A Window Into SWA Commercial Project Winner 2025, West Leigh

At the 2025 Steel Window Association awards, the Commercial Project winner was West Leigh’s Len House project. Andy Bawn, MD of West Leigh, tells us all about the company today.

Len House, Maidstone – West Leigh’s meticulous restoration of this Grade II listed Art Deco landmark, featuring like-for-like W20 steel windows and doors, curved frames, and bespoke detailing to preserve its historic character

What is your core business?

Andy Bawn, Managing Director for West Leigh

West Leigh has been a steel window and door manufacturer for over 75 years and, today, the team provides highly specialist bespoke steel window services; from curtain walling to heritage and refurbishment projects. The advanced approach and specialism in the thermally broken product range makes West Leigh the perfect partner for architects and contractors across the UK.

What are the target markets for West Leigh?

Architects, main contractors and property owners.

Why is West Leigh a member of the Steel Window Association?

The benefits of being a member of the Steel Window Association is the sharing of pooled resources, while the years of experience and expertise throughout the association allows the development of new products for the ever-evolving requirements of the building regulations. The marketing reach of the association is a great benefit to all.

What sets West Leigh apart? What do you see as a competitive advantage you offer that other companies do not, for London-based projects?

As the company is based in London, we are able to offer a totally local service encompassing the design, manufacture, and project management our clients need. At West Leigh, everything is bespoke and handmade to the clientele’s specifications. We, therefore, pride ourselves on quality which led us to be certified with ISO 9001.

Are there any key projects you would like to mention?

We recently completed the installation of 464 new windows and doors at the New Chancery Rosewood Hotel in Mayfair. The building was the old American Embassy, so we had to take a careful approach for the replacement windows to align with the requirements of Listed Building status as well as providing enhanced thermal and acoustic performances. Similarly, West Leigh is currently engaged with Sir Robert McAlpine on the site of the old Smithfield’s meat market; another listed building to be suitably refurbished for new occupants, The Museum of London.

Both projects incorporated Ottostumm’s W50TB thermally broken steel window system. Designed to match the sightline profiles of the old W20 and Universal sections, W50TB is a great system for both heritage and new build projects alike. The Chancery Rosewood also had Shueco’s thermally broken Janisol HI steel doors to all the balconies.

Pictured above is Voysey House, Chiswick, West Leigh’s award-winning restoration of a former Victorian wallpaper factory, featuring bespoke steel windows and doors using rare Series 200 profiles and Fineo vacuum glazing for exceptional thermal performance and heritage detailing.

What do you see as the biggest challenges to the steel window industry in the UK today?

The biggest challenge to the steel window industry is the lowering of u-values and the far higher performances required. Fortunately, we have the benefit of system specific applied glazing bars replicating the welded glazing bars of the old steel window profiles. That, along with the vastly improved glazing options available to us, allows for the steel window industry to keep moving with the times, whilst still offering the traditional slimline and robust aesthetic steel windows are renowned for.

What are the company's top priorities over the next few years?

Over the next few years, the company's top priorities are centred around strategic product innovation and portfolio expansion. A major focus will be the development of our thermally broken windows. These are designed to significantly improve energy efficiency and thermal performance, aligning with growing demand for sustainable building solutions. We're investing in advanced materials and manufacturing techniques to ensure these windows meet the highest standards of quality and performance.

In parallel, we're committed to broadening our product offering. This means identifying complementary products that enhance our existing lineup and meet evolving customer needs. Whether it's through in-house development or strategic partnerships, adding new products will allow us to serve a wider market and strengthen our position as a comprehensive solutions provider in the fenestration industry.

Together, these initiatives reflect our long-term vision: to lead with innovation, respond to market trends, and deliver exceptional value to our customers.

How long has your oldest member of staff been working at West Leigh? What makes an employee want to stay with the company? Any other key members?

We have a great history of long-serving staff in both the factory and office, so we are obviously doing the right thing by our employees. Our longest serving members have been at the company for 49 and 51 years. For the last few years, we have had yearly get-togethers with the current workforce and those now retired (many of those retired were with the company for over 40 years). We all have a good work ethic, and we know how to work together and build trusting, long term relationships.

