Categories
Back
Search Products
Home > News > Australia’s largest range of BAL-40 bushfire rated windows and doors just got bigger!

Australia’s largest range of BAL-40 bushfire rated windows and doors just got bigger!

bal_40_Hero_banner

In 2017, AWS undertook a substantial body of BAL-40 bushfire testing work in order to significantly increase our BAL-40 bushfire tested and certified aluminium window and door product offering. We are pleased to announce we have increased our BAL-40 bushfire rated window and door offering by 33% and extremely happy with the results. This enables you to have a wider range of options when specifying AWS products for bushfire zones. You will notice we have added double-hung windows to our offering and expanded the sliding and bi-fold door range as well. 

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

Living in bushfire prone areas shouldn’t mean compromising on the view, which is why we have also worked hard to ensure our window and door products can withstand the harsh requirements of a BAL-40 bushfire zone without compromising on sizes. Our recent testing gives us the ability to  offer larger glass panel sizes as part of our offering, something we know architects and building designers have been waiting for. 

Results:  

  • For single glazed window and door products the maximum allowable glass area has increased from 2.90m2 to 4.50m2.
  • When using single glazing above 2.90m2 through to 4.50m2 a minimum 8mm toughened glass is required for compliance.
  • For double glazed window and door products the maximum allowable glass area has increased from 2.94m2 to 4.50m2.
  • When using double glazing above 2.94m2 through to 4.50m2 a minimum  6mm tough / 8mm Air / 6mm tough combination must be used for compliance.

We also had requests to include laminated glass in our double glazed panel testing, providing increased flexibility around achieving acoustic performance in applications requiring BAL-40 certification. The result? We successfully tested a 20.38mm IGU (6mm toughened – 8mm air – 6.38mm laminated glass). Allowing us to offer laminated glass in the second pane of an IGU throughout our range.

AWS ensures that our fabricators manufacture our product in accordance with strict technical guidelines. If required, test reports or certification ensuring product compliance are available on request. 

As a result of the recent testing the following products have been added to the AWS BAL-40 bushfire rated window and door product list:

  • Series 514 Residential Double-hung Window
  • Series 613 Designer Double-hung Window
  • Series 453 Commercial Double-hung Window
  • Series 463 Architectural Double-hung Window
  • Series 442 Commercial D’Stacker Sliding door
  • Series 642 Commercial D’Stacker Sliding door 
  • Series 704B Bottom Rolling SlideMASTER™ Sliding door 
  • Series 704T Top Hung SlideMASTER™ Sliding door
  • Series 704R Recessed Bottom Rail SlideMASTER™Sliding door 
  • Series 411 Top Hung Bi-fold door
  • Series 412 Bottom rolling Bi-fold door

To view our complete offering of BAL -40 rated windows and doors visit our website here  

To download the bushfire whitepaper click here

If you have any questions regarding BAL-40 window and door solutions or the recent additions to our bushfire rated window and door offering please contact one of our knowledgeable team members. 

Recent News

View All

AWS Supports OzHarvest to Help Nourish Our Country

After a demanding year for many across our communities, AWS is proud to share that we have made a festive season donation to OzHarvest, Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, which will provide thousands of meals to Australians in need.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

A growing need in our communities

Food insecurity in Australia is rising at an alarming rate. Last year, an estimated 3.5 million households struggled to put food on the table, with the cost of living now the number one driver of hardship. The charities OzHarvest supports say they could distribute double the amount of food to meet demand. Every day, new people are turning up for help, often feeling ashamed or embarrassed to ask.

James from St Albans Community Youth Club in Victoria, which receives OzHarvest food weekly, put it simply: “For the first time in 10 years, we’re struggling to feed everyone.”

Why the festive season matters

The festive period can be especially difficult for families who do not know where their next meal is coming from. Demand typically spikes at this time of year, even as household budgets are stretched further. OzHarvest is working hard to ensure nourishing food reaches those who need it most, not just during the holidays but all year round.

About OzHarvest

OzHarvest was founded in 2004 by Ronni Kahn AO, after she noticed how much quality food was going to waste through her events business. What began as a simple, practical solution rescuing surplus food and delivering it to charities quickly grew from one van in Sydney into a nationwide movement. As OzHarvest expanded, Ronni and a team of pro bono lawyers successfully lobbied state governments to change legislation so food donors could give surplus food to charities without fear of liability. NSW led the way with the Civil Liabilities Amendment Act in 2005, and other states followed.

Today, OzHarvest rescues food at scale with a clear purpose to Nourish Our Country. Their mission is to stop food waste, feed people in need, and protect our planet by championing the value of food and driving change at every level of society. Their work strongly aligns with five United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

How you can help (if you would like to)

OzHarvest welcomes every contribution. The impact is immediate and tangible.

