Designers of a premium retirement living complex sought a novel sliding door solution and found exactly what they needed with an Alspec custom aluminium extrusion. By housing flyscreen doors and glazed sliding doors within a single extruded aluminium frame, a successful combination was created which will be used for this and future buildings.

The unique solution was created for a new addition to Anglicare’s Woolooware Shores Retirement Village at Taren Point. The building is the first part of a three-stage expansion of the site, and includes 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 made up of one, two and three bedroom residences.

To provide secure and protected access to balconies and courtyards, Alspec’s custom aluminium extrusion abilities came to the fore, creating the new sliding door and flyscreen combination. 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.

Across the project Alspec windows and doors were chosen not just for their versatility, but because of the site’s proximity to the ocean and impacts from the elements. Being located on the coast, the first requirement is for key building components 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.

The second requirement is to have good weather performance, and each of the Alspec products selected incorporate unique features to address this. 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.

Project Name: Anglicare Woolooware Shores
Project Address: 25 Bay Road, Taren Point, NSW
Architect: Jackson Teece
Builder: Growthbuilt
Fabricator: Aus Windows
Finish: Charcoal Pearl 900-88394
Photography: Tom Ferguson Photography

Alspec Products Used:
McArthur Evo 101.6mm Centre Pocket Framing
Hawkesbury® Commercial Multi-Fold Door
ProGlide® High Performance Sliding Door
Awning and Casement Window