Heated Windows Stop
Chills at Durango Restaurant

The Mahogany Grille is a premier dining establishment in downtown Durango, Colo. Its front windows provide an excellent view of the City’s scenic downtown.

Unfortunately, they also created problems keeping the restaurant warm and comfortable, especially in winter. Customers would regularly request a table away from the windows, despite the view.

“We had a real problem with drafts,” says Rod Barker, owner of the Mahogany Grille. In January 2007, Barker had installed two new windows with heated glass at the front of the restaurant.

It was the first restaurant in North America to adopt heated glass technology for windows. Installation was completed in one morning before the restaurant opened, so that the project did not have any effect on normal business hours.

In addition to keeping customers warm, the heated glass also offers condensation control. The Mahogany Grille’s front windows will never fog up or frost over while the heat is on, allowing guests to always have a clear view through the glass.

Since the Mahogany Grille is in a historic building, originally built in 1887, replacing the windows was a delicate task. The retrofit project could not alter the authentic period appearance of the window or building. Adding fans, motors, or duct work was not an option. All electrical components in the heated glass are hidden within the window frame.

Twelve months after installing the heated glass windows at the Mahogany Grille, Barker says it was a wise investment for the restaurant.

Eliminating the uncomfortably cold area near the windows has increased the floor space available to customers for dining (and thus the revenue potential for the restaurant).

Florida Medical
Center Wins LEED Silver
Energy-efficient building products contributed to the U.S. Green Building Council’s awarding of Silver LEED certification to the new Parrish Healthcare Center in Port St. John, Fla. It is the first  outpatient facility in Florida to achieve silver certification.

The striking façade of the healthcare facility includes several energy efficient products from YKK AP North America—AP ProTek YHC 300 OG curtainwall system, AP 35H impact resistant doors, and the AP YHS 50 FS hurricaneresistant storefront system.

In addition to being green, YKK AP’s impact resistant products also meet or exceed Florida’s tough standards for protecting buildings from hurricane force winds and flying debris.

Parrish Healthcare Center is a 76,000-squarefoot outpatient facility with diagnostic, testing, laboratory and physical therapy services, a sleep disorder center, medical offices and a conference center. The building opened last spring and the Silver award was issued in December. The building was designed by RTKL and constructed by Skanska USA Building Inc.

Architects' Guide to Glass & Metal
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