A Linear progression from indoors to out

It’s one of the great conundrums of modern times… how does one get to experience the beauty of a wood fire while taking advantage of the convenience of a gas fire—especially when gas fires have, traditionally, fallen well short on replicating the look we love so much.

It was a question Kai Roever was determined to answer when he became Rinnai’s Head of Design.

“Rinnai spent five years developing the Linear Collection, a range of interior fires designed and made in New Zealand with the Linear 800 incorporating FlameTech technology, for the most realistic flame experience.

“At the same time hand-selected driftwood and weather-worn stones were painstakingly recreated as perfectly lifelike ceramics to create the burn media. Together, these elements form a beautiful-looking fire. To give you the very best view, the glass has an anti-reflective coating, which ensures the view of your fire is as pristine as possible.”

Since being launched onto the market, the Linear Collection has proven very popular with specifiers and homeowners looking for a high-performance, wide-format fire but was there a way to improve on excellence?

The answer is: the Linear Indoor-Outdoor. A progression of the Linear Collection that makes it possible to install a double-sided fireplace into an external wall so you can enjoy the fire from inside and outside.

“The Indoor-Outdoor concept came about following a customer request for a fireplace that could do double duty and, given how much Kiwis love their indoor-outdoor flow—and that outdoor living areas are generally an extension of the indoor living space—it made sense to create a product that works for both.

“Because the technology behind the Linear Collection already existed, adapting it to suit an external application as well was a relatively simple process and took around 12 months to perfect.”

Kai says the Rinnai design team consulted extensively with architects and designers during that time to ensure the integrity of the design of the Linear Collection was maintained with this new iteration.

“Our goal with this addition to the collection was to make it as easy as possible for architects and designers to specify, so we wanted it to be as close as we could make it to the product that they were already comfortable with. Also, they have a well-informed understanding of important issues such as distances and clearances and cavity ventilation requirements, so their input from a technical and aesthetic perspective was invaluable.”

While, at its heart the double-sided Linear Indoor-Outdoor is the same fire as its internal stablemates, the addition of a specially designed window kit allows it to be installed in an external wall.

“For being such a great leap forward in fireplace useability, the concept itself is actually quite simple,” says Kai. “On the interior, the fireplace hasn’t changed much at all, with its zero-clearance, slimline frame. On the exterior side, the glass has been replaced with a double-glazed, safety glass window mounted within a black aluminium joinery frame.

“We consulted with a number of window manufacturers on the type of frame and style that would resonate most with homeowners and the overwhelming response was for a low-profile, matt black look—so that’s what we developed.”

Like its stablemates, the Linear Indoor-Outdoor is available in three models—800, 1000 and 1500—and the window kit has been designed to meet Building Code regulations, says Kai.

“R-values are really important and an integral consideration, so the exterior window is double-glazed to meet the code. Also, the window—which is lockable for security—is hinged for easy cleaning. On the 800 model it’s side-hinged while on the 1000 and 1500 models it’s bottom hinged.

“Equally important, the Linear Indoor-Outdoor is compatible with all exterior cladding types including brick and weatherboards and we have made available a range of CAD files for architects and designers. Similarly, an installation manual is available online for downloading.

“Because the window kit needs to be installed before the fire is installed and because commissioning of the fireplace can only happen once the gas is turned on, we can supply the window kit and fireplace separately to mitigate any issues of onsite storage of the fireplace while external works are being carried out.”

The Linear Indoor-Outdoor fireplace is WiFi enabled for remote access and to set timers via smartphone or device.

Learn more about the Linear Indoor-Outdoor fireplace and its suitability for inclusion in your next renovation or new build project.