6 innovative products for multifamily developments

Efficient products make for efficient buildings. What are some innovative products to come out of 2022?

Each year, new products come on the market that solve developmental pain-points. Here are six innovative products for various multifamily developments, including a condominium-wide smart electrical system, heavy-duty aluminum doors, and prefabricated panels.

Austin's new 34-story 70 Rainey houses 164 condos featuring floor-to-ceiling Solarban R100 glass from Vitro Architectural Glass. "Glazing selection on tall buildings is one of the most complicated design decisions we face today to navigate energy codes, aesthetics, and environmental performance," said Joshua Coleman, AIA, LEED AP, Principal/Design at Page architecture firm. "Solarban R100 glass provides one of the best solar heat gain coefficients on the market without being overly reflective, too dark, or tinted." Win-Con was the glazier.

Bonacio Construction (GC) and Prediletto Electric (electrical contractor) specified Leviton Smart Circuit Breakers and Leviton USB Type A/Type-C In-Wall Outlet Charger with 15A Tamper-Resistant Outlet for The Moderne Condominiums, Sarasota Springs, N.Y. Leviton Decora Smart Dimmers were installed in the living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms of the two- and three-bedroom condos and in the penthouse units.

For the exterior of SOLO on Chestnut, a seven-story, 250,000-sf complex of 280 luxury apartments near the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, JKRP Architects (designer) and The HOW Group (GC) specified 14,600 sf of Charcoal Grey Omega-Lite ACM panels. Makosh Services used Laminators' Clip & Caulk installation system.

Crystal Window & Door Systems' Series 1450/1460 Aluminum Swing Terrace Door has been structurally and thermally enhanced and offers a new hydraulic closer, glazing, and a laboratory water-tested ADA low-sill option. The Series 1450/1460 Terrace Door is constructed with heavy-duty 0.093-inch wall thickness extrusion and a redesigned strong multi-chamber 3.25-inch jamb frame, for use in high-rise and wind-prone installations.

A powerful adjustable hydraulic closer from leading German hardware manufacturer G-U (Gretsch-Unitas) features a concealed mounting plate and slide arm assembly designed for outswing door operation, which allows effortless operation of the door while maintaining the door's sleek look on the interior. The aluminum frame of Crystal's Series 1450/1460 Aluminum Swing Terrace Door is finished in durable environmentally sustainable powder coat paint, to either AAMA 2604 or 2605 performance standards.

Centerline Prefab set 48-foot StoPanel Metal ci panels on the upper four floors and Sto Backup panels for the six-story Arcadia Flats residential housing at Western Michigan University, in Kalamazoo. The 206 wall panels were prefabricated off site and installed on site in 37 minutes per panel. Stantec Architecture (architect) and Triangle Associates (GC) were on the project team.

Jeff Johnston, president of The Roofing Company, Granby, Colo., installed more than 210 squares of Atlas ACFoam and ACFoam CrossVent from Atlas Roofing Corp. on the roof of the nine residences and six penthouses ($7.4 million to $9.6 million) at the Vail Mountain View Condos, in Vail Village. The roofing system provided a fully continuous insulation solution with an R-value of 20.

Walter P Moore's Darek Brandt discusses the key questions building owners and property managers should be asking to determine the health of their building's façade.

A trio of multifamily housing experts discusses trends in materials in their latest developments. Topics include the need to balance aesthetics and durability, the advantages of textured materials, and the benefits of biophilia.

The University of Michigan's DART Laboratory has unveiled a new product called Shell Wall—which the organization describes as the first lightweight, freeform 3D printed and structurally reinforced concrete wall. The innovative product leverages DART Laboratory's research and development on the use of 3D-printing technology to build structures that require less concrete.

HydroSKIN is a façade made with textiles that stores rainwater and uses it later to cool hot building exteriors. The façade innovation consists of an external, multilayered 3D textile that acts as a water collector and evaporator.

Schweiss Doors, the premier manufacturer of hydraulic and bifold liftstrap doors, erected a new manufacturing facility which will also serve as a showcase for the company's new "free-standing" header frames.

The 2022 edition of AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440, "North American Fenestration Standard/Specification for windows, doors, and skylights" (NAFS) has been published. The updated 2022 standard replaces the 2017 edition, part of a continued evolution of the standard to improve harmonization across North America, according to a news release.

More than ever, AEC firms and their suppliers are wedding innovation with corporate responsibility. How they are addressing climate change usually gets the headlines. But as the following articles in our AEC Innovators package chronicle, companies are attempting to make an impact as well on the integrity of their supply chains, the reduction of construction waste, and answering calls for more affordable housing and homeless shelters. As often as not, these companies are partnering with municipalities and nonprofit interest groups to help guide their production.

The Biden Administration's proposal on building materials rules used on federal construction and federally funded state and local buildings would significantly boost the made-in-America mandate. In the past, products could qualify as domestically made if at least 55% of the value of their components were from the U.S.

New Horizon Urban Mining, a demolition firm in the Netherlands, has hitched its business model to construction materials recycling. It's plan: deconstruct buildings and infrastructure and sell the building products for reuse in new construction. New Horizon and its Founder Michel Baars have been named 2023 AEC Innovators by Building Design+Construction editors.

Aeromine Technologies’ bladeless system captures and amplifies a building's airflow like airfoils on a race car.

Walter P Moore's Darek Brandt discusses the key questions building owners and property managers should be asking to determine the health of their building's façade.

A trio of multifamily housing experts discusses trends in materials in their latest developments. Topics include the need to balance aesthetics and durability, the advantages of textured materials, and the benefits of biophilia.

The University of Michigan's DART Laboratory has unveiled a new product called Shell Wall—which the organization describes as the first lightweight, freeform 3D printed and structurally reinforced concrete wall. The innovative product leverages DART Laboratory's research and development on the use of 3D-printing technology to build structures that require less concrete.

HydroSKIN is a façade made with textiles that stores rainwater and uses it later to cool hot building exteriors. The façade innovation consists of an external, multilayered 3D textile that acts as a water collector and evaporator.