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Derbyshire-based Wheeldon Homes has become the latest housebuilder to specify the innovative new Modus window and door profile system from Eurocell.
Appropriately enough, Modus was specified on 47 properties in a Conservation Area of Middleton, near Wirksworth, a beautiful Derbyshire village in the same county as the Eurocell manufacturing and recycling facilities.
Wheeldon has a policy of employing local suppliers wherever possible, something exemplified by the Hopton Rise development.
Modus® is the UK’s first fully integrated window and door system, available with three stunning sash design options. The standard rebate, slim rebate and fully flush sash styles offer developers like Wheeldon Homes a much wider range of design aesthetics.
All 47 of the properties at Hopton Rise feature Modus windows with the flush sash option, in a White Ash woodgrain finish. This offers a genuine aesthetic alternative to timber windows, without creating an ongoing maintenance burden for homeowners.
50% of the Modus frames are made from post-consumer recycled PVC-U, from the dedicated Eurocell recycling facility in nearby Ilkeston. This material is made into the new Modus window profiles, at the Eurocell production plant in Alfreton. The fact that the windows are then subsequently fitted in properties in the local area helps Wheeldon Homes achieve an exceptionally low carbon footprint on this development – a total of just 53 miles travelled.
The post-consumer recycled material is concentrated in the central core of the profiles, where it is completely invisible in an installed window or door.
Complementing the low carbon footprint on these properties is the unique 75mm Modus® multi-chamber profile system that locks heat inside the properties to deliver optimum energy efficiency performance for the homebuyers. This innovative design is capable of achieving a U-value as low as 0.7 from a triple glazed window and 1.1 from standard double glazed units.
Being in a conservation area meant that planners had to agree on all external elements of the 47 properties, including the windows. The Modus flush sash was specified because the planning authority felt that the windows offered a genuine alternative to timber, which helped to retain the traditional aesthetic integrity of the village.
“The planners had a clear vision of creating traditional-looking limestone homes and of course the windows had to complement this,” said Louise Greenhoff, Quantity Surveyor at Wheeldon Homes. “Timber windows were considered, but we were conscious that these would leave homeowners with maintenance issues in the long-term.”
“As soon as we presented the Modus flush sash to the planners, they agreed that it was suitable for this development,” Louise continued. “The planners liked the fact that Modus retained traditional aesthetics that complemented other properties in the village.”
“The woodgrain finish was approved by the planners, as it works really well with the limestone exterior. The properties have managed to achieve a great balance between contemporary performance and traditional looks.”
Modus is available in nine solid and woodgrain effect colours. All standard colours are available with white internal finishes to create a light and airy living environment. A further range of 30 solid and woodgrain effect finishes are available, plus colour both sides. For a differentiated, premium look Eurocell offers the Modus Architectural range, which consists of three specially selected metallic options and a premier woodgrain finish.
As a fully integrated system, Modus allows the same profiles to be specified for up to nine different window and door types, from French windows to entrance doors, which helps house builders retain a coordinated aesthetic across a project.