The D&G Window Solutions Fenestration Knowledge Series
Windows sit at the meeting point of architecture, engineering, craft and conservation. This recurring series shares practical, technically grounded insight on glass, custom steel windows and metal windows, aluminium windows and doors, and the careful refurbishment of heritage fenestration.
Latest in the series
Article 05
How Modern Safety Glass Actually Works
Understand the difference between toughened and laminated glass, how each behaves after breakage, and why the frame, hardware and risk assessment matter.
Earlier in the series
Article 04
Why Heritage Steel Windows Should Be Repaired Before They Are Replaced
Learn why surface rust, failed putty and stiff hardware do not automatically mean an original steel window must be replaced—and how a repair-first assessment works.
Article 03
Follow steel windows from Victorian industry and Modernist architecture to today’s made-to-measure steel windows, doors and shopfronts in Cape Town.
Article 02
Why Old Glass Looks Wavy—and Why It Matters
Discover why historic window glass has waves, bubbles and uneven reflections, why it has not flowed over time, and when original panes should be retained.
Article 01
The History of Glass: How One Material Changed the Way We Build
From ancient glassmaking and Roman windows to crown glass, float glass and modern high-performance glazing—and why that history still matters when assessing heritage steel windows.
The first five articles are live
The initial five-article run is now published. Future instalments will continue to connect the history of the window with the decisions owners, architects and contractors face today.
Knowledge for better window decisions
D&G Window Solutions works with the whole opening: frame, glass, hardware, installation and the fabric of the building around it. That perspective helps us decide what should be retained, what can be repaired and what should be replaced for safety, performance or long-term value.