Client requests for open interiors and ample views to the outdoors are tasking designers with finding functional products that meet a project’s aesthetic needs. This week, we’re spotlighting window and door units that incorporate daylight and facilitate passage through a space without sacrificing design value—among them, an electrochromic window with tinted zones and a luxe door for tight spaces.
Half + Half, HOK Product Design and LualdiPorte
A collaboration between HOK’s product design studio and Italian door-marker LualdiPorte, Half + Half was crafted as a high-end option for spaces too small to fit a swing or sliding door. A swing-and-pivot hinge allows the unit to be set in a half-in, half-out position to add dimension to a space. Three trim options pair wood and colorful panels. The door debuted at Salone in April.
ZNC, Zola European Windows
Certified by both the Passive House Institute and the Passive House Institute U.S., Zola’s ZNC features a slim profile with concealed hinges and rail-mounted rainscreen cladding. It is offered with R-11 triple glazing or R-15 quad glazing (shown). The unit can be specified in dimensions of up to 8’ wide and 10’ tall for the fixed model and 8’ wide and 10’ tall for the tilt-and-turn variation.
SageGlass LightZone, Sage Electrochromics
The maker of electronically tinted glass has developed LightZone, a dynamic window system that allows for multiple zones of tinting within a single pane. Building occupants can adjust the tint in three sections of the pane to help manage solar heat gain and glare, as the sun’s angle changes, while also maintaining sightlines. Below, Sage Electrochromics' vice president of business development, Andrew Hulse, explains the product to ARCHITECT senior editor Wanda Lau at the AIA National Convention in Chicago last week.
YES SGG TUH Vent Window, YKK AP
To help designers integrate natural ventilation into a storefront or curtainwall application, YKK AP developed YES SGG TUH, a thermally-broken, impact-resistant vent window that blends into the surrounding framing system and appears as a fixed lite. Each window is offered glazed and with 1” insulating units in dimensions of up to 36” by 60”, both wide and tall. The window meets the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code through Zone 6 and test requirements of the Florida High Velocity Hurricane Zone. Shown with the company's YHS 300 curtainwall system.
90-Degree Corner Unit, Kolbe
Kolbe is growing its VistaLuxe Collection of windows and doors with the addition of a 90-degree corner direct-set window unit introduced at this year’s AIA National Convention in Chicago. Designed for use in residential spaces to incorporate views to the outdoors, the unit features a wood interior frame and an aluminum-clad exterior.
Rite Door, Adams Rite
Adams Rite designed an integrated commercial door system with inset hardware and a core comprising either five-ply engineered composite lumber or a fire-resistant composite that has a fire rating of up to 90 minutes. The Rite Door’s veneer is offered in 16 wood grains and a sketch face. The product is Green Guard certified for Indoor Air Quality and Children and Schools and meets the requirements of California’s Air Resources Board.
