Platinum Hospitality Holdings chose REHAU partner, New Look Window Systems, to implement a three-phase project to refresh the windows and doors of the Guest rooms at the Protea Hotel by Marriot Sea Point. Phase 1 (67 rooms) is completed, with Phase 2 in progress.
“The hotel already had uPVC window and door frames, but they wanted a more sophisticated iteration that would improve thermal efficiency even more and block out ambient sound,” says Jörn Jünger, Sales Director of New Look Window Systems. “Having had uPVC frames in place for at least 20 years, the owners knew the benefits of the material from a low maintenance point of view but wanted to take advantage of REHAU’s sophisticated design parameters to meet more stringent goals, such as better noise and temperature control.”
New Look Window Systems is a long-established Cape Town-based firm that custom makes REHAU uPVC window and door frames using uPVC lengths imported from REHAU.
The new REHAU frames are made out of a special high weather formula uPVC in order to cope with the harsh African climate. Africa’s sunny climate means that all materials have to cope with a high amount of ultraviolet radiation, which can reduce the lifespan of weaker materials and cause colour to fade. REHAU’s formulation means that it can cope not only with the ultraviolet rays but also the corrosive effects of the sea air – and without the extra maintenance that timber and aluminium frames require.
The hotel’s owner, Platinum Hospitality Holdings, chose REHAU’s ECOTEC range with double glazing to enhance thermal efficiency in the hot summer and cold winter Cape climate and also sound deadening. The hotel occupies a prime site in vibrant Sea Point, so the latter was a major requirement to ensure Guests’ comfort.
“Experience showed us that uPVC was the right choice of material from many points of view, and so when it came to upgrading the hotel to higher specifications, it was an easy choice to make,” says Jünger. “Our team and REHAU ensured that the new windows and doors lived up to expectations. Now that Phase 1 of the installation is completed, it’s immediately obvious that the acoustic safety glass has made an enormous difference when it comes to outside noise. Once all three phases are complete, we expect the whole hotel to start realising the benefits of greater thermal efficiency too.”
In addition, a highly secure six-point locking system was installed on all the balcony doors to enhance security, a key consideration for South Africans. Phase 1’s 67 rooms will be followed by Phase 2, which will cover 36 rooms as well as windows and doors in passages and common-area bathrooms.
Standard colours for REHAU uPVC are white, bronze, black and two shades of grey. Other colours can be provided by using specially formulated paint.
Jünger says that, for best results, REHAU and its local partners should be involved at the design stage of any project to ensure that the technical specifications as well as aesthetics are properly integrated.
More South Africans have been recognising that uPVC has an unbeatable value proposition, offering greater security, low maintenance and considerable thermal efficiency and noise-reduction – which is why it has become the material of choice in Europe and America, where climatic conditions are much more severe,” says Stephan van Niekerk, CEO at REHAU Industries. “It’s significant that PVC was chosen again for the hotel’s window and door frames when developing the specifications for this major upgrade.”
“Architects and homeowners are steadily realising that uPVC is the way to go and, as in the case with this landmark hotel, the technology makes converts,” he adds. “The fact that REHAU’s local fabricators can offer a range of standard colours, as well as bespoke colours, also means that architects and owners can get the look they want.
“We are truly entering the uPVC era.”
