Picks From Your Peers: 3 Window Products From Jesse Thompson

According to architect Jesse Thompson, the window market has advanced considerably. “A major change in our markets has been the availability of high-performance uPVC [reinforced vinyl] tilt-turn windows from both Europe and the United States,” he says. Such windows are hitting a nice balance of price and performance. “We’re using a lot of them,” he adds. Because windows are an important part of the high-performance projects that Kaplan Thompson Architects designs, the firm looks for large operable units with triple glazing, high design-pressure values (for coastal performance), and R-values of between 8 and 10.

The Universal Series window from Cascadia Windows, in British Columbia, Canada, is one Thompson likes. “These windows are great for multifamily projects that need toughness and U.S. operation styles—casement, awning, etc.,” he says. “The Cascadia product is really good, but we don’t have anything like it on the East Coast, from what I know.” The all-fiberglass units come in various styles, are Passive House-certified, and swing either inward or outward. "I would really like to see more narrow sight line fiberglass windows at accessible price points, like the Cascadia Universal window." cascadiawindows.com

When a project calls for wood, Thompson likes Loewen’s timber curtain wall system. “It offers great looks, a warm wood finish to the interior, with a tough exterior,” he says, “and much lower embodied energy than all-aluminum systems.” The 2-inch-wide product has a wood interior, thermally broken aluminum exterior, and low-E glass. It can integrate with operable units, such as casements, awnings, and doors. loewen.com

“Another great product is the aluminum system with great thermal breaks such as Kawneer’s 1600UT [curtain wall], which is fairly approaching the performance of wood systems in a commercial glazing system,” Thompson says. Ideal for low- to mid-rise buildings, the product offers a 2 1/2-inch sight line and is available in 6-, 7 1/2-, or 10 1/2-inch frames with double or triple glazing. kawneer.com

This story originally appeared in the March/April 2018 issue of PRODUCTS magazine. See the print version here.