Alex Brown

This has included significant growth in the UK social housing market, with social landlords increasing their purchase of NorDan products by 11%.

Nordan UK, which employs two thirds of its UK workforce in Scotland, has now increased its turnover year-on-year since 2016, and has grown by more than 85% in the last five years.

Last year NorDan completed the largest Scottish contract in its history, with a deal to retrofit 5,500 Falkirk Council homes over four years.

NorDan also supplied the windows for Scotland’s first Passivhaus social housing project, in Drymen, Stirlingshire, working with home builder Cruden Building on behalf of Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association.

Sustained growth across social new-build and retrofit projects is further evidence of shifting priorities for social landlords, with an increasing emphasis placed on the increasing the lifespan of building materials and reducing the whole life carbon impact of buildings.

Norwegian company NorDan launched its high-performance windows in in Scotland over 40 years ago to meet the needs of a challenging highlands and islands climate, and its aluminium-clad timber windows and doors have since spread across the Scottish housing market.

Originally conceived to withstand the harsh rigours of a Nordic maritime winter, NorDan’s products offer some of the highest standards in thermal performance and durability, with a 60-year life span.

This is particularly appealing to social landlords and local authorities who must maintain their homes and consider the comfort and wellbeing of their tenants.

Alex Brown, NorDan UK managing director, said: “Last year’s record growth is obviously very pleasing, but 100% consistent with the wider direction of travel in construction and development.

“People have long known that NorDan’s timber products are carbon negative and offer a 60-year lifespan, but maybe needed a reason and budget to specify what was perceived as premium windows and doors.

“What we see now is that low carbon, durable, and high-thermal performance products are helping local authorities and social landlords meet their longer term financial, community and environmental sustainability goals – pushing NorDan further into the mainstream.

“As a result, decision makers are now seeking incremental gains across buildings old and new to meet raising industry standards, as well as the expectations of the public, and NorDan can give them the low-carbon, high-performance guarantees sought.

Mr Brown concluded: “Looking ahead, NorDan UK’s priority is to continue developing its people and infrastructure to maintain what we anticipate being sustained and accelerated growth over the coming years.”

Keith Barclay, pre-construction manager at home builder Cruden Building, commented: “Cruden has delivered hundreds of social housing projects using NorDan products and has seen, time and again, the value of these windows and doors in terms of build standard, airtightness, and sustainability.

“We recently fitted NorDan triple-glazed windows on Scotland’s first Passivhaus social housing development in Drymen where every material had to help deliver an ultra-low energy scheme.

“Nordan’s high-performance alu-clad timber and triple glazing more than achieve the thermal performance needed for Passivhaus. The windows have very low U-values, a long lifespan and require virtually zero maintenance.”