Virtually the entire Crystal Window & Door Systems aluminum product line is on display at a recently opened Washington, D.C., mixed-use multi-family development. The large development used 14 models and styles of energy efficient windows and doors supplied by the manufacturer. Crystal provided 2,364 commercial and architectural windows and 433 commercial and architectural sliding and swing doors with sidelights for a total of 2,797 units.
About the development
Located at 4000 Wisconsin Avenue, in the Northwest section of Washington, D.C., the massive new development known as Upton Place fills an entire city block. The five-story structure is situated around the perimeter of the block, with two crossover connector wings, creating three interior courtyard spaces. The top four floors are apartments while the ground floor is reserved for retail. To maintain aesthetics, numerous façade designs and materials were used. Complementing these façade designs are the array of Crystal windows and doors.
Crystal products used
Virtually all of Crystal windows for the project were combined into large horizontal and vertical arrangements, with operating and fixed units spanning extensive openings. Twin and triple window units were common, and in some cases, grand 4-, 6-, and 9-panel units were erected in openings up to 140-inches wide and 111-inches tall.
“It’s a glowing testament to Crystal Windows that the numerous fenestration needs of this large project were able to be fulfilled by one manufacturer,” says Kevin Lechwar, Crystal Mid-Atlantic regional sales manager. “Crystal prides itself in having an extensive vinyl and aluminum product line suitable for nearly every type of building. The Upton Place project clearly demonstrates those capabilities.”
For the project, Crystal supplied three window models from its popular 3-¼-inch frame depth aluminum commercial Series 2000 line. The Series 2000A double-hung window was specified in single, double, and triple unit styles. This tilting sash window is CW-PG50 rated. The Series 2100 fixed picture window with a CW-PG65 rating was furnished in 2- and 3-unit configurations and the Series 2300 sliding window with a CW-PG50 rating was furnished in 2- and 3-light styles.
The Upton Place project also drew upon the Crystal aluminum heavy-commercial 3-¼-inch frame depth Series 5000 window line. Substantial numbers of Series 5600 2-light sliding windows and Series 5100 fixed picture windows were used individually or in large, combined assemblies. The Crystal Series 5600 sliding window has an AW-PG40 rating, and the Series 5100 fixed picture window has an AW-PG100 rating.
The final heavy-commercial window line tapped for the new development was the high-end Crystal Series 8500 in several 2-⅝-inch jamb models: Series 8500 outswing casements, Series 8510 fixed picture windows and Series 8520 project-out awning windows. These windows are rated AW-PG70, AW-PG85, and AW-PG80, respectively. Also sourced from this line were the 3-¼-inch jamb companion Series 8610 fixed picture and Series 8630 project-in hopper windows.
Upton Place featured just over 300 of the Crystal aluminum Series 1240 2-panel sliding patio door and matching transom/sidelight Series 1270. Used in large, combined arrangements, these sliding door, sidelight, and transom combinations were as wide as 91-inches and as tall as 139-inches. These 4-9∕16-inch jamb units are rated LC-PG45 and AW-PG75, respectively.
Crystal also supplied heavy-commercial 3-¼-inch jamb Series 1450 outswing terrace doors and the award-winning counterpart Series 1450D, low-sill ADA-compliant terrace doors for Upton Place. Over 100 of the building’s apartments designated as specifically accommodating mobility challenged individuals utilized the Crystal Series 1450D door to provide access to terraces. The Series 1450 terrace door, rated AW-PG75, was frequently combined at this project with Series 5100 fixed picture windows as sidelights and transoms, with openings spanning up to a stunning 126-inches wide and 128-inches tall.
Double insulated glass units were used throughout the project for all Crystal fenestration products. These units were specified with Vitro Solarban 60 low-e coated glass and argon gas filling for enhanced thermal efficiency. As required by code, sound attenuation, size, or safe practices, many of the IGUs also used tempered or laminated glass. STC requirements for the windows ranged from 28 to 35, depending on location in the building.
All operating windows were fitted with sash limit opening devices. Two durable AAMA 2604 powder coat custom paint finishes were used for all windows and doors – Midnight Bronze and Velvet Gray.
To facilitate installation and combining windows into large assemblies, Crystal offered a variety of options and accessories. Depending on specific products, Crystal supplied snap-on nailing fins, continuous master frames with imposts, H-mullions, 3-piece mullions, and subsills and receptors with nailing fins. With the Series 5600 and Series 5100 windows, a male/female self-mulling frame design aided installation.
Who else was involved
Upton Place was developed by Donohue Development of Bethesda, Maryland, in partnership with AIMCO Investments of Washington, D.C. The architect was SK+I Architecture, and the general contractor was Donohue Construction Company, both of Bethesda, Maryland. The fenestration installer, a long-time Crystal customer, was Caffes-Steele of Beltsville, MD. Crystal has worked with Caffes-Steele on many previous window projects, including Southern Towers Apartments of Alexandria, Virginia, and the historic OMNI Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Upton Place is a new luxury mixed-use development in the Cathedral Heights neighborhood of northwest Washington, D.C. It features ground floor retail shops including a grocery store, interior courtyards with gathering spaces for outdoor dining, grilling, and socializing, a fitness and yoga studio, workspaces, a rooftop terrace and outdoor pool. The development offers 689 high-end residential units and over 800 on-site parking spaces.