White Paper. Window & Door Contribution to Educational Institution Excellence

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1 White Paper Window & Door Contribution to Educational Institution Excellence When designing a new educational facility or renovating an existing space, windows and doors present a golden opportunity to truly differentiate or enhance the project and to accentuate the aesthetics and performance of it. Building performance criteria has been increasing in stringency through both national building codes, as well as regional codes like those found in Florida, along the eastern seaboard and the Gulf coast. Educational facilities designers, builders, managers and end users have become better informed, more discerning and more critical of a window and door product s performance, aesthetics and durability. Manufacturers have responded by developing and offering high-performing, aesthetically pleasing, architecturally correct and long-lasting products.

2 2 Window and Door Contribution to Educational Institution Excellence FUNCTIONALITY Today s educational projects are no longer limited to standard crank-out casement or double hung windows. Numerous operating configurations include tilt-turns, push out casements, folding windows and doors, and lift and slide doors. Double hung windows have been used for more than 100 years in educational projects across the country. Improved versions of weight and chain pulley preserve the classic academic aesthetic coupled with modern performance. With properly engineered balances and hard, double hung windows operate with minimal effort even at dimensions as large as 6-feet wide by 12-feet tall. Tilt-turn windows, whose special functionality originated in Europe, are making inroads into educational facilities. Their high performance attributes and versatility make them an attractive alternative to a standard casement or double hung window. These windows have dual functionality as they can simply tilt inward for ventilation, or they can turn and open like an inswing window. A push out casement does not utilize a crank mechanism to open the sash. A simple turn of a handle unlocks the unit and the sash pushes out as far as needed. Folding windows and doors incorporate very large open spaces, whether from the interior to the exterior of the building or between two interior rooms. These products can be especially useful in dividing large interior spaces into two individual rooms. The lift and slide door also accommodates extremely large openings in both width and height. Lift and slide door panels can be configured into openings that span in excess of 50 feet in length. Advances in hardware and design allow swinging doors to reach heights of feet. To reach even larger sizes, window and door products also may be mulled (assembled) together in the field. Riverside Military Academy: Gainesville, Georgia Using product options such as doors with full-view glass and traditional divided lite patterns, this addition to the academy matched the existing aesthetic of this historic institution. MATERIALS Wood, aluminum and vinyl are all viable material choices for windows and doors in educational institutions. WOOD Wood continues to be the material of choice for many architects due to its look, feel, flexibility and sustainability. ALUMINUM CLAD WOOD Offered in sizes that are comparable to those found in all-aluminum storefront type products, these windows and doors create vast expanses of glass, provide a high-level of durability, while maintaining the look and feel of a wood unit. VINYL Suitable for educational projects, vinyl windows and doors are manufactured with commercial ratings and aesthetics. Design options include mimicking the look of aluminum clad or all-wood unit and keeping all of the performance attributes associated with vinyl.

3 3 Window and Door Contribution to Educational Institution Excellence AESTHETICS There are many university and college campus buildings within North America that embody architectural excellence. The combination of an institution s rich heritage and history are meshed with the physical structures on their campus grounds. Great care and a sense of pride can be found in the design and aesthetic of the buildings found on these campuses. Windows and doors play a critical role in these buildings and can be one of the most important components of the façade. They can transform a building s exterior in a very dramatic way. With sound architectural design, the results can be spectacular. For historic academic building renovations, window and door products aesthetic considerations can include: divided lites, special exterior casings and sill nosings, colors, hardware and even glass. The simple change of adding a divided lite option to the windows and doors can greatly enhance -- or detract -- from the project s intended design. One such example is Folwell Hall at the University of Minnesota. The hall was originally constructed in 1907 using beautiful white oak double hung windows. During a replacement project during the 1980s, a basic all-aluminum window system was utilized to replace the aging originals. In 2010, the windows were replaced once again as part of an extensive renovation. This time, the priority was two-fold; replicate the beauty of the original white oak windows, while providing an energy efficient product to meet the state and local energy codes. This time, an extruded aluminum clad wood product was utilized, providing an architecturally correct window with white oak interior parts and today s technology and energy efficiency. The final result is a facility that has been returned to its original design intent. University of Minnesota: Folwell Hall A recent renovation, including new windows that replicated the original white oak products, restored this century-old hall to its original design intent.

