Ian Clayton, Interim Managing Director at Reynaers Aluminium UK has forecast that performance standards and technical support will be vital in 2026 as industry starts to rebound.
While challenges remain in the construction industry, 2026 offers renewed optimism with a pledge from the Building Safety Regulator to speed up approvals on plans brought to a halt under the gateway system.
What we desperately need to see is movement across the whole of the construction industry, and while Government support may have been conspicuous by its absence in the Autumn Budget, the pledge to progress projects stalled by the wait for Gateway 2 approval could provide the prime pump the commercial sector needs. Glenigan is now forecasting an eight per cent rise in project starts, which is a very welcome uplift from where forecasts have been.
In addition, the cut in interest rates and easing of mortgage rates supports buyer affordability and cautious development opportunities, with smaller phased schemes and urban regeneration being the focus in the short term while the market gradually recovers.
While any real growth areas are in more niche sectors, there is a growing demand for office space as workers increasingly head back to the office with hybrid-working becoming the new post-covid normal. In addition, Labour’s pledge to build 1.5 million new homes will require a focus on high-rise living from a practical point of view.
For Reynaers, these aspects of the commercial market are key – our curtain walling range offers the high aesthetic, high performance qualities that these projects demand, and, of course, under the Building Safety Act, performance standards with supporting test data are vital. In 2025, we launched our industry-leading Vision 7 Thermal Commercial Entrance Door which will see continued developments in 2026 enhancing its suitability for a wide range of commercial applications. Our ever-expanding range of windows, doors and sliding door ranges also provide a premium offering which complements our range for both commercial applications as well as Grand Designs-style properties.
With one of the biggest libraries of test standards for aluminium door, window and façade systems in the UK we have the foundations in place to meet and exceed the need to demonstrate performance under the Building Safety Act.
Already the procurement landscape is shifting and the ability to test, and evidence data backed by competent technical support will be a driving factor for many fenestration and facade companies in the commercial sector – with the expectation that these standards will be replicated in the residential sector.
By its nature the fenestration industry is performance driven, with requirements for air, wind, water, security and thermal efficiency targets already expected. What we will see is greater scrutiny on structural performance, installation, competency, and data.
It is in testing that Reynaers’ strengths lie. Our products are tested repeatedly to high standards, ensuring they not only meet but exceed required performance levels. This commitment is not only in the high-performance curtain walling used in high profile tall buildings but in the windows and doors that complete family homes.
This is the foundation upon which we will be able to build momentum, our products are tested beyond required capabilities and come with full transparency of test data and traceability through digital product passports.
The call for greater collaboration at the design stage to support compliance under the Building Safety Act should see manufacturers drawn closer to the process and this is to be welcomed.
Reynaers’ technical team has an incomparable level of knowledge about our systems, and how they work in a practical setting, and it is this in-depth knowledge that the industry needs to tap into to continue to instil confidence in specifiers and principal designers working within the gateway system.
We are also in the fortunate position to have an established, and accessible digital traceability tool already integrated into our products and processes, which has allowed us to support the Golden Thread from an early point. Reynaers DigiTrace enables product information to be uploaded onto a digital passport which is accessible via a QR code which can be added to products via a label. This provides the ability to track products from our warehouse right through to installation and handover allowing each stage to be documented.
With an emphasis on safety, traceability, competence and collaboration Reynaers is well placed to support stakeholders as the Building Safety Act becomes an integral part of the construction process.
With additional, slimline curtain walling products due to arrive on the market this year we look forward to furthering our offer in the façade sector and extending the design capabilities of the Reynaers’ portfolio.
As always, sustainability will lead development in the industry as we seek solutions that are fit for the future, but we anticipate this will see a wider focus, bringing in managing biodiversity, looking at thermal efficiency through lifetime building use and resource management.
In our commitment to testing, product development, innovation and creating products and digital services to support sustainable building design, we continue to keep the needs of our customers at the heart of all that we do at Reynaers and look forward to working with our partners in the year ahead.
