Fabricator Focus
The man behind the system
The designer behind OMNIA , the window system that will ‘ set the standard for windows over the next 10 years ’, has revealed it was customer feedback that drove him to create the revolutionary new system .
Phil Gregory , Design and Development Manager for VEKA plc , began visualising the system that would later become OMNIA when a customer challenged the finished look of her new windows .
“ This particular customer had purchased flush-fitting windows , but as we all know , existing systems in the UK are only flush on the outside ,” Phil said . “ She told me she didn ’ t buy the windows for her neighbours , but for herself – so why weren ’ t they flush inside ? The conversation stuck with me and was the inspiration behind OMNIA – it was our starting point .”
What followed was a three-year-long period of research and development which would result in the UK ’ s first double-rebated , double-flush system , which offers a complete suite of design opportunities for casement windows , tilt and turn windows , residential and French doors using just nine different profiles . OMNIA also looks set to transform fabrication by offering the highest levels of technical performance , with a hidden co-extruded gasket system that is automatically mated with the extrusions during manufacture , meaning no more time-consuming fitting by hand .
Here , Phil talks through his backstory and that of OMNIA , the processes he and his team went through to create such game-changing technology and shares the response from the industry so far .
A natural designer
Phil began his career in a window and door fabrication business at the age of 16 . He then spent 12 years working for several PVCu fabricators in a variety of roles before joining a large composite door manufacturer , initially working within production , then progressing into a technical role .
Joining VEKA in 2013 , his first position was as a Technical Support Officer providing technical support to internal and external customers and partners . Between dealing with enquiries , he was responsible for authoring and maintaining VEKA plc technical manuals and documents . However , product design was calling , appealing to Phil ’ s natural appreciation for aesthetic and function . It wasn ’ t long before he started to become more involved in the development of VEKA products - earning a role as Design Engineer , and eventually progressing to Design & Development Manager .
“ I ’ ve always been appreciative of good design – not only in function but
form also ,” he said . “ One detail of PVCu windows that I always found puzzling is how many aspects don ’ t line through – particularly sight lines on glazing – so I ’ d often be found looking at the dimensions of systems to see if you could produce them in new ways to improve this .
“ I ’ m also really interested in modular design capability ; products that work together seamlessly in different ways to create new opportunities and outcomes , which is something that influenced me throughout the development of OMNIA .”
Belief in the concept
Following that influential customer interaction , Phil pulled together a small team of experts to come up with a new solution – one which would not only provide the industry with a double-flush system , but one which also eased the challenges of fabricators .
“ We initially began looking at the next evolution of our systems in 2019 , building a brief for what this solution could be ,”
56 JUNE 2024 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM