As Spring arrives, the National Safety Council (NSC) and the Window Safety Task Force encourage adults to recognize the importance of practicing window safety year-round. National Safety Week, observed April 3-9 this year, is the perfect time to remind all households that open windows can be dangerous for young children who are not properly supervised. While the number of falls from windows is generally very small compared with other recorded child injuries, a window incident can result in serious injury or possibly even death. Promoting awareness of how to prevent them as well as year-round window safety practices can reduce that number even further.

“National Window Safety Week is a reminder to teach your loved ones about the importance of observing window safety in the home. A fall from a window can happen quickly and can result in serious injury. That’s why it’s important for parents and caregivers to take steps to prevent home falls,” said Donna Stein-Harris, senior director of Off-the-Job Initiatives for NSC. “When young children are around, keep windows closed and locked when not in use to let in fresh air. When opening a window for ventilation, keep it out of a child’s reach. For example, open the upper sash of a double-hung window to let in the cool breeze, and keep the bottom sash closed.”

The Window Safety Task Force offers these tips to help protect children from window falls:
* Avoid placing furniture near windows to prevent young children from climbing.
* Don’t allow children to jump on beds or other furniture, to help reduce potential falls.
* Don’t lean on screens or rely on insect screens to prevent a window fall. Insect screens are simply designed to keep bugs out, not to keep children in the home.
* Supervise children to keep child’s play away from windows, balconies or patio doors.
* Install building code-compliant devices designed to limit how far a window will open or window guards (with quick-release mechanisms in case of fire) to help prevent a fall.
* Teach your child how to safely use a window to escape during an emergency.
“AAMA is proud to participate in the Window Safety Task Force, along with other industry organizations, to provide education that will keep homes and families safer and aid in the prevention of accidental falls and injuries through windows,” says Rich Walker, AAMA president and CEO. “Window safety is not only an important issue in our industry but in our daily lives, as proper precautions can help ensure the well-being of young children.”

The Window Safety Task Force works to heighten the awareness of what parents and caregivers should do to help keep their homes and families safer from the risks of accidental falls. Though Window Safety Week is an important annual reminder, window safety education should be ongoing and should occur throughout the year. To help teach children about window safety, an activity book is available on the task force’s website, as well as additional information for parents and caregivers. More information and additional resources, including safety tips, are located at http://www.nsc.org/windowsafetytaskforce.

The “Keeping the Promise of Safety” brochure (product number: 00006-6215) may be ordered from the National Safety Council in quantities of 100 for free. To order, contact the NSC Customer Service at 800-621-7619 and indicate the appropriate product number.

About the Window Safety Task Force
The Window Safety Task Force, formed in 1997 to promote greater awareness of window safety, is composed of members representing the American Architectural Manufacturers Association, the Window and Door Manufacturers Association and the Screen Manufacturers Association, in cooperation with the National Association of Home Builders and other organizations, as well as manufacturers of window, doors and screens.

About the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council (www.nsc.org) saves lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities and on the roads through leadership, research, education and advocacy.

About AAMA
Since 1936, AAMA has been dedicated to the promotion of quality window, door, curtain wall, storefront and skylight products. AAMA began offering the original third-party product certification program over 40 years ago to provide manufacturers with the means to independently demonstrate product performance to their customers via the AAMA Certification Label. Our membership includes almost 300 fenestration product manufacturers and their material and component suppliers and over 100 professional and technical consultant members. As the leading trade association representing both the residential and commercial sectors and all framing materials, AAMA continues to lead efforts to improve product, material and component performance through standards development and third-party validation. For more information about AAMA, visit www.aamanet.org.

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The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) responded to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) call for comments on existing regulations. The EPA request was made following the issuance of Executive Order 13563, which seeks to identify regulations that are economically damaging, impede job growth and impact the opportunity to enhance energy efficiency. AAMA provided comments and information regarding the economic impact of the EPA’s 2010 implementation of the Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting (LRRP) regulations and amendment to the “opt-out” provision.

Read more about about AAMA’s response to the LRRP regulations, and how others can respond, by clicking here.

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A decade after D-M Products, Inc. installed Wausau Window and Wall Systems’ curtainwall on University of Pittsburgh Medical Center‘s (UPMC) Passavant Hospital in McCandless, Pa., they returned to provide the same, dependable performance and familiar aesthetic for the hospital’s new seven-story, tower. Building upon past success, the new UPMC Passavant Pavilion is certified to meet U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® Rating System™, including natural lighting and outdoor views.

UPMC Passavant Pavilion provides increased capacity for advanced tertiary cancer care, advanced cardiovascular and neurosurgical treatments, and emergency medical care. The hospital’s inpatient volume has grown more than 30 percent over the past six years. The number of inpatients and outpatients who come to UPMC Passavant from outside of Allegheny County and outside of the state has doubled during this time period.

Specifically addressing the community’s needs, the new facility adds capacity for 88 new hospital beds, bringing the total beds to 399; adds 27,000 square feet to the Cancer Center, tripling the current size; and adds 21,000 square feet to the emergency department, doubling treatment capacity. Officials project that 300 health care jobs will be created by the expansion of UPMC Passavant, for a total of 2,500 employees hospital-wide.

The $100 million Passavant Pavilion project followed a strict, four-year design and construction timeline. P.J. Dick Incorporated serves as the project’s general contractor, bringing to life UPMC’s vision as designed by Burt Hill of Butler, Pa. It is part of a master plan, also developed by Burt Hill, to develop a more functional, sustainable and efficient future for UPMC’s McCandless campus and community.

UPMC Passavant Pavilion relied on building information modeling (BIM) tools to preview the project in three dimensions, while it was still on the drawing board. The BIM tools and early discussions are credited by building team members as contributing to the successful coordination between the architectural design and the complex engineering.

The 220,000-square-foot expansion was finalized in February and the 30,000-square-foot renovation is expected to be completed in September. The resulting efforts reconfigure the hospital’s main entrance around its key, architectural features: the glass rotunda and naturally-lit interiors. Utilizing the airport concept of separating arrivals and departures, Passavant’s entrances are positioned to naturally funnel visitors into the main registration area where they will be greeted by customer service representatives and directed to their destination.

“Curtainwall erection on this project was quite challenging, as a number of elevations were located in inaccessible areas, above lower roofs and tucked in courtyards,” stated Dick Macurak, president of glazing contractor D-M Products, Inc. “Wausau staged manufacturing and shipping sequences to enable our field crews to maximize installation efficiency and maintain the contractor’s critical enclosure schedule.”

“I like the Wausau system a lot. I don’t know of another with as fabulous performance,” adds Tom Demko, Burt Hill’s principal-in-charge of the project. Using the existing hospital’s Wausau window system as a benchmark, he notes, “We had a hellacious winter with no complaints, which makes my job easier. And, the patients get to enjoy floor-to-ceiling glass.”

D-M Products, Inc. installed 37,565 square feet of Wausau’s 8250 Series curtainwall to clad UPMC Passavant Pavilion. The aluminum-framed system features a 2.5-inch narrow sightline with an 8.25-inch depth. Highlighting the metallic tones and low-maintenance durability, the aluminum was finished by Linetec in clear anodize.

On the building’s interior, the curtainwall maximizes daylighting with staff lounges situated by the outside walls for infusion of natural light. Within the enhanced and expanded Cancer Center, windows also are installed in all chemo profusion rooms to allow improved access, visibility and natural lighting.

“Daylight and outdoor views have proven benefits to health care facilities,” notes Lisa May, Wausau’s health care market manager. “In addition to the improved sense of wellbeing and improved morale, studies report patients heal more quickly and use less pain medication when they have access to window views, daylight and maintain a sense of control over such comforts as lighting, ventilation and indoor temperature.”

“Every aspect of the project was approached with the same philosophy – to do what is best for the patient and what will allow the staff to deliver better care,” says Demko. “In today’s marketplace, hospital choice is consumer-driven. UPMC Passavant is sensitive to this and their high level of commitment to this mission made this project extremely rewarding for all involved.”

“As a leading health care facility north of the city, UPMC Passavant’s vision is to build the ‘hospital of the future’ for residents living in the communities north of Pittsburgh and beyond,” said Teresa G. Petrick, president, UPMC Passavant.

“Our goal is to provide patients and their families with world-class care without having to travel outside of their community,” said Petrick. “In addition to building a state-of-the-art facility staffed by renowned medical specialists, we also are focused on making a stay at our hospital the ultimate patient experience by offering private rooms, valet parking, concierge services, and room service. We are committed to providing the highest level of patient and family focused care.”

