The Residence Collection and aluminium sit either side of a genuine style and budget decision. This guide narrows that decision down to the details that actually matter for your house.
The Residence Collection (R9, R7 and R2) was built to answer a specific problem: give homeowners a genuinely convincing timber-look window without the maintenance of real timber. Aluminium answers a different problem: how to get the slimmest possible frame around the largest possible pane of glass. Both are excellent products; they are simply not solving the same design brief.
This guide compares them directly rather than repeating the general aluminium vs uPVC argument, because the Residence Collection is a specific, premium tier of uPVC rather than a generic profile.
Residence windows use deep bolection mouldings, sculpted horns and authentic woodgrain foils to replicate a painted timber sash or casement. They are designed for period properties, conservation areas and anyone who wants a traditional look without the upkeep of real wood.
Aluminium is designed around structural efficiency: a thermally broken metal frame that stays rigid over large spans, allowing slim sightlines and large panes. It suits contemporary extensions, new builds and any opening where the glass, not the frame, should be the feature.
| Residence Collection (uPVC) | Aluminium | |
|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Period, cottage and traditional homes | Extensions, new builds, contemporary homes |
| Sightlines | Wider, traditional profile | Slim, minimal frame |
| Typical cost per window | £950 - £1,700 | £1,400 - £2,600 |
| Colour range | Wide, including deep woodgrain finishes | Wide, including flat RAL colours |
| U-value (double glazed) | 1.2 - 1.4 W/m²K | 1.2 - 1.4 W/m²K |
| Guaranteed frame life | Around 10 years profile guarantee, 25-35 year lifespan | Longer-lived powder coat, effectively building lifespan |
Where planning policy expects a traditional appearance, the Residence Collection is usually the more straightforward route: its horns, mouldings and glazing bar options are designed specifically to satisfy conservation officers who are used to seeing modern uPVC rejected. Aluminium can still work in these settings, but usually only with slimline, heritage-style profiles and a much stronger design justification. See our planning and conservation guides before assuming either material will be approved without discussion.
If your priority is matching a period façade, staying within a whole-house budget, or satisfying a conservation area brief, the Residence Collection is the more sensible default and there is no thermal or durability reason to pay more for aluminium.
If you are creating large open-plan glazing, a contemporary extension, or want a flat, architectural elevation, aluminium is worth the premium. Choosing Residence for a large modern opening will leave you with more visible frame than the design deserves; choosing aluminium for a small cottage window can look stark and out of place next to original stonework.
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Flagship guide · 7 min read
Aluminium and modern timber-look uPVC are both good materials. The right choice depends on the age and style of your house, your budget, and how the frames will be used, not on which one is fashionable.
Flagship guide · 6 min read
What the Residence Collection actually is, how R9, R7 and R2 differ, and why timber-look uPVC has become the standard choice for period and conservation properties.
Flagship guide · 9 min read
Everything worth knowing before specifying aluminium windows, from frame construction and thermal performance to colour, glass and realistic pricing.
Planning & Regulations · 3 min read
Conservation area status does not ban new windows, but it does change what needs permission and what a planning officer will expect to see.
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