More developers are placing balconies at the centre of future projects as lockdown has placed further emphasis on the need for homes that maximise space and daylight, according to window manufacturer REHAU.
Responding to this increase in demand for such design-led specification products, REHAU has unveiled a new Juliet balcony, SKYFORCE, to bolster its total solutions window portfolio.
Architect Alison Brooks publicly stated that housing should feature more balconies in the earlier stages of the pandemic this year . She claimed that everybody is paying more attention to the places where they can be outside without being on the street.
Russell Hand, Head of Product Management and Technical at REHAU Windows responded to this: “This year, balconies went from an often forgotten space to an integral part of modern living for millions of UK residents. While we were already developing the SKYFORCE Juliet balcony before lockdown, our rationale was further highlighted by people spending more time in their homes. Many studies have shown the impact of daylight on health and wellbeing and our product development is always centred around improving the lives of the people who use and live with our products.”
Inspired by Spanish and Italian designs, the balcony product is well-suited to luxury residential houses and apartments. Its unique design appears to be “frameless” letting the maximum amount of daylight into a space. With less components than any other Juliet balcony on the market, it is also quicker and easier to install so less time is spent on site.
Designed with developers and specifiers in mind, REHAU aims to offer a competitive Juliet balcony to a market where differentiation is important. Russell continues: “The housing market is competitive, particularly when it comes to high-end developments due to older, more traditional properties boasting so many exclusive features.
SKYFORCE is unique in its appearance and will make the houses and apartments its installed in, really stand out from the crowd.”
All the visible parts of SKYFORCE can be customised to suit an individual window colour, so it fits perfectly and discreetly into the clean lines of modern facades. Also, because it holds laminated glass, the occupant will always have maximum visibility of the outdoors.
With safety often being a concern relating to balconies, SKYFORCE also complies with the current building regulations for protection from falling, collision and impact. All the individual components are designed to work seamlessly together, accentuating the look of REHAU windows and doors as well as keeping the occupant safe.
