DOORS OF PERCEPTION Let nothing stand between you and the view. Expansive glass windows and doors are more than an afterthought of contemporary open plan design. They are now becoming the geometric centrepieces that unite the interior and exterior. Those of us living in the subtropics find it all too easy to seek shelter away from the great outdoors. However, our natural environment can create a lasting visual appeal – one that should feature inside the home. Not only does glazing foster a tangible connection with the outside, it has benefits that go beyond being a pure design aesthetic. Botany-based Vitrocsa are a market leading designers of Australia’s slimmest sliding glass doors. With designs focussed on simplicity and innovation, we investigate some of the most important elements that they consider when beginning a new project.
LIGHT
OUTLOOK
Large windows and doors spread natural
Expansive glazing delivers spatial
light throughout the whole interior of the
richness and visual complexity that unites
home. Vitamin D provided by the sun is
the inside and outside. Views of greenery
an essential mineral for every living being. can restore mental clarity by breaking With our ongoing exposure to disruptive
up the bleak urban environments we
‘blue’ light from LED screens and smart
often find ourselves in. Nature reflected
devices, natural light steps in to balance
in interior design is becoming more
sleep cycles, increase productivity and
important than ever, not only as living art,
conserve energy.
but also as a reminder of what needs to be preserved for the future.
SPACE Less means more – the old adage
MOVEMENT
is true when it comes to windows
Congruity and functionality are paramount
and doors. Less frame means more
when it comes to choosing doors and
glass. More glass means more view.
windows. Vitrocsa produces a number
Expansive doors and windows
of eye-catching styles to suit any space.
remove the threshold between the
Sliding doors can open at any interval,
home and outdoor areas, creating
or slide to disappear into a wall cavity.
more space. Vitrocsa harnesses
Guillotine panels slide vertically on a
decades of architectural knowledge
counterweight system. Pivot doors
to produce minimalist door and
(pictured) open like standard doors,
window designs that have been
turning from a single point. Turntable
reduced to the bare essentials –
doors slide independently of each other
entirely focussed on the vista.
around corners, allowing designers to achieve massive open spaces that can be changed at will.