Westview Viewpoint Newsletter

Winter 2012

Opportunities and Challenges

Clients of Westview integrated a Westview WindowWall into a remodel of their existing home in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

Based on their satisfaction they approached Westview a year later to utilize the same clad-wood system to enhance the living environment of their condo unit at the Inn at Spanish Head in Lincoln City, OR.

Major objectives were to maximize viewing area, provide the warmth of a wood interior, and achieve maximum glazing performance.

Exterior Before
the Remodel

Interior Before
the Remodel

In order to achieve these results there were some fairly major challenges:

The facility is a Construction Type II building, requiring the support structure to be non-combustible.
The wind load is extreme - Exposure D, 105 MPH.

The unit is located on the fifth floor.

Drawing

Drawing Samples: (click on drawing to see larger image)

Manufacturing

The answer to the first challenge was to design steel support columns and wrap them with clear grade glue laminated Douglas Fir beams.

The columns were engineered and fabricated to meet wind-load requirements and then powder coated to meet the long-term performance needs in a corrosive coastal environment.

Powder coated stainless steel flashings were incoporated in the perimeter attachments.

The interior wood wrap was fabricated and installed at the production facility. This allowed for proper isolation and attachment in a controlled environment. All of the wood-work was sealed and prefinished.

Installation

Challenges two and three were tied together.

The wind load required 3/8" over 1/4" tempered glass for an overall panel thickness of 1-1/4", and the associated weight of the panels necessitated the use of the elevator, which restricted their length to 96". The longer lineal pieces (columns, ladders, scaffolding parts, etc.) were transported down stairways or over the side of the building mechanically to arrive safely at the site.

Excellent coordination by the building management team and the contractor allowed the work to progress within pre-arranged work hours and days to minimize disruption to the guests.

Completion

The end result is a space that welcomes and enfolds you with comfort and security, a space that allows your frame of mind to slip into the beauty of the seascape just outside the protective walls.

Although a fairly small project, the Inn at Spanish Head remodel proved that the VuMax II high-performance glazing system can be integrated in a structure using steel columns with a wood wrap to achieve maximum daylighting. The VuMax II pressure-equalized glazing system along with the unique structure will provide years of enhanced viewing of the ever-changing Pacific Ocean.

Whether your project is large or small, residential or commercial, we invite you to contact Westview for information about incorporating this deluxe clad-wood WindowWall into your design.

To explore these possibilities please contact:

Milt Serafin at milt@westviewproducts.com

or

Bob Ottaway at bob@westviewproducts.com

or

Call 1-800-203-7557

Previous Viewpoint Newsletters:
• Spring 2011
• October 2010
• April 2010
• November 2009
• July 2009