Windows From Across The World

While going about your everyday life, it can be easy to forget just how commonplace windows are.

While going about your everyday life, it can be easy to forget just how commonplace windows are. They are fundamental to virtually every form of architecture in indulging a human’s basic need for light. There are so many different kinds of windows across the world, and each one will tell a thousand different stories. Whether the window has a particular geographic background, or is known for something else, if you stop and take stock for a moment, you realise just how present they are within our lives.

The team here at Aliwood, bespoke manufacturers of one particular kind of window – the timber roof lantern – wanted to look at some of those we may have all forgotten about, and the stories they tell.

French Windows

First up it’s a quick hop across the pond to our neighbours in France. One of the most elegant examples of windows around – fitting for the stylish people from whom they originate – French windows are seen both in traditional and modern houses alike, such is their timeless style. One of the reasons that French windows make such an attractive addition to a household is they offer functionality as well as form. Not only do they provide a gorgeous window structure, but they’re more often than not doors at the same time. Any architectural feature that can incorporate pragmatism into the aesthetic is going to be a winner!

Portholes

Now commonly used within homes and as skylights, we shouldn’t forget the origins of this particular window. Portholes tell us a maritime story, a tale of human’s intrepidity, curiosity and endeavour to cross the world’s oceans for hundreds of years, thousands even. Many coastal properties now incorporate their circular form into their windows, their shape lending itself as much to the Art Deco movement as to a trans-Atlantic fishing boat. Though it may have had entirely functional and humble buildings, the porthole has been elevated to become a style icon in its own right.

Floor-To-Ceiling Windows

These particular windows are for those that just can’t get enough light! These windows, prevalent in skyscrapers and slick, corporate office buildings, only came into being when the plate glass making process was mastered. It would’ve been inconceivable at the turn of the 20th century for the window to be the wall. Nowadays, however, you can build them into a home to give panoramic views of a seascape, for example, and the style of homes has improved the world over as a result. Much like our timber roof lanterns, these glass panes bathe your home with natural light, proven to be beneficial for a whole host of reasons. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer the ultimate daylighting solution within a home. People often have qualms about their privacy but with easy workarounds such as tinting, they’re a fantastic option if you’re able to afford them.

Windows of all kinds can be found and seen all around us, their effects as clear as the panes they themselves frame. Biased though we may be, we believe everyone needs a few more windows in their lives!

So, if you’d like to find out more about Aliwood’s timber roof lanterns, then get in touch! Contact us today on 01245 967 107.