C.H.I.C. is Giesse’s range of concealed hinges for minimal windows and doors. By disappearing into the profile, C.H.I.C. invisible hardware allows for sleek and modern aesthetic while offering practical advantages, such as ample openings, quick installation and adjustments, even for heavy duty sashes.

C.H.I.C. hardware offers the following advantages to installers

• Minimal and modern aesthetic
• High load capacity
• Ample opening
• Quick and easy installation
• Height, lateral and compression adjustments
• Compatibility with Giesse anti-burglar hardware

C.H.I.C. range covers almost every kind of aluminium windows and doors available on the market.

Certified quality

C.H.I.C. hinges are patented solutions. All design, development and production stages are Made in Italy.

C.H.I.C. products for euro groove tilt-and-turn windows and all C.H.I.C. Doors have been awarded the EPD certification. Life Cycle Assessment completed in accordance with standards ISO 14040, ISO 14044, EN ISO 14025 and EN 15804.

“Our sustainability roadmap involves exploiting certifications from independent bodies as a tool for a transparent and quantifiable assessment of environmental performance.”
– Giovanni Liconti, Sustainability Manager

C.H.I.C., the story

The challenge of minimal profiles

For many years now, there has been a sustained increase in demand for solutions with concealed hardware, as well as a strong tendency towards combined systems designed with minimal profiles, especially in aluminium.

All around us, it is evident how architects are redefining the rules of urban planning by designing increasingly streamlined buildings in increasingly bold and modern architectural styles, without physical separation between the interior and exterior of the construction. All this leads to larger glazing spans and greater demand for ultra-slim frames accessorised with in-built hardware and gaskets, which in turn increases the need for research into materials and smaller profiles capable of incorporating stylish accessories with low aesthetic impact.
In this context, thanks to its excellent mechanical and performance properties, aluminium is the most suitable material for building thinner profiles and thereby achieving increased glazing area: the results are more daylight, added durability and extra strength, together with greater design flexibility, thanks to the special finishes that aluminium offers.

2016: C.H.I.C. is launched

Aluminium casements have always embodied modernity and innovation, which also happen to be signature characteristics of the Giesse ethos. The idea underpinning the C.H.I.C. project was to revolutionise the door and window casement industry, which had not seen any significant technological innovations for a number of years. The properties of aluminium made it a natural medium for developing casements with increasingly minimalist profiles and a higher glazing ratio, allowing for an even more essential look and more daylight harvesting. And with accessories hidden from view. Mainly thanks to Giesse, concealed accessories for sash and tilt-and-turn windows are now commonplace. But it was a different story only five years ago.

2020: the C.H.I.C. product line is expanding

The expertise we acquired with the development of C.H.I.C. 100 kg enabled us to develop an ever-expanding range with C.H.I.C. 130 kg, also for sash and tilt-and-turn windows, and subsequently C.H.I.C. Bottom-Hung, for bottom-hung windows, and C.H.I.C. Door, for entrance doors.

It is a common misconception that style and performance cannot go hand-in-glove. On the contrary, the C.H.I.C. range reduces the sash and frame profile while introducing a series of practical advantages, including: a wide opening sash; side, height and compression adjustment; and, for tilt-and-turn windows, micro-ventilation as standard and the possibility of Logica safety openings.

A minimalistic building

The latest architectural solutions require large glazed surfaces combined with minimalist-style window frames. Minimalist windows are currently the only solution that can ensure maximum glass exposure and aesthetic appeal, as well as performance characteristics that comply with building regulations.
For our part, investing in the development of technology to produce these highly innovative solutions has allowed us to extend this technology to our entire range of products for different types of customer.

Leveraging the strength of its brands, the company strives to be a 360° partner, a one-stop solution provider with compatible products designed to offer a complete, integrated and harmonious system for all the windows and doors of a building. By combining Giesse hardware with Schlegel gaskets and Reguitti designer handles, it is possible to create high-performance minimalist windows.

The C.H.I.C. project was a challenging one on a number of levels. The technical solutions that we adopted needed to be innovative—and therefore patented—to make an impact on the market. They also had to make use of new materials not commonly used in the aluminium casement sector. Finally, the most difficult challenge was to miniaturise the components and conceal them inside the profile.

It hasn’t been an easy road. We carried out hundreds of tests and, as often happens, we faced various failures that enabled us to understand better and make improvements where necessary. The results are now there for all to see. And today they’re better then ever, with the addition of new, increasingly high-performance products to the range, based on the solid foundations laid in recent years: hinges for 250 kg bottom-hung windows and hinges for 160 kg doors.

Mirko Scheda
Product Manager