Innovation, Quality and Sustainability: Building the Future of Social Housing Through Better Doors and Windows
Samantha Alleyne
Samantha Alleyne, Head of Business Development at Anglian Building Products, discusses how the holy triumvirate of innovation, quality and sustainability are a must for every part of the social housing ecosystem.
I’ ve been talking a lot recently about the necessity of a strong door and window strategy, meaning landlords can lock in quickly to all the benefits this offers including damp, mould and overheating solutions, decarbonisation, fire and resident safety. Doors and windows have quietly but firmly become a foundational pillar of modern housing management. Now no longer viewed as just something to repair, something to replace, something to budget for every thirty years, they’ ve moved from the edge of strategic thinking to the centre of it. Few interventions touch as many organisational objectives simultaneously. They influence multiple outcomes simultaneously, acting as both enablers and indicators of overall performance. As such, they demand a level of attention and integration that goes far beyond their traditional role.
The implication is clear: landlords who continue to treat these assets as peripheral will struggle to meet the demands of the future. Those who embrace a comprehensive, forward-looking strategy, however, will be better positioned to navigate complexity, reduce risk, and deliver meaningful improvements across their housing stock.
It may feel like a big move away from the traditional role played by doors and windows and understandably, I’ ve been asked how ABP can deliver these holistic strategies. The answer is, we can only do it through the mindset and delivery of three interconnected pillars: innovation, quality and sustainability in everything we do, everywhere.
Innovation isn’ t about finding the next universal solution
I believe genuine innovation is about having a broad toolkit and having the experience and expertise to know when to use each tool. For example, at clients’ request, Anglian are investing back into Solar delivery largely due to its complementary nature to window installation.
As Head of Business Development, my role of course, demands I explore emerging markets.
I believe we can secure better outcomes for residents by combining window, door and solar workstreams specifically, utilising existing infrastructure, depots, RLOs, social value and contract delivery teams. We can reduce disruption, reduce energy costs, lower project costs due to shared prelims and access and prevent appointment fatigue by residents. This to me, is true innovation.
Of course there is no silver bullet. The reality is there is no single solution that solves decarbonisation, ventilation, damp and mould, affordability alongside compliance requirements and resident satisfaction simultaneously, although of course ABP continues to invest in new innovations( Zero. 8, Auto fire doors, dashboards, window data chips, apps).
Innovation is not simply about introducing new technology. It is about creating practical solutions that improve outcomes for landlords, contractors and residents alike.
Perhaps the future of asset management is not standardisation versus innovation. Perhaps it is intelligent specification, brave collaboration and the procurement of outcomes vs products and services.
Quality: The Foundation of Long-Term Value
Our approach collectively as to how we define quality represents a broader shift. No longer confined to minimum Decent Homes Standards, housing quality is increasingly understood in holistic terms: energy efficiency, safety, health, sustainability, and resident wellbeing are all interconnected.
The evolution of social housing demands a new way of thinking, one that moves beyond compliance and embraces integration, foresight, and resident-centred design. Within this paradigm, windows and doors are no longer secondary considerations. They are central to achieving the sector’ s most pressing goals.
While innovation attracts attention, quality remains the cornerstone of successful social housing investment. But without
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