Established in 2005, Mark Williams Architects is a boutique architectural and interior design studio whose work encompasses a range of different work across the residential, multi-residential, commercial, institutional, educational, and childcare sectors.
One of the Brisbane-based studio’s recent projects involved the design of a new home, located right on the Brisbane River. Naturally enough, considering the city’s famed sub-tropical location, climate control was a key consideration for Williams and his team.
“Part of the challenge for the site was achieving maximum views of the Brisbane River and the city beyond, while tempering the access of the western sun and the strong river breezes,” he explained.
Regarding the first part of this task, minimising heat and glare, he turned for assistance to Darryl Thistleton, Managing Director of Shades of Australia. As the leader of organisation with over three decades of experience in this field, Thistleton was the right person for the task.
Considering the architects’ stated ambition – of maintaining the sites impressive views to the river, the city and so forth – he recommended blinds from Verosol, a global leader in window covering solutions and manufacturer of a range of high-performance products.
Specifically, the roller blinds were specified with Verosol’s 203 SilverScreen Performance Fabric. Part of the company’s signature range, the product’s manufacture involves a process of metallisation to apply a microscopic layer of aluminium.
As a result, 203 SilverScreen is able to reflect up to 82 per cent of solar radiation, while reducing SHGC, virtually eliminating UV radiation, and significantly reducing glare. In this case, and in line with broader design aspirations, Williams chose to specify the blinds in Haven White Block Out.
Significantly, according to Thistleton, this was the first time he had supplied this particular product to a project in Queensland. That said, were the various stakeholders happy with the result? Absolutely, according to Williams. “The owners were very happy with the blinds and their installation.”
Asked about his own experience of working with Shades of Australia and Verosol, he was equally positive. “I was very happy with the assistance Darryl was able to provide me,” he said, adding that Verosol went to the trouble of fast tracking both the 203 SilverScreen Performance Fabric and suitable motor cables so the electrician could pre-wire them before the roller blinds were installed.
Which all means that, right now, the new home’s residents can continue to enjoy their uninterrupted views throughout Brisbane’s hot and humid summers without succumbing to the heat or glare.