  • $1 = 2 meals
  • Your donation helps keep OzHarvest’s wheels turning
  • It supports food relief for over 1,500 charities helping vulnerable Aussies every day

For more information or to make a donation visit: https://www.ozharvest.org/

Image credit: OzHarvest

 

 

AWS Sponsors Building Tours at Glenn Murcutt Foundation Australia Symposium

Architectural Window Systems (AWS) is proud to sponsor the Murcutt Building Tours, a centrepiece of the inaugural Glenn Murcutt Architecture Foundation Symposium, to be held in Sydney from 11 – 13 September 2025.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

The Symposium, presented by the Murcutt Foundation, celebrates more than five decades of architectural practice by Glenn Murcutt AO, Australia’s most celebrated living architect. The program offers three days of tours, talks and events for architects, students and design professionals, culminating in a rare opportunity to engage directly with some of Murcutt’s most acclaimed works.

As part of its ongoing support for architectural excellence and sustainable, place-based design, AWS is sponsoring the Murcutt Building Tours on Thursday, 11 September, providing a rare, guided experience led by Murcutt himself through two iconic residential projects:

  • Nicholas House
  • Simpson Lee House

“I am so pleased that so many have taken the chance to see these two projects that were designed in such close collaboration with the clients at the time, and which have been so well loved and cared for over the many decades since. It is such a joy to share this work,” Glenn Murcutt AO.

“Glenn Murcutt’s works embody a profound sensitivity to landscape, climate and material — and they are best understood by being experienced firsthand,” said Angela Bevitt-Parr, National Marketing Manager at AWS. “AWS is proud to support this extraordinary opportunity for architects to deepen their understanding of Murcutt’s work and philosophy through direct engagement with these exceptional places.”

Beyond the tours, the Symposium will feature keynote addresses from Glenn Murcutt AO and Francis Kéré (fellow Pritzker Prize Laureate), the inaugural awarding of the Murcutt Pin, and a full day of talks exploring the themes that have informed Murcutt’s unique model of practice.

“Francis Kéré is one of the great humans, and a gifted architect who really shows architecture can make a difference in people’s lives. I have a huge amount of respect and time and a wonderful friendship with this man because of his integrity. I am so pleased that Sydney will get to meet him this year,” Glenn Murcutt AO.

For full event details and to register, visit: https://events.humanitix.com/murcutt-symposium

About the Glenn Murcutt Architecture Foundation: The Glenn Murcutt Architecture Foundation promotes the work and legacy of Glenn Murcutt AO through education, advocacy and public programs that advance environmentally responsible architecture and foster dialogue around design excellence and connection to place. For more information visit https://www.murcuttfoundation.org/

Image credit:

Simpson Lee house: Anthony Browell.

 

Designing Value – AWS celebrates 30 years

In late 1994, two dedicated fenestration professionals, Gavan Pead and David McCleary, took a pivotal tour of Architectural Profiles Ltd (APL) in Cambridge, New Zealand. Inspired by APL’s customer-focused business model, they envisioned bringing a similar approach to challenge the Australian market’s basic, outdated aluminium windows and doors that dominated at that time.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

This vision led to the founding of Architectural Window Systems (AWS) in January 1995, with Pead as the first General Manager and McCleary as Head of Design. AWS launched with the release of the 502 sliding window and 541 sliding door – affordable, single-glazed products that immediately stirred the market. “In those days, profiles were hand-drawn, and every detail required precise verification,” McCleary recalls. Their commitment to quality was matched by strong supplier support, relationships that remain solid today.

To bring this customer-centric model to life, AWS built a robust network of independent fabricators across Australia, now exceeding 200, with unparalleled reach and service capabilities. Steve Butcher of Great Lakes Glass, an early adopter, recalls that “their passion was infectious, and if they were starting something new, I wanted to be part of it.”

AWS quickly became a trusted name in high-performance aluminium windows, with products designed to meet the needs of architects, designers, builders, and homeowners. With the launch of ThermalHEART™ in 2007, followed by ThermalHEART™ commercial in 2012, AWS introduced its first thermally broken products, raising the bar for energy efficiency. In 2003, David’s son, Mark McCleary, joined AWS, continuing the family’s involvement in the company. In 2021, Mark took over the leadership of research and design, guiding the development of innovative window and door solutions. That same year, AWS introduced ComfortEDGE™, a significant step forward in thermal efficiency. With additional ComfortEDGE™ products set for release in 2025, AWS continues to strengthen its commitment to energy-efficient solutions for the Australian market.

Reflecting on the success of the last 30 years, AWS General Manager Greg Taylor notes that “it’s our model that differentiates us. A supplier that is not only an extrusion supplier, but a reliable, supportive, engaged business partner that understands the need for continuous improvement”.

In 2025, AWS will continue to focus on improvement, introducing a class-leading digital environment for specifiers, fabricators, and staff, along with an automated workflow connectivity solution exclusively for AWS fabricators.

For more information, contact marketing@awsaustralia.com.au

View All