AGG - 2006 - March/April

Brochure Discusses Windows in Healthcare Construction

A new brochure encouraging a balanced approach for the integration of operable windows into the design of healthcare facilities is available from the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA). The Planning for Patient Safety brochure outlines window design considerations faced by the hospital or healthcare facility architect regarding fire safety, emergency escape, ventilation and other issues.

Codes dating back to 1985 have required the use of operable windows in patient rooms as a means of providing emergency ventilation in the case of fire. However, more recent codes of the AIA and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 2000 Life Safety Code Handbook) have removed that mandate, according to AAMA. “There are no design absolutes with respect to fire safety,” states Janice Charletta, AAMA’s marketing and membership manager. “Building designers should consider all the alternatives and their benefits. Operable windows can be an integral part of fire safety provisions while also providing daily benefits, such as natural daylighting, ventilation and energy savings.”

The brochure addresses the pros and cons of specifying operable windows versus other alternatives. It quotes architect Gene Wells of Marshall Erdman & Associates, a leading national health care design and construction firm as saying, “In today’s hospital, huge efforts are being made to create a healing environment for patients and their families. A non-institutional approach lessens the stress level for people who already have too much stress and leads to better outcomes. Patient’s rooms, in particular, are often designed to reflect local culture, connect with nature or create a hotel-like environment. Operable windows can be an integral part of this atmosphere.”

She adds, “The issue of control is also important. Operable windows can give patients a small controllable piece of an environment in which they may feel like they have very little control. This can increase patient satisfaction, even if they never actually open the window.” Copies of the brochure can be downloaded or ordered.

www.aamanet.org; or call 847/303-5664.

Energy Features Now Standard

TRACO is now offering low-E and argon as standard features on its Power Two windows and doors to increase energy efficiency. The Power Two products are composite units with aluminum on the exterior for added strength and vinyl on the interior for warmth. The line features six different exterior colors and two interior colors for 12 different possible combinations. The exterior finish is an electrostatically applied PPG architectural paint finish. TRACO manufactures custom-designed architectural heavy commercial, commercial and residential rated windows, doors, standard curtainwall, storefront and entrances, and impact-resistant hurricane doors and windows and blast products.

www.traco.com or call 800/837-7001

Custom-Shaped Glass

Equipped with custom-built ovens, Think Glass can create any shape in any size by melting previously sized pieces of glass on soft molds for a period of 1 to 30 days. Once the glass is taken out of the oven, it can be reshaped and worked on until it perfectly represents the designer’s vision. The company can create pieces as thick as 12 inches and as large as 7 by 12 feet. Technological advancement also allows the company to add unique artistic treatment and colorization techniques to its glass casting capabilities. This constant evolution in technology opens up new horizons for designers and architects. One example of the company’s work is the bar in Duvet Restaurant, one of Manhattan’s trendiest restaurants. It was designed by Andres Escobar and inspired by an ice bar at the Hotel de Glace in Quebec City. The tridimentional sculpted structure combined with continuously changing LED lighting makes the bar the focal point of the entire restaurant.

www.thinkglass.com or call 514/325-0062.