This site is about Facade Cladding, Curtainwalls, Doors and Windows viewed through the eyes of an Architect.
During the organic development of this site, progressing parallel to the shape of things to come, you most possibly will be able to find information about some of the things you would like to know about curtainwalls, glass facades, doors and windows, specialty products such as fire rated aluminum frames, entrances, canopies, stainless steel systems, maybe even some guidelines, hints and clues for designing new profiles.

Architecture covers everything from your toes to the stars.
It was a motto engraved into our souls as novices for future architects at the beginning of our first year at the university. At a more mature age now after many years past the university, I am thinking how true it is. This motto urged me to become a researcher at my first steps after graduation. To expand the knowledge gained through the undergraduate courses about Engineering Statics, Engineering Mechanics and Material Sciences, I ventured into Building Physics during my post graduate studies, my major subject being "Light, Vision and Architecture". Sun is the source of light, and light is propagated by photons. Of course, when you are working with photons, you deal with atoms and you immediately fall into the nice trap of radiation and energy. Radiation leads to heat. Heat along with humidity and fluid mechanics of air draw the boundaries of psychiometry. Finally sound, behaving faithfully within wave theory, appears in the picture. The circle is complete. Light, heat and sound are inseparable components that define comfort. There it is, �Architecture covering from atoms to the sun.

From the ground level to 100 meters.
Equipped with all the tools and information I could carry along, I decided to sail to the open sea. The ten or so years following postgraduate works, I was busy with construction works including infrastructures, power plants, factories, social housing complexes, schools, offices and residential buildings. My responsibilities covered a vide area such as take-offs, BOQ� s, contract management, site management, cost estimating, procurement, bidding and, of course inevitably, Architectural Design, as always required from an Architect. I was practicing, but at the same time still researching. In the nineties, I somehow landed into Facade Cladding and Curtainwall business. It was interesting to have all the past experience focusing on this area. I am still exploring this land and I want to share my feelings with you thinking that as you have reached this site, you are also seeking for some information about the route to reach the stars. Just keep in mind that to deal with Facade Cladding and Curtainwalls, in addition to having outstanding Architectural Design and Detailing skills, you must be adept with Computer Aided Design, Statics, Mechanics and have a good grasp of Material Sciences. You have to solve heat and water insulation problems. You must have concrete information and the ability to solve finishing details related to interior building components although you are dealing with the exterior of buildings. Along all of these, good and solid information related to chemistry and physics is needed to dive into the process of selection of new materials. You will be required to solve details related to building displacements. You will find yourself in a meeting where you have to answer the questions of the Civil and Mechanical Engineers. You may even find yourself in an interesting situation where you have to lead an Architect or an Engineer to the "perfect solution". Most possibly you will also be working along with the "Dreamer" of the building, trying to make the dreams come true. You must be able to promote your products, design the best facade with the perfect details, assess costs, have a good control of procurement, manufacturing, production and installation processes. Never and ever �forget that a very harmonic, excellent team work is necessary. A good design is only successful if it is applied perfectly and if you are successful, you will most possibly find yourself looking at the city on top of a thirty storey building. This is a thrill really. Interestingly, 100 meters is the limit where the sense of vertigo ends and you start to see the whole city as if it is a panoramic postcard.

The Sky is the limit?
High-rise buildings require a little bit more. Do not be discouraged. The principles are nearly the same but you will be faced with more problems related to very high and fierce building and wind loads. You will have to deal with more environmental variables. Basically you will have more square meters to cope with in a very short time and this will bring forth the necessity to optimise economically between manpower and the time for installation. All these type of jobs require a different type of solution, a custom curtainwall system design which can be classified as "Unitised Curtainwall ". Unitized Systems can be defined as custom curtainwall solutions with aluminum frames fabricated and assembled at the workshop with glass installed on the assembled frame, prefabricated and ready for installation at the site. The assembly has to be conducted at the workshop under nearly laboratory conditions. If the details are so that structural glazing is required, you have to obtain the necessary permits from the structural silicone supplier such as Dow Corning and you will have to submit unit samples of all the custom systems to laboratory tests. Anchor elements must be ready and assembled at the site. You have to plan delivery and installation schedules precisely. Of course you have to keep in mind that such a custom design has to be tested and approved according to local and international codes. A crane owned by the main contractor and rented to you by hours is very costly and all of a sudden you will find out that crane sharing has become one of the most important constraints in your work. A unitized system is also a challenge of interdisciplinary coordination. If you are successful you will feel as if you are defying the rules of gravity as you start the installation.

The Stars are closer.
It is a dream to come true, a building that reaches the sky. The topmost open air platform happens to be the place where you attend the opening ceremony. This is a very important event so the owner, the client, construction team and company leaders, government leaders and so many others are there not to miss the event. The representatives of the firms that have supplied the best materials for this job are also present. The murmurs whisper the story of success, how the job started, how the bid was awarded, how the problems were solved, how it was designed, how it was constructed. The wind is so strong that it covers the whispers and people who are not used to it along with those who are afraid of the height seek refuge in the penthouse. Lean downwards, look at the boundary of the whiteness below which is actually the top of the clouds. The sky above is a darker blue than it is seen from the ground. There is not much left between the team and the stars. Being there, under the dome of stars.