eco friendly Archives - APA Facade Systems US

6 Impressive Window System Projects

Following our previous blog, “6 Extraordinary Curtain Wall Designs”, we are looking at 6 super window projects featuring our profiles across North America, Ireland and the UK.

We also discuss the benefits of installing thermally enhanced window systems.

Gansevoort Row, Meatpacking District, New York City

Year Completed: 2021
Awards: Winner of the Adaptive Reuse and Renovation category at the Society of American Registered Architects Awards
System Used: ST70 Hi Window System
Architect: BKSK Architects

60- 74 Gansevoort is right in the centre of the historic Meatpacking District in New York. Gansevoort Row required a high-performance, durable window system that could withstand the harsh winter climate of New York and block out noise from the busy Gansevoort district. Aesthetically, the windows also had to integrate with the historical architecture surrounding the meatpacking district. Fixed, curved, and tilt & turn windows were all installed on this project, complete with all window jewellery. Read more….

402 Dunsmuir - Vancouver, Canada

Year Completed: 2020
System Used: TB50 SG Concealed Frame Vents
Certification: LEED Gold
Architect: B + H Architects

The design brief for 402 Dunsmuir was to develop a cost-effective, secure, and integrated building solution that prioritized operations, comfort and energy efficiency. Over 200 of our structurally glazed, triple-glazed concealed frame awnings feature on every elevation of 402 Dunsmuir Street. They fit directly within the framework, providing internal ventilation whilst not affecting the appearance or geometry of the external facade. Read more…..

Olympic Way & Pinnacle Tower, London

Year Completed: 2013
System Used: ST70 & ST80 Windows
Architect: HTA Design

Olympic Way and Pinnacle Tower are neighbouring Wembley Stadium in London. The biggest challenge faced by the architects was to discover an economical solution to block out the noise and improve the internal acoustics of the building. The flexibility of our window systems meant our ST80 window, our highest performing at the time, could be installed on the first 8 storeys. Our ST70 window was then installed for the remaining 12 storeys when the acoustic requirements weren’t as demanding, reducing the overall costs and meeting the acoustic demands required. Our ST profiles have identical sightlines so the aesthetic appearance of the building wasn’t affected. Read more…..

Vita Student, Strawberry Place, Newcastle

Year Completed: 2017
System Used: ST60 Windows
Architect: Ryder Architecture

Vita Student in Strawberry Place is a 10-storey student accommodation development near St. James Park in Newcastle city centre. The development is focused around a central landscaped courtyard which spills out from a double-height student hub space. Each of the 331 rooms features our ST60 side hung casement windows, alongside our parallel sashes, expertly installed by Speedclad Ltd. Read more….

New Mill Student Accommodation, Blackpitts, Dublin

Year Completed: 2017
System Used: ST80 Window System
Architect: Reddy Architecture

New Mill Student Accommodation was completed in September 2017. This 15,093 m² development is a mixed-use student living accommodation with 410 rooms in the heart of Dublin’s Liberties. Each of these 410 bedrooms features our thermally enhanced ST80 Window System Read more….

Enniscorthy Primary Care Centre, Wexford

Enniscorthy Primary Care Centre has just recently been completed. It was designed by Limerick City architectural firm Quinn Architects with sustainability at the forefront of design. Our ST70 Hi windows along with our curtain wall system were installed on this project, helping it to meet all the requirements of Near Zero Energy Building (nZEB)

How Important Is The Thermal Performance Of Window Systems?

Modern aluminium profiles like our ST Window Suite are designed with thermally conductive insulating cores, foams and gaskets. They can accommodate double or triple glazed Low-E units with warm edge spacer bars. This means they can achieve, and in some cases surpass the Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) and Passive House standards.

Choosing nZEB or Passive House profiles is also environmentally friendly. They create a strong barrier to the cold, reducing the demand for heating which saves energy and considerably reduces CO2 emissions. Read more……

Get in touch with a member of our team about your next project below

6 Sustainable Solutions for Windows, Doors & Curtain Wall Systems

Climate change and sustainable production is top of the priority list for architects and designers to reduce our impact on the built environment. Here are 6 environmentally friendly ways you can reduce your carbon footprint when choosing your windows, doors and curtain wall systems.

1. Choose Aluminum

Aluminum has a life cycle that very few materials can match; it is infinitely recyclable. This means it can be recycled over and over without losing its properties or quality. That’s not all, recycled aluminum uses just 5% of the energy required for producing primary metal, saving an enormous 95%. In fact, about 75% of all the aluminum ever produced is still in use.

2. Install Thermally Efficient Glass / Windows

Modern aluminum profiles like our ST Window Suite are designed with thermally conductive insulating cores, foams and gaskets and accommodate Low-E double or triple glazed units.

They meet and surpass Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) and Passive House standards. This reduces the demand for heating, saving energy and considerably reducing CO2 emissions.

Our design team can conduct a project-specific thermal analysis for each proposed system on the project. Get in touch with us below to find out more.

3. Include Natural Ventilation

Ensuring refurbishments and new building designs have adequate and appropriate ventilation can have a significant impact on the building’s performance. Natural ventilation removes the need for air conditioning, reducing energy consumption. This leads to a reduction in carbon emissions and operational costs and can help to achieve nZEB compliance.

4. Install Solar Shading

Solar Shading or “Brise Soleil”, as it’s otherwise known, minimises the ‘greenhouse effect’ on the internal environment of the building. It controls the level of sunlight entering the building, which subsequently lowers the temperature.

Installing Brise Soleil on the external facade of a building is hugely beneficial to both the environment and the building’s overall operating costs. Similar to natural ventilation, it substantially reduces the need for air-conditioning during the summer and consequently reduces energy consumption.

