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DC Development Showcases Vast Crystal Capabilities

QUEENS, NY, April 2, 2025 – Virtually the entire Crystal Window & Door Systems aluminum product line is on display at a recently opened Washington, DC, mixed-use multi-family development.  The large upscale development used 14 models and styles of energy efficient windows and doors supplied by the award-winning 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. Located at 4000 Wisconsin Avenue, in the Northwest section of Washington, DC, 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 visually appealing aesthetics, numerous façade designs and materials were used.  Complementing these façade designs are the array of Crystal windows and doors. 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” wide and 111” tall.  The combinations of the windows in all instances provide Upton Place residents with outstanding views. 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,” said 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” 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” 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” 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” 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” and as tall as 139”.  These 4-9∕16” jamb units are rated LC-PG45 and AW-PG75, respectively. Crystal also supplied heavy-commercial 3-¼” 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” wide and 128” tall. Double insulated glass units (IGUs) 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. Upton Place was developed by Donohue Development of Bethesda, MD in partnership with AIMCO Investments of Washington, DC.  The architect was SK+I Architecture, and the general contractor was Donohue Construction Company, both of Bethesda, MD.  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, VA and the historic OMNI Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. Upton Place is a new luxury mixed-use development in the vibrant Cathedral Heights neighborhood of northwest Washington, DC.  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.  It is convenient for shopping, public transportation, beautiful parks, and walking trails.

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Crystal Pacific Provides Great Views for San Diego Hotel

RIVERSIDE, CA, March 17, 2025 – Crystal Pacific Window & Door Systems, the west coast division of national manufacturer Crystal Window & Door Systems, recently supplied over 200 state-of-the art vinyl sliding glass patio doors for the San Diego Crowne Plaza Mission Valley Hotel.  The new vinyl sliding doors replaced aging aluminum sliding doors and were part of a major renovation completed at the 8-story hotel.  An interesting design feature of this hotel is that each guest room has no windows but rather a large 2- or 3-panel sliding patio door for light, ventilation, and access to individual balconies and terraces. “Crystal Pacific sliding patio doors offer great energy efficiency, durability, smooth operation, sound abatement, and easy installation frame and accessory options, perfect for this hotel and its busy location,” said Ed Watkins, Sales Manager.  “Our MAGNUS commercial vinyl doors and our Buena Vista vinyl doors control the effects of the Southern California sun and keep guest rooms comfortable year-round.  They are perfect for both renovation and new construction projects.” For the five upper floors of the hotel renovation, Crystal supplied 130 MAGNUS uPVC commercial vinyl Series 2150 2-panel sliding patio doors.  The MAGNUS 2150 is a multi-chambered high-end product, offering superior strength, durability, and thermal efficiency.  With the strength of aluminum and the energy efficiency of traditional vinyl, uPVC vinyl is a fenestration frame material widely used in Europe and rapidly being adopted in the USA. The Crystal MAGNUS Series 2150 sliding doors have a 4-9∕16” frame depth, internal sill drainage system, 1” insulated glass units (IGUs), and an LC-PG40 rating.  For the San Diego hotel project, a retrofit frame with flush fin option was specified for a fast efficient installation that retained the original look of the building façade.  All the MAGNUS doors were fabricated of standard white color extrusions and spanned large 94” wide by 78-½” high openings. For the first three floors, Crystal supplied 77 Buena Vista vinyl sliding doors.  Four of these units were 3-panel sliding doors, for large 141” wide x 78” high openings.  The remainder of the sliding doors were 2-panel models for 94” wide by 78-½” high openings.  The ground floor doors permit access to the pool and sundeck areas. The Buena Vista sliding doors combine durability, functionality, and modern style, with a 5” frame depth, dual-point locking handles and internal multi-chambered design.  Options for Crystal Buena Vista doors include a retrofit frame with flush fin and upgraded stainless steel quad roller assemblies.  Like the MAGNUS doors, all the Buena Vista units were fabricated of standard white color extrusions. The Crystal sliding doors installed at the Crowne Plaza Mission Valley Hotel used 1” IGUs.  For enhanced thermal performance and safety, the IGUs used dual-pane tempered Cardinal LoĒ3 366 glass with argon gas filling. Crystal Pacific has supplied several recent projects in San Diego including other hotels, medical institutions, and senior residences.  The manufacturer is expanding throughout Arizona, Nevada, and northern California to supply those bustling new construction and renovation markets. The property manager for the Crowne Plaza Mission Valley Hotel is Brighton Management, located in Newport Beach, CA.  A&C Windows and Doors, a long-term Crystal Pacific customer located in Murrieta, CA, was the dealer and fenestration installer for the project. The Crowne Plaza Mission Valley Hotel, built in 1959 and renovated several times since then, is located at 2270 Hotel Circle North just off the Mission Valley Freeway.  It is adjacent to the Riverwalk Golf Club and convenient to many cultural and recreational sites in San Diego.  The hotel has 419 guest rooms, on-site restaurants, conference and meeting rooms, pool and resort amenities, and a beautifully landscaped central courtyard.

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