Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1295215
Centre for Technology Innovation (CTI), Humber College, Toronto, ON. ARC by Concord Pacific, Vancouver, B.C. O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 | 39 Curtain Wall & Window Wall P H OTO G R A P H Y BY J E SS R ED L A R S K I /CO U RT E SY N O R A M EN T ER P R I S E S; CO N CO R D PAC I F I C D E V ELO P M EN T S I N C . Bousfield says that the increasingly stringent performance requirements, such as the Washington State Energy Code, the BC Step Code, and the Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State (ECCCNYS), presents a real opportu- nity for innovative products to drive change within the window and glazing industries. "The Universal Series Window Wall is one of those innovations, offering architects and developers a way to deliver better performing buildings, complete with expan- sive views, and lots of natural light," he explains. Bousfield is excited that his company is able to offer architects and developers a way to deliver "inspiring, highly livable buildings that also boast responsible energy performance. It doesn't have to be an 'either/or' decision. "There are some interesting multi-family Passive House projects coming online – like the Ken Soble Tower EnerPHit in Hamilton, the Earth Tower proj- ect in Vancouver, and the U VIC student housing project in Victoria. These projects are going to be incredible when finished." Noram Glass has been busy of late and recently introduced the four sided SSG Curtain Wall Lite, which was developed to compete with traditional window wall products. "Currently, we are developing a range of sophis- ticated phantom vents, [motorized, oversized vents up to six feet by 11 feet] alongside the development of a range of complex panel solutions with the intro- duction of our new fully automated production line," says Jess Redlarski. When it comes to projects, Noram Glass has been involved in a number of inspiring builds, one being 360 Oakville and another being CTI Humber College – both remarkable examples of some of the company's recent projects involving prefabrication and full panelization of building facades. The Class A offices at 360 Oakville feature high-performance unitized curtain wall with sizable vertical fins, while CTI Humber College boasts high-performance unitized curtain wall, oversized glass, high span, sunshades, and remote powered operated vents For Noram, looking ahead, one of the biggest challenges they see is a continuing shortage of qual- ified expert labour in the industry, but Redlarski explains that "with this void in expertise, the indus- try opportunity and necessity for automation is where we see the future." Noram Glass is ready for whatever the future brings and sees the sector following the path of automation, prefabrication, and panelization of building components. "New equipment creates new possibilities for product innovation and sophis- tication as well as providing reliable consistency," says Redlarski. Starline Windows is excited to launch four new aluminum door systems. All are designed to meet increasing performance requirements on projects, both for field water penetration resistance testing and energy efficiency. The new door systems are impressive: the 4504 and 4506 Series Compression Seal Sliding Balcony Doors couple seamlessly to Starline Windows' respective window wall systems and achieve a 500Pa field water test rating; the 4500R Series Sliding Balcony Door features deeper thermal breaks, thicker IGU's for improved thermal performance, and also achieves a 500Pa field water test rating; and the 9506 Series Swing Balcony Door features deeper thermal breaks in the perimeter frame and installation components, resulting in improved thermal performance. Both the 4506 and 9506 Series couple seamlessly with Starline's new 9600 Series thermally enhanced window wall system. Additionally, the 9600 Series thermally enhanced window wall system is now in produc- tion on projects in B.C. where the new Step Code demanded a higher thermal performance. "This new window wall can achieve as low as a U-0.16 on the fixed glazing," says Mike Harrison, architectural representative at Starline Windows. Harrison adds that the BC Step Code has resulted in a major shift of late from towers of mostly glass to towers with more opaque wall areas, which are now upwards of 60 percent of the building envelope, with vision glass dropping to 40 percent or less. "The big challenge has been to educate and inform the architectural community that you can actually still use window wall for the entire building envelope as before and could even have 50 percent or greater window-to-wall ratio, providing the glazing trade has a product capable of hitting the energy model- ling targets for the project." The new 9600 Series and its companion doors are capable of doing just that, and Harrison says the challenge for the industry "now becomes a fabu- lous opportunity for us at the same time, not just for us, but for our customers as well. They can now seriously consider having one trade on the building envelope versus multiple trades on Step Code proj- ects. This is good for both project schedule and trade sequencing, as well as warranty considerations." As well, Starline Windows has been working on many significant projects along the West Coast from Southern California to B.C., and Alberta, including the ARC by Concord Pacific – a truly unique and fan- tastic addition to the False Creek/BC Place area of downtown Vancouver. This project features Starline Windows' SSG Hybrid wall system, along with cus- tom perforated sunscreens that Starline Windows fabricated and installed on the project. In another example of pioneering technology, Kawneer Company, Inc., the leading manufacturer of architectural aluminum products and systems for commercial construction, has recently introduced the new 1620UT/1620UT SSG Curtain Wall System. Built on the success of the 1600UT Curtain Wall plat- form and a narrow two-inch sightline, the systems feature an engineered polymer thermal separa- tor and accommodate one-inch insulating glass, making them ideal in climates where high thermal performing facades are needed. Merging a slim, sleek sightline with advanced ther- mal performance, 1620UT Curtain Wall Systems offer several design options including a traditional captured look or a two-sided vertical SSG mullion solution that permits greater uninterrupted sightlines. Both systems use concealed fasteners in their joinery construction to create flush and unbroken sightlines. Additionally, mullion depth options provide both esthetic and structural choices, giving the design team flexibility. To minimize installation time and labour, straight cuts without notching simplify fabrication, and a pre-engineered rainscreen pressure-equal- ized (RSPE) back pan option is available that uses easy-to-install spandrel adapters. 1620UT Curtain Wall Systems have been rig- orously tested to Canadian standards. In fact, exceeding building code thermal transmittance energy requirements for North America is not an issue with system U-factors ranging from 0.30-0.32 when using glass with a 0.24 CoG value. A