14B — April 27 - May 10, 2018 — Industry Experts — ODM — M id A tlantic
Real Estate Journal
www.marejournal.com
I ndustry E xperts
Manufacturer’s engineering & production capabilities save time andmoney on John Fox Towers Philadelphia project spotlights Crystal Windows’ expertise F
LUSHING, NY — Na- tional manufacturer Crystal Window & Door Systems tapped its corporate resources to deliver substantial cost and time sav- ings on a recent Philadelphia window replacement project. Innovative thinking, value engineering, custom made installation accessories, and good affiliate business rela- tions were all brought to bear by Crystal to provide a curtain wall retrofit alternative for John Fox Towers. The 17-story brick 1960s era apartment building located at 22 South 22nd St. in central
Philadelphia underwent a ma- jor interior and exterior reno- vation in 2017. A significant challenge for the renovation was the planned replacement of 17 narrow vertical full build- ing height curtain wall bays or ribbons which provided the bulk of the building’s fenes- tration. The building owner, general contractor, and ar- chitect faced an expensive, complex and time-consuming curtain wall replacement ef- fort. “Recognizing the fenes- tration challenges the project team faced, Crystal Windows stepped forward to assess the situation and develop a creative alternative solution,” said Rob Dorsky , Crystal’s regional sales manager. The crux of the Crystal solu- tion lay in leaving the curtain wall structure and spandrel panels in place, removing the existing vision glass sashes, and using custom accessories install new windows and new insulated panels over the orig- inal spandrel ones. “With the Crystal solution, the curtain wall look was maintained, but the time, effort, expense, dis- ruption, and impact on tenants was avoided,” said Vincent Grieco , Crystal’s technical manager and key driver be- hind the plan. “To successfully and safely achieve this goal, the full talents and resources of Crystal’s engineering, pro- duction, and professional af- filiate and building materials partners were employed.” First, Crystal brought in the noted building structural analysis firm Porcello Engi- neering of Pine Brook, NJ, to perform in collaboration with the project GC and architect a comprehensive assessment of the existing curtain wall struc- ture’s integrity. The engineer- ing analysis involved detailed on-site inspection of exposed areas and probes within the hidden wall interiors of the curtain wall system. Key to the assessment was the engineer- ing determination that the current structure could carry the additional load of new alu- minum windows and panels plus installation accessories. Crystal’s in-house engineer- ing staff worked to design new special mounting brackets, interior trim pieces and exte- rior covers for the new Crystal aluminum slider windows and second-generation insulated panels. The company’s 3-D continued on page 22B
Crystal Window & Door Systems developed an innovative and cost-saving solution for the fenestration replacement work at John Fox Towers in Philadelphia, PA.
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