Grand Designs Australia - 5x4 Hayes Lane

Thursday, October 29, 2015

A small footprint, passive design, and sustainable products were the focal point when designing this home in inner city Melbourne. With dimensions of just 5 x 4 meters the Haynes Lane Project is an impressive example of what is possible when good design meets client focus and principles. Paarhammer Windows and doors are part of this project. We invite you to watch the show about this interesting building, airing on Foxtel on the 5 November at 8.30pm on 106 Lifestyle Channel. If you are unable to catch the airing of the episode at this time, 106 Lifestyle Channel is re-running

Australian Made versus Imported Products

Tuesday, August 04, 2015

Paarhammer is proud to manufacture Australian Made windows and doors. Our philosophy is about sustainability and local jobs, therefore we use local materials where possible - including Australian glass - in our products. In the Paarhammer story, Australian Made translates to locally made windows and doors providing valuable training and skills sharing, and jobs not simply localised to the Paarhammer factory but extending to suppliers and manufacturers, including but not limited to, Australian glass manufacturers, and timber suppliers. However, with a flood of foreign products on the market it has never been more important to ensure that you are getting

Sustainable Production

Monday, June 22, 2015

It is not enough to produce sustainable products from sustainable materials, the manufacturing process and facility have to fit in with the overall ideology at Paarhammer. When building the new factory in 2010 several sustainable features were included: Light Management: An automatic monitor dims lights or turns them off depending on natural light levels at each workplace. This results in better and constant light to work in for staff and reduced energy consumption. Water saving: Water from the large roof area is collected in huge water tanks and used to establish and water shade trees and ground covers around the

25 Year Paarhammer Anniversary

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

To mark the 25th anniversary celebration of Paarhammer, the staff spent a weekend taking in the sights and history of Echuca, including the iconic port. The staff trip was a great opportunity to unwind and mark the occasion. The dinner cruise on the Murray River was just one of many highlights. The Paarhammer story began in a small factory in Ballan in April 1990, with a staff of three, a philosophy for providing superior quality and creative timber solutions, and with the original name ‘Design and Handicraft Furniture’. However, the need for energy efficient European style windows and doors was

10-Star Challenge

Friday, August 22, 2014

New houses in Australia have to meet 6 stars to comply with the Building Code. This requirement is quite easily reached. A movement for higher star ratings – and with it more energy efficient and comfortable buildings – is being undertaken by a number of architects and designers. The front runner is the BDAV (Building Designers Association of Victoria) which runs a 10-Star Challenge, giving Victoria’s building design fraternity the opportunity to design 10-Star energy efficient homes and be recognized for their design abilities and expertise in sustainable design responses. Already in its fourth year, the challenge is for conceptual

First Impression: Entrance Doors

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Your entrance door is like your business card: when visitors come to your home the entrance door will give a first impression. In today’s market there are many designs available from modern to traditional, from blending in to making a statement. The design should suit the house so that ‘curb appeal’ works as a whole and makes your home inviting. But your entrance door should not only look good but work well. After choosing the right design, sealing and security are the main issues for front doors. Seals equal no drafts Sealing well could mean that your door is double

Back to Timber

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

For numerous reasons wood is making a come-back as building material of choice. Led by the famous award winning ‘Forte’ – the tallest apartment building made of cross laminated timber in the Southern Hemisphere, more and more architects are using timber in a major way. Michael Green and his firm in Canada developed North Americas tallest timber building with a height of 27.5metre, the new home of the Wood Innovation and Design Centre. In Australia, Peter Maddison, award winning architect and presenter of Grand Design Australia, says in a commercial by ‘Wood Naturally Better’ that “wood stores carbon and carbon

What is Good Wood and FSC

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Good Wood Good Wood comes from ethical and ecologically sustainable sources. When you choose Good Wood, you support a solution to deforestation and related climate change, you protect unique biodiversity and you help local forest communities find alternatives to poverty and loss of livelihood. FSC® FSC - Forest Stewardship Council - promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests. Paarhammer has been FSC Chain-of-Custody accredited since 2005 as the first window and door manufacturer in Victoria. Chain of Custody Certification provides a guarantee about the production and source of FSC® -certified products. The main objective

BDAV's 10-Star Challenge

Thursday, March 14, 2013

The Building Designers Association of Victoria's now famous 10-Star Challenge is in it's third year. Ambassador this year is James O'Loughlin of 'The New Inventors' fame who officially launched the Challenge on Wednesday night. Paarhammer is a proud sponsor. The 10-Star Challenge is for conceptual projects that combine admirable architecture with energy efficient planning solutions and materials utilisation. There is increased interest and commitment by consumers to reducing their carbon footprint and minimise ever-increasing energy bills. The campaign helps the design community to focus on the benefits of sustainable design for dwellings. Last years winner of the 10-Star Challenge for

Life Cycle Analysis - LCA

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

What is LCA? Life cycle analysis or LCA is a method of measuring the environmental impacts of building products over their whole life. The aim of a life cycle analysis is to identify, quantify and assess the impact of the energy and materials used and wastes released to the environment throughout the life of a building product. There are many life cycle analysis methodologies and all vary in their range and complexity but it all comes back to sustainability. The life cycle analysis of timber follows the piece of wood from harvesting, manufacture, construction and product life to recycling and