Many times there is a dilemma when choosing the type of windows and doors for your home. The argument between aluminum and steel doors and windows has become a choice that architects have to grapple with in their day to day. In collaboration with Portella, a company that manufacturers high quality handcrafted custom steel doors and windows, we seek to make a case for steel windows and doors using some case studies of residential projects that Portella has recently undertaken.
There are many reasons to choose steel from durability and strength to availability in various areas around the world. Those are technical reasons that are very valid. However, from a design standpoint, here are 10 ways you can transform your living space using steel windows and doors;
1. Interconnect with inside and outside spaces
As architects continue to seek interconnections between nature and the projects they build, openings continue to act as strong manifestations of those dream. For this TarryTown residence, the interiors can be seen from the outside and vice versa creating a very strong integration between the pool and veranda with the interior spaces.
If you want to easily access your indoor and outdoor spaces, consider installing sliding door rollers that can complement your steel doors. Aside from being able to showcase the interior and exterior views of your property, this upgrade will make it very easy for you to get in or out of your house. This can also provide easy access for visitors who would want to stay indoors and still enjoy the breeze outdoors.
2. Merge with nature
Steel windows and doors in this project have been used to merge nature with the whole architectural composition. The windows and doors fall back in tandem with the vegetation to allow the brick cladding to stand out as if contrasting with nature while marrying the building into the site.
For homeowners who have green thumbs, you can opt to invest in sliding window rollers so you can easily access your plants and other greeneries outside. You can even use this feature to showcase all of your plants and show them off to your friends and family.
Cultivating plants and making sure that these grow beautifully through the years isn’t easy, so make sure that you showcase all of the time and effort you put into these plants by using steel windows and doors.
3. Majestic entrance
The entrance of a building in architecture has always been a prominent topic. Portella in collaboration with the architects of these two projects managed to achieve entrances that stand out thanks to the choice of glass and steel which contrast with the buildings’ walls to bring out sublime entrances.
Using steel doors and windows in your entryway will surely create a positive impression on your guests and family members. Remember, how your house looks from the outside can set their expectations on the ambiance or environment inside. If your home looks good from the outside, your friends and family will be excited to get into your house because they’ll likely expect that your interiors will be as breathtaking as your exteriors.
Creating this kind of impression is especially important if you have plans to sell your home in the future.
4. Enhance your kitchen with daylight
A lot of times in kitchen designs, people opt to stick with closed walls where they have cabinets and kitchen tops or sinks. However, these spaces as seen in this home can be a very good source of light in your kitchen while acting as a frame for the views outside. With a well designed and implemented window, you can frame the views, bring in daylight and create a modern kitchen style.
Aside from having a well-lit and unique kitchen, letting the daylight enter your space can also provide a lot of benefits. Maximizing natural light by using steel doors and windows in your kitchen makes it very easy for you to improve your mood and complete different tasks in the kitchen. Having steel doors and windows in your kitchen can also be a great source of vitamin D, which can help elevate your blood sugar levels and reduce nausea and stomach pain.
Over time, relying on daylight can also mean lesser energy bills since you won’t have to turn on the lights whenever you’re working in the kitchen during day time; natural light will enter your kitchen through your steel doors and windows.
5. Add interest in a minimalist home
Minimalist residential homes are continuously becoming very prominent as a lot of people leave the classical style that had extremely detailed interior spaces. With the growth of the minimalist architecture, the need for clean walls with a bit of contrast in the space is apparent. In this Hill Country styled home, the steel windows were used to bring the much needed contrast helping to create contrast and creativity.
6. Flavour your room with a top window
Do you have a room that you would like to give some character? It could be your study room or that room where you spend so much time meditating. A top steel window adds character while bringing in more daylight in the space.
7. Add character to your windows
Classical style windows with mouldings on their exterior can be enhanced with those thin steel frames holding the glass in place like this home and studio in Mexico.
8. Enhance the depth of your building’s composition
There is nothing more exciting like an architectural creation that exudes depth. Extruded facades with the elegance of timber in this Dallas modern home are given more character and feel by adding the steel corner window and a steel floor-to-ceiling door.
9. Style your entrance with a top window
If you are building a pitched roof home and wondering what to do with the blank wall right above your home’s entrance door then a steel window would charmingly improve the look while adding more light into your home. Shiflet Group Architects were able to achieve that with Portella for this historical Texas ranch.
10. Blends with the material on your facade
There is nothing that improves a building’s facade like well designed and implemented windows. This home would have been a blank face but the interplay of the steel windows and doors adds some blend to the project.
All images are courtesy of Portella.
