By Pamela Buxton
Building Design
12 October 2007
Architect Justin Bere is so determined to be part of the solution to climate change that he’s set up his own glazing business
As an architect, it was never Justin Bere’s ambition to set up a window company. But frustration at the standard of UK-manufactured windows, coupled with his admiration for German-made Bayer products, led him to do just that, and this summer Double Good Windows was born.
Not only will the company operate as the UK agent for the super-airtight Bayer range, it also aims to encourage UK manufacturers to produce similarly high-performing windows of their own.
“I realised that people’s expectations in the UK are much lower than they need to be,” says Bere.
“I saw the opportunity to help bring about a rapid change in the environmental performance of UK buildings through something quite simple — windows and doors.”
Bere’s quest for premium airtight windows began six years ago, when he conceived the design for his own house in Islington, north London. Determined to make it as energy-efficient as possible, he designed his own triple-glazed windows with double seals, taking inspiration from the Swedish-made windows he’d seen at the 1960s offices by YRM at Greystoke Place in central London.