4 4 Window and Door Contribution to Educational Institution Excellence Most window and door product manufacturers offer standard divided lites with various bar widths. Some manufacturers can customize divided lites to specifically match an historic profile. A few manufacturers also will craft a true divided lite window or door utilizing dual glazed glass for improved envelope performance. Exterior casings and sill nosings also play an important role in defining the window and door aesthetic. Options such as 2-inch brickmould, 3-1/2-inch brickmould, flat casings, ogee casings and historic casings are all available options. Almost any casing or nosing can be reproduced, if needed, to fit wood, aluminum or vinyl window and door products. A broad color palette ensures the windows and doors match the exterior and interior design scheme. This can be an important historical element for renovation projects. Custom colors can also be easily produced with the same longlasting warranties. Indiana University of Pennsylvania: Sutton Hall New windows and doors provided options to match the historic aesthetic of the building. Options such as custom exterior casing, custom grille patterns and a high-performance exterior paint all contributed to the outstanding result. While color is the most visible aspect of the finish, it is equally important to specify the finish type and understand their individual performance values. FLUOROPOLYMER PAINTS This 70% PVDF exterior paint finish for extruded aluminum clad products meets the performance requirements of American Architectural Manufacturer s Association (AAMA) This coating is an excellent choice for its durability and resistance to chemicals, abrasion, corrosion and weathering. ANODIZE FINISH These electrochemically applied finishes also provide a long-lasting alternative to a paint finish for extruded aluminum clad products. The unique colors that can be achieved through this process are often used to differentiate a project. HIGH-PERFORMANCE EXTERIOR PAINTS This paint finish is intended for all-wood windows and doors, providing an excellent warranty against ultraviolet deterioration, chalking and damage from salt, wind, sleet and snow. INTERIOR STAINS OR PAINTS Some product manufacturers also have the ability to provide products that are pre-finished on the interior. There are numerous colors available for staining on multiple wood species, providing a vast array of possibilities. There are also some options in the market for an acrylic-type paint finish to provide color to the interior of a window or door. EXTERIOR COATINGS FOR VINYL PRODUCTS Today s vinyl products can also be exterior-coated to provide a vast color palette for any project. Using heat-reflective polyurethane coatings, this durable coating carries a long warranty and will not warp the vinyl substrate due to excessive heat gain. Whether on the exterior or the interior, factory-applied finishes can save time and money versus finishing the products on the job site. Another benefit of a factory pre-finish is that the manufacturing process ensures that any volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are safely captured and removed before arriving on the jobsite. This provides an environmentallyfriendly alternative to finishing the products on site.

