Shortly after the Lumi window was launched , the judges of the 2015 G Awards remarked that ‘ it truly reinvents the window ’ when they bestowed the Product of the Year award upon it . Highly distinguishable by its ‘ frameless ’ external appearance that allows edge-to-edge glazing , Lumi did indeed take a highly individual approach , which also included a sub-frame manufactured in pultruded glass reinforced plastic ( GRP ) and triple glazing as standard . All in pursuit of distinctive aesthetics and also Passivhaus performance standards , in principle if not formally . The window drew admirers , especially from architects and homeowners seeking the highest levels of performance and appearance and was praised for the quality of its manufacture , performance but above all , its appearance .

Seven years on the Lumi window has undergone two further , quite distinct iterations , though in the material with which it is manufactured , but not its appearance which has remained unchanged . Lumi 2 was launched using a sash produced in PVC-U and retaining the GRP outer , but only in double glazed form , designed specifically to satisfy demand within the replacement / home improvement sector . With the arguably over-engineered original Lumi presenting too many obstacles for the average installer to handle and average homeowner to afford , the new version was as easy to transport and install as any other replacement window , with competitive pricing though more in line with emerging residential aluminium systems than PVC-U . Its appearance still says more ‘ Grand Designs ’ than ‘ DIY SOS ’ however , enough to attract more than twenty times the volume of sales compared to the original window .

Now there is Lumi Aluminium . Sold alongside the PVC-U / GRP version , the new Lumi has a frame manufactured predominantly in aluminium though with PVC-U ‘ isolators ’ providing a bridge between the inner and outer aluminium sections , which are filled with PU foam to provide further insulation and structural rigidity . However , to the outside world , quite literally , the element that has always provided Lumi with its primary selling point – its edge-to-edge glazed aesthetics – remains the same . And yet , says the creator of Lumi , sales of Lumi Aluminium have surged even ahead of its PVC-U sibling .

“ Externally Lumi Aluminium looks the same as the original triple glazed GRP framed version ,” says Asa McGillan . “ And yet , especially amongst architects , Lumi Aluminium has found acceptability where the PVC-U version was spurned . I even had one high-end builder who said he wouldn ’ t fit ‘ Tupperware ’ windows as he called them , now saying he will fit Lumi Aluminium in future developments . That is a bit extreme perhaps , but we lost sales of the original and certainly the PVC-U / GRP replacement Lumi simply because it wasn ’ t aluminium .” Or rather , because it was ‘ plastic ’.”

The decision to offer the Lumi window in aluminium alongside the ‘ replacement ’ version was not based upon such overt ‘ material discrimination ’ however , but rather more due to the boom in aluminium window sales that shows no sign of diminishing : “ We took the decision to lay down tooling for Lumi Aluminium based upon the broader demand for aluminium but also , because Lumi sliding doors have always been aluminium framed and homeowners have asked for a matching product , even if the PVC-U Lumi window looked the same . When you ’ re pushing against an open door it ’ s easier to make a decision ,” explains Asa .

Performance is impressive enough , with 1.1 W / m ² K for the triple glazed option that has been reinstated for Lumi Aluminium , and 1.4 W / m ² K for the ‘ standard ’ double glazed version . Lumi Aluminium also improves the company ’ s sustainability credentials which the company has been working on in recent years , and offers a relatively stable supply chain , though the superstitious amongst us might see that

as the kiss of death in a highly volatile procurement climate .

Lumi 2 continues as the brand ’ s primary home improvement offer . But Lumi Aluminium bridges the worlds of professional specifier and discerning homeowner alike : it will not lose any selections amongst those who believe they will be damned for writing a specification that includes any sort of plastic , however misaligned such notions might be . And homeowners that wish to match their splendid aluminium sliding doors in terms of materials as well as style , will also be well served .

Lumi aluminium is available from launch with black or anthracite external finishes , with a range of RAL colour options internally . A range of matching Lumi sliding and entrance doors in aluminium are already available .

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