For further information on the Steel Window Association or if you’re interested in becoming a member, please visit www.steel-window-association.co.uk

Concave Sliding Door Creates Unique Curved Garage Space In Redevelopment Project

A bespoke curved side sliding timber garage door by Rundum Meir has enabled a unique feature garage to be created as part of the extensive remodelling of a large private dwelling in southern England. A Rundum Original sliding garage door spanning 8m wide and 2.2m high was integrated within the new designs by BWP Architects for a major property renovation, transforming a house which had evolved in an uncoordinated and poorly designed way. 

The door provides access to a large garage space below the property’s garden level and its shape coordinates elegantly with a car turntable installed immediately in front and surrounding landscaping. The owner tasked BWP with bringing new life to the property which has many original features. 

Undoing of previous conversion and extension work was necessary to enable the rebuilding of the residential property to a significantly higher standard, complete with the feature garage. An existing detached garage to the rear was partially demolished and converted to create a private formal rear courtyard. 

The replacement curved garage is a stunning visual element, with the new automated Rundum Original door’s high quality Larch complemented by bronze coloured bespoke balustrading to add a dramatic and artistic feature to the access stair and upper courtyard over the garage. The Rundum Original side sliding door is automated using two door mounted MZ4 drives which are custom made to automate these bespoke doors. 

These motors allow the door to traverse the curving tracks smoothly and quietly as required for this project. The door was designed in conjunction with Rundum Meir’s UK team before being hand-crafted by its garage door experts. Every door is made to order to the highest standards using responsibly sourced materials and installed by Rundum Meir to provide an end-to-end service. 

Danesch Missaghian, Director of Rundum Meir (UK) said: “Not only is this exciting project completed using very high specification products throughout, but it is also designed superbly with the architects using a curved garage door in an interesting way that maximises vehicular access." "We are delighted with the contribution our door has made to the success of this project.” In addition to a range of different timber species, bespoke Rundum Original side sliding garage doors can be manufactured in high strength extruded aluminium and finished in any RAL colour. 

This makes these garage doors suitable for any domestic, commercial or public application, with the scope for architects to think differently about how the space for a garage can be integrated into the wider building design.  www.rundumgaragedoors.co.uk

ISO-Chemie’s WINFRAMER Energy Efficiency Boost For Major Edwardian House Retrofit

ISO-Chemie’s thermal insulating and load bearing bracket support system has been specified to provide energy efficiency improvements to an Edwardian property in Oxfordshire. The move sees WINFRAMER units retrofitted as part of an initiative to bring the poorly insulated solid walled house built in 1909 in Oxford, up to current energy efficiency standards, providing better quality accommodation for the homeowner along with long-term cost savings.

Passivhaus certified and fire rated to up to 30 minutes, WINFRAMER is a prefabricated installation frame, manufactured to accommodate cavities up to 250mm that allows windows to be supported independently from the face of the wall regardless of any external cladding being in place.

Quick and easy to install, the product’s application in Oxford is seen as part of a solution to meet a wider Government strategy to reduce carbon levels in housing that has single skin walls or non-cavity walls - these buildings have a reputation for leaking considerable amounts of energy, heat and sound.

Nikki Lambert of development contractor Lambert Home Builds, said the project was a whole house retrofit and added: “Using the WINFRAMER system is a game changer for us as the existing windows are being replaced with new high performance triple glazing. They are then moved into the external wall insulation system, where it’s integral to have a secure fixing system as well as a means to mitigate thermal bridging.”

Andy Swift, ISO-Chemie’s sales and operations manager – UK and ROI, added: “Using WINFRAMER as a platform for the windows to be moved forward, allows a cavity wall to be created outside the existing one. This can then be filled with insulation to massively improve thermal efficiency. As it’s thermally efficient and airtight, WINFRAMER is proving to be an easy and cost-effective way to improve the quality of properties.”

The composite WINFRAMER brackets can bear heavy window loads, including bi-fold doors, to provide a reliable, strong and high-performance support frame. Installation is quick with windows attached directly and secured mechanically using either standard fixing screws or fixing lugs in the usual manner.

A hinged insulation core combines with the composite structural bracket to become an integral part of the overall wall structure, providing compliance with Building Energy Act requirements and the RAL quality assurance association.

ISO-Chemie is one of Europe’s main producers of impregnated foam sealants, specialising in the manufacture of foam products from polyethylene (EPE), polypropylene (EPP) and polyurethane (PUR) using the latest production techniques.

More at https://www.iso-chemie.eu/en-GB/home/