5 5 Window and Door Contribution to Educational Institution Excellence LEED (Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design) With the formation of the U.S. Green Building Council in 1993, the green movement began to grow tremendously. The organization developed the LEED Rating Systems as a set of guidelines in the design and construction of buildings ranging from residential to retail to schools. Products, such as windows and doors, can contribute towards many of the categories within the LEED program including: Energy performance Recycled content Regional materials Rapidly renewable materials Certified wood Indoor air quality Increased ventilation Indoor environmental quality By knowing and following the guidelines within the LEED program, building and renovation project teams can select windows and doors to maximize the performance and sustainable design of the project. ENERGY Rising energy costs, along with more stringent building codes related to energy, are pushing energy efficiency higher in project priority. ENERGY STAR and other government programs promote the testing and use of products, including windows and doors that provide the best energy efficiency. Non-governmental programs, such as the LEED Rating Systems, also drive the demand for better-performing building products. While dual pane glass commonly is used in educational facilities windows and doors, triple pane glass is gaining popularity for increased energy efficiency. The use of advanced low-emissivity (LoE) coatings also increases the energy performance of insulated glass. In a U.S. Department of Energy statistic, the use of LoE coatings in the commercial sector has increased from 17% in 1990 to 54% in Through prudent design and a thorough understanding of the performance characteristics of the various LoE coatings, a building can utilize different coatings on different sides of a particular building to maximize the energy performance. For example, different glass and LoE coatings can be used on the south elevation of a building as opposed to the north. Of course, depending upon the region, the coatings used could be the reverse of one another from one project to the next. In the colder climates, allowing the energy from the sun into the building can be advantageous in lessening the demand for heating. However, in the southern regions, it is the opposite. The ability to block the sun s energy from entering the building reduces the cooling load. Today s glass and LoE coatings allow for tremendous design flexibility to enhance a building s envelope performance. Tivoli Student Union: Denver, Colorado A renovation project encompassing the replacement of 180 windows, each custom-sized per opening, energy efficient and historically stylized.

6 6 Window and Door Contribution to Educational Institution Excellence SECURITY Laminated glass, typically used in coastal impact zones, can provide a level of security to any building. Laminated glass sandwiches a plastic inner-layer between two panes of glass. The plastic inner-layer provides additional security to the windows and doors, hindering forced entry. While the glass may break during a forced entry situation, the plastic innerlayer holds them together, causing a delay in entry. Windows, doors and their hardware aid in securing the campus facility. Custodial locks prevent building occupants from unauthorized use of the opening, while still allowing for maintenance to be completed. Windows and doors that have multi-point locking systems also enhance the building s exterior perimeter safety by securing the opening in multiple locations, rather than a single locking point. SOUND The importance of a quiet classroom or dormitory is well documented. Reducing the amount of noise transmitted from the outside to the inside of a building is crucial to providing an environment conducive to learning. Sound transmission coefficient (STC) ratings help the designer or end-user know how well the product reduces the amount of sound traveling through the particular product. Laminated glass is an option that reduces the amount of sound that is transmitted through the window or door. Combination units (storm windows) are another avenue that can be taken to improve the sound-reducing performance of a window. MAINTENANCE For the facility manager in charge of upkeep and maintenance, windows and doors can sometimes be a challenge. Many manufacturers provide guidance on the prudent ways to keep their products looking and performing as they should. Some companies offer a specialized exterior glass coating that has the ability to break down dirt by use of ultraviolet rays and allow water to rinse it away; reducing the amount of washing that is required. During construction, protective films may be applied to the interior and exterior of the window and door glass. These protective films stay on the glass until the construction project is complete and then are simply peeled off, revealing a clean and scratch-free surface. As for the window and door s exterior, a certain amount of maintenance is required to achieve lasting results.

7 7 Window and Door Contribution to Educational Institution Excellence BIM (Building Information Modeling) Reputable window and door manufacturers not only provide high performance products and maintenance instructions, they also provide tools and services to assist with their design and selection. Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools are digital representations of a product. These window and door models are tools designers can utilize when working in their design phase to easily insert them into their plans, saving considerable time. These tools support project designs from the earliest stages all the way through its operational life. The use of BIM allows architects, designers, builders and facility managers to have better insight into the inner-workings of a particular building highlighting potential obstacles to save time and resources. Following construction, BIM continues to add value helping facility managers map the day-to-day building operations, proper maintenance and future renovations. University of Kentucky: Miller Hall Through the use of windows replicating the historical aesthetic, a 1994 renovation produced outstanding results transforming the hall to its original design. CONCLUSION Building design and construction products and methods continue to evolve to provide better performing structures without sacrificing sound architectural design practices. The bar continues to rise to deliver functional, attractive, energy-efficient, comfortable, secure and enduring structures that are conducive to the learning environment. For more information on how windows and doors contribute to education institution excellence or to learn how Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co., Inc. can help, please call or visit our website at