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University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Passavant Pavilion; McCandless, Pa.
* Architect: Burt Hill; Butler, Pa.
* General contractor: P.J. Dick Incorporated, Pittsburgh, Pa.
* Glazing contractor: D-M Products, Inc.; Bethel Park, Pa.
* Glazing systems – manufacturer: Wausau Window and Wall Systems; Wausau, Wis.;
8250 Series curtainwall
* Glazing systems – finisher: Linetec, Wausau, Wis.; clear anodize
* Photos: Copyright 2010 Ed Massery

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Walker, Mich. – Tubelite Inc. named Terry Britt as a client development manager serving Indiana, eastern Missouri and central to southern Illinois. He works closely with glazing contractors and architects in this region to provide information on the company’s architectural aluminum products and their green building benefits.

Drawing from more than three decades of industry experience, Britt says, “I’m very impressed with the people at Tubelite, their strategic focus and the quality of their complete product line, from standard storefront to custom doors. It’s a great fit with my previous experience and sales territories. I’m excited to help my contacts and colleagues learn more about Tubelite’s offering.”

Britt began his career with PPG Industries’ Dayton, Ohio office in sales and project management. After 16 years, he joined Indiana-based Glasmont Corporation as an outside sales representative for architectural metals and glass product lines. In 1999, he transitioned this knowledge to Arch Aluminum and Glass Co., Inc., where he worked from Indianapolis as an outside sales representative and branch manager. He was named “Branch Manager of the Year” in 2005 and the branch ranked in the company’s top 10 for all 10 years of his employment.

In addition to his successful career, Britt’s education includes coursework at University of Dayton, Ohio; a degree in applied science from Sinclair Community College, Ohio; and many training and professional development programs. He also shares his knowledge at industry events, such as upcoming Glass Expo Midwest; as a church elder in his community; and as a coach of Bantam football and adult softball teams.

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Rich Walker, AAMA president and CEO, visited Mathews Brothers Company in Belfast, Maine, and had the opportunity to speak with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME). Mathews Brothers is the oldest window company in the U.S. and produces window systems with triple-pane insulated glazing which contributes to an energy-efficient home environment.

Senator Snowe serves as the ranking member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, which considers proposed legislation, messages, petitions and other matters related to the Small Business Administration.

Read more, and see photos and video from Sen. Snowe’s and Rich Walker’s visit, at AAMA’s online news room.

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The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) has published a new fact sheet on daylighting and energy savings, detailing how top-lighting and side-lighting contribute to a building design that integrates natural light and can help decrease energy costs.

The fact sheet, titled “Daylighting Basics: Daylighting and Energy Savings,” was developed by AAMA’s Skylight Marketing Committee, chaired by Chris Magnuson (Wasco Products Inc.). Magnuson stated that “daylighting is an important issue in the design and building process. For years to come good daylighting that is well-integrated into a building design can have positive effects over the entire life of a structure. The fact sheet serves as an explanation of side-lighting and top-lighting and how both can contribute to increased natural daylight and energy savings.”

The fact sheet also details the factors which impact the efficient application of side-lighting and/or top-lighting, including: the building’s purpose, features and orientation, as well as typical climactic and daylight conditions, interior climate control system and fenestration design.

“The fact sheet was created to serve as a resource that introduces the important points concerning side-lighting, top-lighting and factors that influence effective daylighting,” says Angela Dickson, AAMA Marketing Manager. “With the rise of green building, daylighting is increasingly being utilized to lessen the need for electric lights as well as for energy savings through decreased heating and cooling load.”

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Mike Salsieder, president and general counsel of Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Company, Inc., was elected as vice chair of the Window & Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) Window Division. Traditionally, leaders in this role continue in succession to become chair of WDMA’s board of directors.

Salsieder’s involvement with the association spans more than eight years. He has been a member of the WDMA Board of Directors since 2006. He also serves on the Board’s Nominating Committee. In addition, Salsieder serves on a number of other boards of directors including the Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Company, Inc. Board of Directors, the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Board of Directors, and the North Central Technical College Foundation Board.

Many of Kolbe’s employees also are active community and industry leaders and volunteers. Several serve on various WDMA committees and boards, and regularly attend WDMA conferences and seminars.

WDMA’s mission is to define the standards of excellence in the residential and commercial window, door and skylight industry and advance these standards among industry members, while providing resources, education and professional programs designed to advance industry businesses and provide greater value for their customers.

The WDMA sponsors a Hallmark Certification program, which is considered a mark of excellence among architects, contractors and other specifiers. As part of the program, third-party administrators perform in-plant inspections including an audit of quality control procedures and processes. In addition, product samples and components are tested periodically by third-party testing laboratories. Kolbe is proud to be a part of the Hallmark Certification program. Search the Hallmark Certification database on the WDMA website.

