Residential Window Walls in Aluminum Clad Wood
A full wall of glass, framed in wood inside and aluminum outside, built to your opening.
What a Residential Window Wall Actually Is
A window wall is a full run of glass that fills one large opening. It sits between the head and the sill, carried by the framing above and below, and it's built from individual units that get joined together. That's different from a commercial curtain wall, which spans floor to floor and hangs off the slab. WANJIA Hiseng does not offer curtain wall. This page is about residential window walls in aluminum clad wood, the kind that goes into a great room, a living room, a villa, or a hotel lobby.
The units themselves are the same aluminum clad wood windows we build for every other opening. Solid wood on the inside, aluminum cladding on the outside, joined with a thermal break. A wall of glass is just a layout problem: how many lites, where the operable sashes go, and how the mullions line up across the whole run.
If you're comparing suppliers, ask what ratings appear on the label. ENERGY STAR qualification is based on U-factor and SHGC ratings only, and the NFRC label carries those numbers along with air leakage, visible transmittance, and condensation resistance. Any factory can print a brochure. The label is the part you can check.
How the Wall Comes Together
Four decisions shape every window wall we build.
Factory Mulling
Two or more framed units get joined into one assembly before it ships. Mullions carry the joint, so the grid reads as a single wall rather than a row of separate windows. Field mulling is possible, but factory mulling keeps the alignment tight.
Fixed Lites and Operables
Most of the wall is fixed glass. Casement, awning, single-hung and sliding units can be mulled alongside those fixed lites wherever you need ventilation. Operable sashes use hardware from ROTO, SIEGENIA and CMECH with a multi-point locking system.
Glass and Grille Options
Units take double, triple or Low-E glass, with a built-in grille or lattice option if you want divided lites. The 33 mm notch holds the glazing. Triple pane is the thicker build, and it changes the frame depth you'll see from inside.
Wood and Aluminum Finishes
Wood species include Burmese teak, black walnut, cherry and red rosewood. Aluminum cladding comes in powder coating, anodizing or wood-grain finishes. You pick the interior wood and the exterior color separately, which is the point of the build.
Window Wall Specifications
What we build from, on the aluminum clad wood platform.
| Profile | 6063-T5 aluminum clad wood |
|---|---|
| Casement thickness | about 2.0 mm |
| Sliding thickness | about 1.5 mm |
| Glass notch | 33 mm |
| Glazing | double, triple, Low-E |
| Wood species | Burmese teak, black walnut, cherry, red rosewood |
| Operable hardware | ROTO, SIEGENIA, CMECH |
| Locking | multi-point locking system |
| Screens | insect screen available |
Exact glass build, hardware and finish depend on the configuration you specify.
Other Aluminum Clad Wood Products
The same platform, built for different openings.
Wood Clad Windows
Wood clad windows with solid wood interiors and aluminum exteriors, made to your opening.
View details
Aluminum Clad Wood Casement Windows
Aluminum clad wood casement windows, outward opening, with German hardware and multi-point locking.
View details
Aluminum Clad Wood Single Hung Windows
Aluminum clad wood single hung windows with a tilt-in sash for cleaning from inside.
View details
Aluminum Clad Wood Sliding Windows
Aluminum clad wood sliding windows for wide openings where a swing sash won't fit.
View detailsWindow Wall vs Curtain Wall, and What to Confirm First
Curtain wall is a commercial system. It spans slab to slab, hangs from the structure above, and carries its own wind load through the mullion grid. Window wall sits inside a single opening and is supported at the head and the sill. If your drawings call for a curtain wall, that's a different supply chain and we're not the right factory. If your drawings call for a large residential opening filled with mulled units, that's exactly what we build.
Before anything gets cut, confirm four things with your structural designer: the header size over the enlarged opening, the design wind load for your location, the deflection limit, and who handles flashing and waterproofing at the head and sill. The North American Fenestration Standard, published by AAMA, WDMA and CSA, is the document your designer will reference for performance ratings. NAFS-26 is the current edition, and it supersedes the 2022 version. Structural performance testing follows methods such as ASTM E330/E330M. None of that is our call to make, and we won't pretend it is.
