Are Aluminum Windows Suitable for Large Panel Facades?

Aluminum windows excel when paired with large-format metal facade panels, offering the strength and slender profiles needed for expansive glazing. To integrate large panels—often up to 1.2 m by 3 m—window frames must be engineered for wind load and deflection criteria. Thermal-break profiles with reinforced steel or glass-fiber inserts maintain structural rigidity while controlling conductivity. Windows use a stick or unitized system: in stick systems, mullions and transoms are assembled on site to custom lengths matching panel joints; in unitized modules, windows arrive factory-assembled to exact panel dimensions, ensuring consistent tolerances with facade modules. Gasket-in-channel glazing and captured pressure plates secure glass within panels, while concealed anchors link the window perimeter to the sub-frame behind the panels. For ceiling transitions—such as soffit strips above storefront windows—the same panel profiles can be cut to maintain alignment, preserving the visual grid across vertical and horizontal surfaces. This coordinated engineering allows large-scale installations with minimal sightlines, delivering a cohesive curtain of metal panels and high-performance glazing that meets aesthetic and performance demands.