Design Parti

Doors & Windows
engineered wood
Technology Overruled
Bhawna Sharma, Director, Artius Interior
The doors and
windows created with
the Engineered wood
technique are heat
proof, weather proof,
break-in proof, sound
proof, termite proof,
jamming proof and
dust proof. Their
manufacturing
process is a complete
shift from the tradition
method of fabrication
of windows
Wood has been the preferred material for
making doors and windows for centuries.
But in the last few years, wood windows
have lost their charm because of numerous problems
like jamming, warping, not being weather proof,
prone to termites, fungus and decay etc due to their
ordinary design, manufacturing and finishing
methods. Because of these problems, more and more
people are looking at alternatives like uPVC or
aluminum windows. The problem with these types of
materials is that they look very cheap and one cannot
get the rich feel and grace of the wood. Therefore,
these materials are only popular at the lower end
of buyers. The high end houses who want rich look
and feel still prefer wood windows despite all
the flaws.
Wooden windows in India are done in a very
traditional way. These are fabricated on site by the
local woodworking craftsmen using conventional
tools. The wood is procured from local wood suppliers
and then left in open to season naturally. Then a very
basic frame and sash design is made using hand tools
and some basic woodworking machinery. In the
current social environment we are exposed to many
dangers such as break-in, severe weather conditions –
intense hot, cold and earth quake. Engineered wood
technique offers a single solution for all these
50 Architecture Update February 2016