Green victory for pvcu
Its walls are made of hemp and lime, it has passive solar gain heating and rainwater harvesting, and its owners are committed environmentalists – but their new eco-house has pvcu windows throughout.
These windows, along with extensive bi-folds, were supplied by Cornish Network Veka fabricator Wunderplas, whose MD David Vine said it all began when the family visited the St Austell showroom to ask about bi-fold doors: “We talked about the plan as a whole and I soon realised what a fascinating project it was, but they had reservations about pvcu window frames.
“In the end, after extensive study, they chose pvcu for their windows and balcony doors and had to present their findings and seek special permission from planners to use the material instead of wood – which was then granted.
“Pvcu is completely recycleable, its windows have zero air permeability and its manufacture has a much lower carbon footprint than aluminium.”
The three-storey house, high above the sea on Cornwall’s Roseland Peninsula, has frames in Veka’s Anthracite foil on the top floor and a bespoke mid grey foil below, all based on Veka Matrix 58 profile.
Its appearance blends into the local built environment with a facing of reclaimed waste granite on the side visible from the road.