5. Avoid Anodized Finish

The primary issue with anodizing is that you cannot use secondary (recycled) aluminum billets. This means that every piece of anodized aluminum is extruded from primary aluminum billet (new raw material). One of the key benefits of aluminum is that it is infinitely recyclable. Anodizing it kind of defeats this purpose.

Alternative to anodized? Powder Coating. Powder coating is available with hundreds of color variants including anodic colors, designed to look like anodized aluminum.

Painted aluminum has a guaranteed long-term resistance to weathering and unlike an anodized finish, it can be restored on-site, quickly and easily without having to replace the profile.

6. Recycle Old Aluminum Windows

Choosing aluminum windows is not only a sustainable option when installing them, as they are infinitely and 100% recyclable the old aluminum window systems can be melted down, and reused in the production cycle. This is vitally important in the Circular Economy of the construction industry.

Get in touch with a member of our team below

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With Winter on The Way, How Important is Thermal Performance?

Thermal Performance of Window Systems - APA Facade Systems

With winter looming, the thermal performance of windows, doors and curtain wall systems is crucial. Not only to keep the inhabitants warm but to reduce condensation, energy consumption and operational costs of the building throughout the winter months.

Modern aluminum profiles like our ST Window Suite are designed with thermally conductive insulating cores, foams and gaskets. They can accommodate double or triple glazed Low-E units with warm edge spacer bars, achieving, and in some cases surpassing the Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) and Passive House standards. Our windows also meet the requirements of the new Berdo 2.0 building performance standard in Boston.

Choosing nZEB or Passive House standard profiles is also environmentally friendly. They create a strong barrier to the cold, reducing the demand for heating which saves energy and considerably reduces CO2 emissions.

Thermally Enhanced Windows Help to Achieve LEED Certification

Assessed for sustainability during the design, construction, operation and maintenance phases, LEED-certified projects are among the most energy-efficient buildings in the world. Windows, doors and curtain wall systems play a key role in the building envelope, providing a sustainable solution to meet the environmentally sensitive requirements of LEED.

Cascada – APA Facade Systems

We have recently won the contract for a LEED Platinum designed multi-level residential development in Portland Oregon, Cascada. Our TB50 Curtain Wall, ST4-600 Lift & Slide and ST80 Window System are being installed on this energy-efficient development. This follows numerous projects completed to the highest LEED standards across Ireland, the UK and North America.

Thermal Analysis Reports

Get in touch with our design team before your next project. We will conduct a project-specific thermal analysis for each proposed system on the project. This is to ensure that the product you have chosen is the perfect solution for the thermal requirements of the building.

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Hotel La Tour – Milton Keynes

APA Facade Systems are delighted to be working on Hotel La Tour in Milton Keynes. A 15-storey, 50-metre-high, luxury, four-star hotel. It features 261 bedrooms, multiple conference rooms, an external terrace, and a fourteenth-floor sky bar and restaurant. This 14th-floor terrace and restaurant offers panoramic views over Campbell Park and beyond. It also features a panoramic lift, providing a unique visual experience across Milton Keynes.

Designed by pHp Architects, this beautiful building’s facade will have stainless steel, mirror-like finish and is designed to achieve ‘very good’ BREEAM rating.

We are partnering with Speedclad Ltd who will expertly install our high performance, eco-friendly ST90 window system to this project.

Our window systems feature on numerous luxury hotels, student accommodations, and apartments across Ireland, the UK and North America. Their flexibility, performance, and durability prove that they are the perfect solution for multi-level living accommodation.

The anticipated date for practical completion of Hotel La Tour is 2022.

For more information on our products, you can download our multi-level residential brochure.

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APA Facade Systems Now IGBC Members

APA Facade Systems Join Irish Green Building Council

APA Facade Systems are proud to announce that we are now a member of the Irish Green Building Council.

A non-profit organisation, The Irish Green Building Council was launched in 2011 with organisations and businesses from the entire value chain of the built environment. These include universities, professional institutes, NGOs local authorities, contractors, architects, engineers, energy companies, leading national and transnational companies. All of these companies are united in one common goal – to accelerate the transformation of the built environment, related industry and supply chain to one that is sustainable.

The IGBC is now Ireland’s leading authority on green building best practices with a network of over 160-member organisations spanning the entire built environment industry.

APA Facade Systems have always been committed to excellent practice towards a more sustainable environment. We organised a very successful conference with TU Dublin in Cork last year – Delivering Commercial nZEB in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The conference looked into nZEB Standard design through presentations of leading Irish and international building design professionals. A breakout session focused on technical solutions and an alternate round table session allowing business owners and managers to explore ways to re-orient their teams to nZEB through discussion with peers and international experts.

The IGBC website is a great source of information for sustainable building concepts and can be found through this link: https://www.igbc.ie

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ST90 – The Ultimate in Thermal Performance

New ST90 – The Ultimate in Thermal Performance With Whole Window Uw Value as low as 0.845 Btu (th)/hour/foot²/°F

APA Facade Systems have recently launched our new ST90 Window System. During a meeting in the APA HQ, our staff discussed how we could improve our ST Window Suite? What was the answer?

– Thermal performance – specifically designed to meet the ever-increasing thermal efficiencies required by architects, design teams and their clients, offering a whole window Uw value as low as 0.845 Btu (th)/hour/foot²/°F.

– Sustainability – An eco-friendly aluminum window system fabricated using recycled materials.

– Durability – Strong, durable, maintenance-free lifetime of up to 30 years.

– Flexibility – Variety of opening possibilities to suit the most demanding commercial, institutional and residential developments.

The ST90 Window system has all these characteristics and more. Get more information on this revolutionary window system here.

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