Sizing and Operating a Window Wall for a Modern House
- 01Planning Operable Bays
A modern house big windows layout usually means one tall living space with glass on two or three sides. Before you order anything, decide which bays move. Window walls that open need somewhere for the sash to travel, and an awning sash pushes outward while a casement swings out and a single-hung slides up. Sketch the swing arcs on the elevation. If a sofa or a dining table sits against the glass, keep the operables at the ends and leave the middle fixed.
- 02Aligning Mullions and Drainage
For aluminum window walls, the mullion lines are the design. Line them up with the floor joints, the ceiling beams, or the cabinet runs so the grid reads as one system. Keep the operable units the same height as the fixed lites next to them, otherwise the transom line breaks and the wall looks patched. An opening window wall also has to drain. Each operable unit needs its own sill and weep path, and the rough opening has to be level and square before the assembly lands, because a mulled run will not twist into place.
- 03Measuring and Specifying Units
Measure the opening at three points, top, middle and bottom, and take the smallest number. That is the opening you build to. Tell your supplier which bays are fixed and which open, and where the mullions fall. If you are comparing quotes, ask whether the units come mulled from the factory or get joined on site. Factory mulling holds the alignment. Field mulling depends on your installer.
- 04Materials and Hardware Options
The aluminum clad wood units behind these walls use a 6063-T5 profile with a solid wood interior and aluminum cladding outside. Operable sashes run hardware from ROTO, SIEGENIA and CMECH with a multi-point locking system. Glass can be double, triple or Low-E, and an insect screen is available. Foshan WANJIA Window and Door Co., Ltd holds ISO 9001 certificate 24CN34508377Q for the production and sales of aluminum alloy doors and windows.
Questions buyers ask
What is a window wall called?
In residential work it's usually just called a window wall, or a mulled window wall when the units are joined at the factory. Some drawings label it a window wall system, and you'll see glass window wall used in marketing copy. It's not a storefront and it's not a curtain wall. The naming matters because it tells the supplier whether the assembly sits inside one opening or spans between floors.
What is a curtain wall vs window wall?
A curtain wall is a commercial facade system. It runs floor to floor, hangs off the slab edge, and manages its own movement and wind load. A window wall fills a single rough opening and is supported at the head and sill by the surrounding framing. We build the second one. If your project needs a true curtain wall, you'll want a commercial glazing contractor.
How expensive is a window wall?
We don't publish prices, and any factory that quotes a per-square-foot number before seeing your layout is guessing. Cost moves with the number of operable sashes, the glass build, the wood species, the aluminum finish, and how many mullions the grid needs. Send drawings and dimensions and we'll quote within 3 hours on average. Compare the quote line by line, not just the total.
Can a window wall include operable windows?
Yes. Casement, awning, single-hung and sliding units can be mulled into the same assembly as fixed lites. The trick is planning the grid first: operable sashes need a mullion on each side, and screens add depth at the frame. Put the operables where you'll actually use them, usually a door-height casement at one end or awning units high on the wall.
Can a window wall have doors in it?
Yes. A sliding or hinged unit can be mulled into the same run as the fixed lites, so the wall opens onto a deck or patio. Keep the door height consistent with the adjacent units and give the track or threshold its own drainage path. Tell your supplier the door location on the elevation so the mullion layout and the sill details are set before fabrication.
How do I keep the mullion lines straight across a long run?
Set one datum line, usually the head, and hold every unit to it. Keep operable and fixed units the same height so the transom reads continuous. Factory mulling joins the units into one assembly before shipping, which holds alignment better than joining frames on site. Confirm the joint locations against your interior finishes before you release the order.
Send Your Window Wall Drawings
Share your opening dimensions and layout, and we'll quote within 3 hours on average.