Sustainable construction, the role of windows and doors

In the field of sustainable construction, the role of windows and doors is fundamental.

The word sustainability pervades projects from structure to accessories, yet what does it mean?

We are talking about renewal of resources and their ability to transform themselves cyclically without affecting environmental balances.

Among the many building sectors, even the window and door frame one cannot fail to respond to the needs of the production market, which wants to save energy, environmental comfort, quality of materials, safety and aesthetics. The thermal insulation function is the focal element on which our work focuses as producers.

The choice of a recyclable material and the air and water tightness are at the center of our attention, in line with the demands of sustainable construction, in which the fixtures also play a significant role.

Meticulous highly efficient systems, profiles that are designed to allow an airtight seal and insulating and sound-absorbing glasses are the signs that distinguish our consistency with sustainable building lines.

Appropriate insulation guarantees significant energy savings, with considerable economical and environmental benefits. The installation of the fixtures also plays a very important role. They must be installed by trained staff, in order to be drafty and disperse heat.

It is therefore evident that doors and windows can also contribute to sustainable construction.

Origin of materials

The origin of materials is fundamental in the field of green construction. Recyclable natural feedstock represents the first step of the production cycle of sustainable windows.

Over time, we are all developing a greater sensitivity towards what we use.

The professional cannot escape a particular attention to the origin of the materials, just as it is necessary that he carefully evaluate all the manufacture and installation techniques.

But why bother about it? For now, let’s leave aside rules and laws, but let’s focus on the environmental impact and respect for ecosystems.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is the most important criterion for understanding whether they are sustainable or not.

It is not always easy to know it, especially when we talk about buying a window frame made with raw materials from distant countries.

Scholars working in the sector are involved in analyzing the LCA. They carry out very complex evaluations in which everything that concerns the products is taken into consideration, from the origin and extraction of the materials to the environmental impacts relating to manufacturing, packaging, transport, use and, finally, to disposal. If each phase is compliant with a green perspective, the good will deserve the labeling and certification mark of ecological products issued by regularly accredited bodies.

At this point, those who deal with windows and doors will be able to think about living comfort, determined by the perfection of the window and its correct installation.

Characteristics of materials

The characteristics of materials from which the various products that surround us are made are fundamental in identifying their sustainability. Their life cycle must consist of a series of phases with minimal impact for our planet and their use must be functional to energy saving, with considerable advantages also on your economy.

For this reason, when you dedicate yourself to the purchase of new windows, in addition to the origin of the materials, you’re better to pay attention to their energy efficiency. Not all of them are suitable for avoiding the passage of heat or cold. 

Clearly the help of an expert in the field is a great support. Capoferri Serramenti manufactures low transmittance windows, highly insulating both from a thermal and acoustic point of view.

We carefully select the materials, considering that they are the essential basis for environmental and domestic comfort.

More precisely, we analyze the individual characteristics:

• provenance;

• extraction;

• transport;

• physical characteristics;

• processing;

• resistance to time and corrosion;

• conductivity;

• emissions.

So, we prefer easily reusable materials. To this we add some particular characteristics such as the anti-corrosiveness which is typical of bronze, the low conductivity of steel, which is perfect for thermal break windows, or insulating properties of wood.

Therefore, knowledge and care of characteristics of materials determine the well-being of our environment as well as obvious savings.

Design of windows and doors

The design of windows and doors concerns exclusively the manufacturing company, which has the task of studying every single phase in order to fulfill all the necessary requirements. So, doing, the finished product that you will purchase is completely eco-sustainable.

Capoferri’s real challenge is to combine this work with the search for innovation and an excellent aesthetic result. So, we divide our tasks into several phases, which correspond to different fields of attention during design.

A clear communication with the customer is essential to create a window frame.

Therefore, those who turn to us for new windows or doors will find themselves subjected to a meticulous interview, which is useful for identifying their expectations, habits and needs.

What will we talk about together when choosing and before starting the design?

We will ask for information on:

• type of doors and windows that we must produce: function, type of ventilation and lighting and environment in which they will be placed.

• shape and dimensions, which are closely connected and related at the same time with the environmental and climatic context;

• position and orientation, factors that profoundly influence energy performance.

 Sometimes this is not enough. When the buildings are submitted to the Superintendency, we merge the current demand for energy efficiency and safety with each requirement and constraint imposed by the Fine Arts and we always obtain impeccable results.