PROJECT
windows
The century-old Furnace Creek buildings featured many openings of different sizes and shapes that may have warped, shifted, or settled over the decades. Each window needed to be custom measured and fitted to its location.
solution for this desert-landscape project. To begin, each window needed to be custom measured and fitted to its location. The century-old buildings featured many openings of different sizes and shapes that may have further warped, shifted, or settled over the decades due to the intense heat. To further complicate the process, many openings feature eye-catching designs that reflect the trademark Furnace Creek aesthetic, such as the signature palm-frond etched-glass entry doors, inverted curved transoms, radius windows, and custom interiors. Once the architecture teams were confident in the design of each window, it was necessary to select the materials to enhance the style of each space while also helping to protect the structure from Mother Nature. Interior windows were paired with custom paint colors or
rustic atmosphere of the inn’s various interiors. Exterior windows used clad wood
rich, stained woods, including reclaimed fir, to evoke the fine finishes and natural,
that would maintain the building’s color scheme while eliminating the maintenance headache of hand-painted wood frames. Finally, it wasn’t enough to design custom products for each space. In some cases, a custom installation process was also needed. Some of the facilities at Furnace Creek feature original adobe masonry that uses straw as a binder. A unique anchor system was called for that would hold each window in place without sacrificing the structural integrity of the building. For one last challenge, each install team had to work at a much more rapid pace than normal. The epoxy used to aid in the installation of many doors would dry much more rapidly than usual due to the extremely arid, hot climate. “One of our biggest selling points is our very unique climate and geography here at Furnace Creek, but it can also be one of our biggest challenges in terms of maintenance,” said Bill Sherwood with Furnace Creek. “While we looked at several options, Jeld-Wen was the best partner to provide a solution that would maintain the historic look and feel of this property while also incorporating the modern technology that will help Furnace Creek maintain energy efficiency and keep our guests comfortable year-round.” CA
Want more information? The resources below are linked on our website at commercialarchitecturemagazine.com and our digital magazine at commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/digital/mar2017.
Circle 7 on the Reader Service Card. Learn more about custom windows—commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1703jeldwen01 Download an Epic doors brochure— commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1703jeldwen02 Download an IWP doors brochure— commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1703jeldwen03
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