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Roto hardware for aluminium systems is a perfect match for ambitious architectural projects. Designers of tall buildings appreciate its proven long-term reliability and other benefits such as high loading capability and airtightness to resist the most extreme weather conditions,

Sometimes though, even the highly adaptable standard Roto systems for Tilt&Turn, Turn-Only and Open-Out windows are not quite able to provide the exact specification required for the project.

That is where the experts of the Roto Object Business come in. This in-house team of engineers has great experience of adapting Roto hardware systems and even creating new components to achieve the requirements of building designers and installation teams.

Roto Object Business has worked on projects for some of the world’s most iconic and state-of-the-art buildings, providing expert help in a number of ways, including specifications and bespoke items along with testing services and practical assistance on site.

Here are just a few examples of international projects where Roto Object Business have provided solutions to challenges:

Bosco Verticale, Milan

This design by Stefano Boeri quickly became a modern icon in Milan. The residential towers stand out for the sheer number of trees and plants on the balconies.

The concept behind the design is to make residential towers more attractive, improve biodiversity and bring a number of benefits to residents. As well as contributing to mental wellbeing, the trees and plants provide sound damping and even the absorption of dust.

The trees do however have potential to block out daylight, so the building designers opted for floor-to-ceiling glazing in order to ensure all rooms are well illuminated by natural light.

This meant some of the opening windows would be 3,000 mm tall and weigh up to 300 kg.

Roto supplied special hardware specifications for both Tilt&Turn and Turn-Only units to cover the requirements. These units provide residents with access to their balconies and the ability to use natural ventilation. The windows are safe to use and have high levels of sound insulation and weather sealing.

Tour InCity, Lyon

One of the tallest buildings in France, this skyscraper is fitted with over 2,000 Tilt&Turn windows.

Some the units the designers wanted to install would be heavier than standard – up to 170 kg – and sized beyond the normal limits. They also wanted to block off the tilt mode.

Roto engineers calculated a specification of parts to operate these windows safely and also created a special blocked tilt function for the project

Dancing Towers, Hamburg

Located at one end of Hamburg’s famous Reeperbahn nightlife district, the twin towers of this 85 floor office building are shaped in a way that suggests they are partying.

Along with floor-to-ceiling glass walling, the project also includes 1,400 Turn-Only windows. The unusual design of the building meant that these windows would be set at pitched angles between –8º and +8º. The building designers wanted a way to operate these windows safely.

The Object Service engineers created a special solution based on Roto AL and using a special locking scissor stay, enabling the windows to be locked and held in position at various degrees of opening.

Marienturm, Frankfurt

This tower has been a striking feature of central Frankfurt since its completion in 2019.

Roto Object Service engineers were presented with a couple of challenges.

A large number of Turn-Only windows were required. These would be used only for maintenance access and needed to be of various sizes up to 3,555 mm tall and 180 kg. This has been solved with a bespoke specification of Roto AL Designo.

The other requirement was for ventilation flaps that are safe and easy to use, and which provide tight sealing and sound insulation when closed. These have been made using a combination of PS Aintree parallel opening stays and Roto AL locking hardware.

KOI Tower, Monterey

The tallest building in Mexico has 63 floors and rises to 280 metres. It contains a number of residential apartments on the upper floors.

The project is designed for a high level of environmental performance, being silver LEED certified for energy efficiency. The designers wanted to take advantage of daylight and natural ventilation in order to save energy consumption.

The 90 top-hung open-out windows needed to close very firmly to provide air and water resistance under high wind loadings. Roto engineers specified FS Kempton stainless steel friction stays, which have asymmetrical run-ins. This feature provides a firm closing of the sash and contributes towards a high level of air and water impermeability.

The sliding doors were required to be 2950 mm tall, so our engineers created a special specification of Patio Inowa, which was chosen because of its very high level of weather performance. This is another example of Patio Inowa being used on a high rise building where energy efficiency is very important along with the ability to resist high wind forces.

If you have an enquiry for an architectural project where there is a challenge to produce windows for special applications, it is worth talking to Roto to see if we are able to help.

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