The second in a series of Windows and Façade Technical conferences was held in Qatar recently, where Reynaers Aluminium teamed up with leading names in the industry to promote systems that enhance safety and energy efficiency and reduce the environmental impact.

The first conference was held in March in Dubai, UAE, while the second, entitled Windows and Façade Technical Conference, took place in Doha, Qatar, in late October.

The ongoing series of conferences is held in collaboration with Tremco illbruck, a provider of high-performance sealing, bonding, flooring, waterproofing, and passive fire protection; Guardian Industries, a US-headquartered industrial manufacturer of glass, automotive and building products; and Alpolic, a US-headquartered leader in aluminium composite materials (ACM). 

“The idea is to exchange cross-industry knowledge and determine how the various specialists can synergise to offer improved product lines,” said Ali Khalaf, managing director of Reynaers Middle East, the regional office of the Belgium-based aluminium systems provider.

With the focus being on safety, security and sustainability these days, Reynaers is committed to providing systems with the highest safety standards and energy-efficient characteristics, he added. 

At the conference, Sara De Herdt, product manager Safety and Security Systems at Reynaers Aluminium, shed light on the company’s latest innovative, sustainable and fire-rated technologies and products, pointing out that it is a partner in design, innovation and safety solutions.

“When developing new or improved solutions, we always focus on four drivers – sustainability, safety, comfort and design – that we believe enhance the living or work environment,” she said.

De Herdt ... addressing the conference.

Sustainability for Reynaers translates into energy-efficient products, providing excellent thermal insulation. To further enhance the sustainability of buildings, the company offers sun shades and solar panel solutions. When it comes to safety, Reynaers products meet or exceed the highest standards in burglar prevention, fire and smoke safety, seismic resistance and bullet-proof solutions. To ensure comfort, Reynaers’ products support the best possible interior climate, providing water- and air-tightness. They are also sound-proof and allow maximum daylight to enter. Another aspect is seamless integration with home automation systems, she explained.

“We are devoted to aesthetic design and strive to enable the latest architectural trends. Our solutions harmonise aesthetics with technology, quality, comfort and so on,” De Herdt remarked.

“Our high-end solutions can be found in all kinds of projects in Qatar and all over the Middle East; airports, residential buildings, hospitals, hotels, museums, sport facilities and so on, all benefit from our unique offer,” she added.

Reynaers systems have been supplied for the Aspire Tower, Qatar National Convention Centre, Al Jasra Twin Tower, and Al Alawi Tower. Some of its ongoing projects include Viva Bahria Towers 12, 13, 14 and 15, where CW 50, CW 50 SC, and OS wall systems will be installed; and the upcoming Majlis Grand Mercure, where the CW 50 has been specified.

De Herdt says sustainability is integrated in its everyday CSR model. At its headquarters in Duffel, Belgium, the roof of the warehouses is covered with 16,000 sq m of photovoltaic panels, meeting over 80 per cent of the electricity needs. Reynaers has one of the largest private test centres in Europe, for certification, technical approval, and quality assurance. 

She said the company is actively working towards achieving international and local labels focusing on environmental impact and low-energy building, such as Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Turning to its fire protection systems, she said in the event of a fire, Reynaers systems provide escape and entrance routes; and prevent the spread of fire by compartmentalisation for up to 90 minutes.

Reynaers offers a wide range of standard and bespoke solutions in this area certified according to EN 13501-2 and fire tested at different European labs. These include the CS 77-FP range as a standard solution, EI 90 as a project solution, and SL 38-FP for doors, windows and partitioning walls.

The CS 77-FP offers architectural freedom with large glass surfaces up to 5.8 sq m. Among the projects where the CS 77-FP has been employed is the 68-storey, 273-room Four Seasons hotel in Bahrain where Reynaers provided a bespoke solution based on CW 86-EF and CW 50-SC, CP 96 and CS 77-FP.

Another product that provides fire safety is the CW 50-FP, which offers architectural freedom, large floor-to-floor spans and glass surfaces up to 5.3 sq m.

Reynaers was founded in 1965 in Duffel, Belgium, to design, and provide fabricators with solutions for energy-efficient high-quality aluminium windows, doors, curtain-walling and sliding systems. Over the past 10 years, Reynaers has grown by more than 200 per cent and last year realised a turnover of €360 million ($386 million).