ENGINEERING

The EXTECH team partners closely with clients at every step of the design phase, keeping them aware of technological advances, value-engineered alternatives, code compliance, and more to help build daylighting systems and custom façades that are cost-effective, sustainable, and beautiful. Our team is committed to continued education in daylighting and architecture, and our guidance considers tried-and-true methods along with the latest industry advancements.

Our engineers are well versed in helping choose glazing that will enhance the performance of your daylighting system. The glazing used greatly impacts how the system performs and interacts with its environment. It can work to reduce cooling loads and solar heat gain, or it can exacerbate them; it can make the use of daylighting a money-saving opportunity, or limit its capabilities; it can remove brutal glare, or it can amplify it. The many and nuanced glazing options can impact the aesthetic appeal, good or bad.

The EXTECH team is up-to-date on the latest translucent glazing choices available and maintains relationships with the best polycarbonate panel extruders in the industry. We’ve partnered on projects where the choice in glazing elevated the design from acceptable to stunning. We can help you pick the best glazing option to meet all your design and budget needs.

EXTECH’s aluminum framing systems – including the clips and gaskets that impact the daylighting system's functionality and appearance – are patented and largely designed to work with polycarbonate, though some systems are designed to work with glass and polycarbonate (a function difficult to find in other manufacturers’ systems). Our systems work in a wide range of applications and are easy to install. They provide versatility in design and are extremely durable. For an in-depth look at our framing systems and their unique offerings not available in other systems on the market, please visit our page on Aluminum Framing Systems.

Advancements in building materials, new attitudes toward sustainability, and the realization that money is being wasted on electrical lighting costs make daylighting retrofits a popular choice among building owners. Though incorporating daylighting systems into older structures can be challenging, EXTECH is well-versed in the process (see our case study on the Logan Airport Hangar retrofit).  We partner with you to create retrofits that seamlessly integrate daylighting solutions, giving your structure a beautiful facelift.

Depending on your design and its location, there is a myriad of both international and local building codes governing the use of building envelope products. EXTECH’s design team is familiar with complex code requirements as they pertain to our products being used in different facility types and within different municipalities.  We can provide guidance and assist with compliance reviews and documentation for product approval - both during permitting and construction.

The EXTECH team creates detailed and easy to understand shop drawings for every project. Included in each submittal package, along with shop drawings, the contractor will find useful installation guidelines, extensive product information, and third-party test reports to confirm performance. Our shop drawings are done in AutoCAD, and we have the ability to render in 3D. We work with clients to ensure our drawings meet their standards before final submittal.

Additionally, EXTECH offers mock-ups both during design and before construction. Design teams often find mock-ups useful for lighting studies, or to review how EXTECH's system will interface with adjacent elements. Installers find it useful to have a mock-up on-hand to better visualize how each system component is installed. Mock-ups can provide pivotal information and assuage concerns that shop drawings cannot address.