commercial multi-fold doors include Weatherseal technology to keep out wind and rain, and make them airtight.
Alspec products used in the project included McArthur Evo 101.6mm centre pocket framing, Hawkesbury commercial multi-fold doors, ProGlide High Performance sliding doors, and awning and casement windows, all in Charcoal Pearl finish.
Think the perfect window or door solution for your building project doesn’t exist? Time to consult Alspec’s custom aluminium extrusion team.
Photography: Tom Ferguson Photography
