OPERABLE GLASS INTERIOR WALL CASE STUDY

Photo courtesy of NanaWall Systems

Snap-on Inc.’s Innovation Works facility

The Kenosha, Wisconsin-based Snap-on Inc. tool and equipment company, a leading U.S. maker of high-end tools for professional users, needed a wall solution for its Innovation Works facility.

Designed to provide Snap-on associates and customers with critical resources and training, the 15,000-square-foot centerpiece facility—which features a service garage, prototyping room, parking bay, and customer observation area—called for flexible use of space and acoustical privacy. To achieve these competing goals, Snap-on worked with the design team at Butterfield, Rudie & Seitz Architects of Racine, Wisconsin, to develop a wall system that met its needs for the unique space.

“The goal at Snap-on Tools was to have a flexible space where smaller areas could be opened up to each other to accommodate large groups and still be able to afford some sense of privacy and quiet when the spaces were divided,” says architect Ryan M. Rudie, AIA, president of the firm. “The 12-foot-high operable glass wall panels gave Snap-on the privacy and room functionality that was required.”

The specified aluminum framed system allowed the architects to create a space that changes from fully open to private in seconds. “The manufacturer worked with us throughout the design process to help us develop an opaque, sound-deadening glazing system that afforded the privacy we needed yet still looked fantastic,” Rudie continues. “Other options included the old-fashioned, accordion-style vinyl folding walls that simply didn’t reflect this project and what Snap-on stands for.”

ORNAMENTAL METALS CASE STUDY

Photo courtesy of ARCHITECTURAL GRILLE

Cobble Hill Penthouse, New York, New York

This new construction condominium building located in the Cobble Hill area of Brooklyn, New York, included an exclusive custom penthouse with a variety of client needs. First was security since the elevator opens directly into an open floor plan, thus requiring a lockable door to prevent unwanted access. At the same time, the design needed to enable the home owner to readily see who is getting off the elevator without relying on the traditional front door peep hole. Second was the need for an aesthetically pleasing and functional door that could open and close easily. The design scheme called for incorporating solid brass and solid oak materials into the door design to complement and enhance the interior aesthetic. Finally, the door panels needed to be child friendly.

The solution to all of these needs was found in the design of a custom set of sliding doors on a track system plus locking hardware that integrated form and functionality. Two oversized door panels were fabricated using solid oak rails and stiles to match the oak finish of the floor. Solid brass ornamental metal inserts were designed and fabricated to fit between the oak members with a contemporary custom pattern that allowed visual viewing of the elevator vestibule while still offering the needed level of security. The openings in the pattern were sized to create the needed transparency without creating a hazard for children. In the end, the owner’s needs were met beautifully, using ornamental metal in a door that was as functional and safe as it was attractive.

INTERIOR DOORS CASE STUDY

Photo courtesy of Construction Specialties/Robert Benson Photo

Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital Pediatric MRI Unit

Recognized as a top U.S. hospital by U.S. News & World Report and used as a teaching hospital for the Yale School of Medicine, Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital (YNHCH) located in New Haven, Connecticut, continues to grow and improve the quality care that it offers. In late 2014, the hospital opened its newly renovated pediatric MRI suite to young patients and families. To reduce negative feelings and create a comfortable, healing space, the hospital sought a kid-friendly environment that would evoke fun. With patients, staff, and equipment continually moving throughout the MRI suite each day, using highly durable materials that could incorporate the chosen theme was paramount. Also, images displayed on the walls were expected to continue uninterrupted by the prominent double doors.

Bam Architecture Studio of New York City took on this design challenge with a positive patient experience specifically in mind. Working with YNHCH, it customized the pediatric MRI suite with a full-immersion beach theme. With a life-size sand castle positioned over the MRI scanner, flooring that mimics the coastline, and full wall murals, children can imagine a fun-filled day at the shore while undergoing medical testing. By using durable doors that readily accept graphics, playful images now flow from the walls onto the doors, creating a nonstop scene. The doors not only provide the Pantone-matched colors from the walls, but they also withstand continuous impact. The end result is an interactive masterpiece that will brighten the lives of visiting children for many years to come.

ARCHITECTURAL HARDWARE CASE STUDY

Photos courtesy of Doug Mockett & Company

Pop-up kitchen power grommet

This innovative unit provides a safe and simple solution for adding convenient power options to kitchen islands, kitchen countertops, and other potential wet areas. It is available with tamper-resistant GFCI outlets and a hardwire connection. It operates by pressing down on the top, allowing the unit to pop up for accessing the outlets or pushing down to hide away and be nearly flush with the surface when not in use. It also includes a watertight seal to prevent liquids from getting inside the unit in both the open and closed position. In addition to providing an elegant design for providing electrical power, it also eliminates potential safety hazards caused by power cords hanging over the edge of counters to reach side-mounted receptacles.

As one user has observed, this unit has solved many kitchen-related power issues (or other wet areas like employee break rooms, labs, breakfast bars, and more) where accessible power was not otherwise available. This unit is also seen as a perfect example of how industrial design has blurred the lines between commercial use and personal use by offering practical solutions that can be used in any environment.

Another user first heard from a contractor that there might be a product out there that would fit his/her needs for electricity on the counter top. The user found the pop-up outlet to be the perfect thing. Since it is waterproof, he/she use it next to the stove, and its low profile makes it quite unobtrusive. It was installed in this case in a granite countertop quickly and efficiently.