Limitless Customization: We Create Innovative Solutions to Complex Problems
When Awake Window & Door Co. It was launched in late 2020, we knew our product family would be focused on offering minimal frames designed to maximize views. Inherently, we knew a desire for large sizes and indoor-outdoor living would be a must, but we didn’t fully anticipate just how much pent-up desire there was from the architectural community to have a manufacturing partner truly adept at creating custom solutions for their unique design challenges. Four years later, we are incredibly proud of the innovative solutions our team continues to develop to satisfy architects throughout the United States.
To help inspire your own creativity, we wanted to highlight some custom designs that our architectural partners have pushed us towards that have resulted in incredibly beautiful end products. We truly hope this inspires you, our great partners, to push us into yet another custom solution in the near future.
Fixed Window Wall Integrated into Multi-Slide System
Architect Matthew Segal came to Awake with a variety of design challenges related to his beautiful home located near San Diego, California.
First, he needed a large multi-slide door (which serves as the entrance to the home), to be able to meet at a 90-degree corner but also bi-part from the center on the leftmost portion of the door. Check out the attached (2) section views to see how we achieved this.
Second, on the right side of the multi-slide, he needed that half of the door to transition from a multi-slide stacking door into a fixed window wall with multiple 90-degree butt glaze corners. Also critical to his design, he needed all the verticals in the window wall to be an exact match the vertical interlocks in the door system. The end result was the insertion of our 1-3/8” Vertical T-Bar into our multi-slide system, in which the door sill, the bottom rail, and the head jamb flowed from the door into the fixed window wall. The end result was consistent sightlines, return conditions, and one of the coolest customization results we have ever created. Check out the attached elevation and section view to see how we pulled it off.
To read more about this project and see more finished photos, please visit our Transparent Dream write-up in our inspiration gallery.
16’ x 12’ Panel 2,500 lb Panel with (1) Vertical TDL utilizing Hidden Sill
Recently, the team at Design Line Construction in the Greater Bay Area had a unique challenge on a project. The design called for 16’ x 12’ panels, on a three-track hidden sill. The goal was to have a massive door system that opens 90 degrees in both directions off the left side of the door (with a 16’ x 12’ panel opening to the right off the 90-degree corner), but also on the far right side of the door, they also required another large panel to open and slide to the left. To top it off, each of the operable panels, also required an accompanying sliding screen. The major challenge is that the floor plan only had space to accommodate (3) total sections of track depth.
Our engineering team worked creatively to engineer in steel to accommodate wind-load in the verticals, and also develop a modified structural vertical true divided lite, that seamlessly incorporated 2-panels of glass into one track to avoid oversized jumbo glass. The massive, 2,500 lb panels utilize our hidden sill, which has a unique roller system buried into the track and the panels have an ultra-narrow 1” bottom rail. The end result is a span of glass that goes 484” x 144” in one direction, can be opened on either side of the door, and include a luxurious high-quality multi-slide screen.
Check out the attached CAD elevation and section views of this unique project. Please also see some of the photos and videos from the construction site after installation.
Segmented Radius (in plan view) Window Wall in Montana
Architect Keith Beck approached us regarding a highly custom window wall he had designed for a Boat House in Big Fork, Montana. The complex problem he put to our engineering team, included a 188” x 201” window wall. The sweeping, radius structure needed to follow a radius stair line that created an exceptionally grand view out to the Montana skyline, and in to the beautiful boat owned by the homeowner.
The design criteria required that the vertical and horizontal structure of this window wall also be a direct match to the corresponding interlocks and vertical sightlines on the multi-slide doors on the project.
The end result was a beautiful segmented window wall that utilizes our 1-3/8” vertical and horizontal T-bar. The 1” perimeter frame included a 1” nail fin set back, to protect against the weather conditions of the harsh Montana winters.
Check out the attached CAD elevation and section views of this unique window wall. Please also see some photos that we snapped during the first winter after installation.