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Mimicking the look of historical windows, Wausau Window and Wall Systems® INvent™ Series expands with the introduction of “simulated double-hung” windows. Wausau’s new 4250i and 4250i-XLT INvent Series features offset glass planes to replicate double-hung sash, while providing the ease of operation, durability and low air infiltration of projected windows.

Contributing to renovation projects’ green building goals, all of Wausau’s windows are manufactured using a high percentage of recycled content. As part of the Advantage by Wausau® standard product offering, these high-performance windows are pre-engineered and factory-glazed. Addressing weather-ability, durability and thermal performance, the 4.5-inch frame uses a polyamide thermal barrier. Low U-Factors allow broad expanses of vision glass to meet Model Energy Codes.

INvent Series’ durable products are tested to meet AAMA AW-100 Architectural Performance Class ratings, including new AAMA 910-10 lifecycle testing to 4000 operating cycles. Unlike double-hung windows, there are no counter-balancing mechanisms to maintain or replace. Available on an accelerated delivery schedule, these competitively-priced windows are backed with an industry-leading warranty of up to 10 years.

Configurations for 4250i and 4250i-XLT include fixed, in-swing and out-swing casements, top-hinged, awning and hopper vents. Operable units present a seasonal opportunity for natural ventilation. Integral between-glass blinds minimize maintenance, while managing light and glare. Combined with the advantages of natural light, outside views and thermal performance, these qualities may aid buildings seeking certification under such programs as the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® Green Rating System™.

For enhanced energy savings and condensation resistance, triple glazing and extra-wide thermal barriers may be specified. Hurricane impact and blast-hazard-mitigating designs also may be specified. Wausau’s INvent Series’ quality-controlled, factory fabrication ensures the intended performance and accommodates dual-color finishes.

With a palette exceeding 30,000 color choices, Wausau’s painted finishes may be requested as liquid or powder coatings with ultra-low volatile organic compounds (VOC) and VOC-free content. Durable, VOC-free anodize finishes accentuate the metallic appearance, such as copper color that does not patina. Optional, glazed-in muntin grids and panning systems complement the historic aesthetic.

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Tubelite Inc. announced Wholesale Glass Distributors will carry the company’s architectural aluminum products to serve clients in Tennessee and parts of Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi.

Founded in 1984 and located in Memphis, Tenn., Wholesale Glass is the only independent glass distributor and fabricator in this region. The company has earned a strong reputation for its value-added services and its full-line of insulated and tempered, high-performance glass products.

“We are proud of the very great relationships we have established over the years with our customer base,” says Chet Day, Wholesale Glass Distributors’ president. “Tubelite’s systems are a good fit with our current offering. We’re able to provide clients with Tubelite’s doors, frames and stock lengths on a just-in-time delivery for schools, hospitals, shopping centers, residential applications and other building projects.”

Tubelite’s systems and Wholesale Glass Distributors’ in-house technical and customer service staff also can help building project teams pursuing certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® Rating System™.  All of Tubelite’s storefront, curtainwall, entrance and daylight control systems are manufactured using EcoLuminum™, a high recycled-content aluminum billet composition featuring environmentally-friendly finishes.

To learn more about Tubelite’s distributors, please visit www.tubeliteinc.com.

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Kolbe has added a new Revit® 3-D model of its six-panel Ultra Series TerraSpan® Lift and Slide door to its growing collection of 1,000+ two- and three-dimensional window and door models. These new Revit models can link with external data sources to instantly compile quantity takeoffs for residential and commercial building projects.

Kolbe’s easy-to-use models allow users to customize the width, height, panel width, wall offset and other features of Ultra TerraSpan doors‘ expansive entryways. These doors can incorporate up to 10 panels per unit with a 12-foot maximum panel height with a choice of screens, hardware and other accessories. The doors’ design options present more than 900 potential, operational configurations and provide universal access that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Balancing ease-of-use, daylighting and energy efficiency, the doors are available in climate-appropriate, high-performance glass options. A broad palette of environmentally-friendly finishes protect the exterior cladding, which includes recycled aluminum. A range of sustainably-harvested wood species can be chosen for the interior trim such as those certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

The new Revit models for Ultra TerraSpan doors are located in:
* Kolbe’s website
* RevitCity
* Autodesk Seek

To request personalized assistance with Kolbe’s BIM tools and 3-D models, please e-mail Laura Smith, Kolbe’s architectural CAD coordinator at architects@kolbe-kolbe.com. Learn more about Kolbe’s door and window products and models at www.kolbe-kolbe.com.

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