Crystal Windows supplied nearly 1,000 uPVC MAGNUS Series 4500 commercial vinyl windows for the new multi-family property The Gilbert on First in East Harlem, Manhattan.
-Crystal uPVC MAGNUS Windows Installed at The Gilbert in Manhattan –
QUEENS, NY, August 7, 2020 –The residents of the new The Gilbert on First apartment building in East Harlem, Manhattan, are benefitting from the state-of-the-art commercial vinyl windows supplied by award-winning national manufacturer Crystal Window & Door Systems. The 16-story building located at 1912 First Avenue between 97th and 99th Streets boasts Crystal’s uPVC MAGNUS Series 4500 windows. These commercial windows offer the strength and durability of aluminum frame windows with the superior energy efficiency of vinyl products. Commercial uPVC vinyl windows have been widely used throughout Europe for many years.
Besides the windows, residents at The Gilbert on First will further benefit from integral window louvers for HVAC units supplied by Crystal, as well as the aesthetics of a unique “shadow box” custom integral window frame. The Gilbert on First is the latest in a growing list of major multi-family properties where architects, developers, and general contractors are selecting the Crystal uPVC MAGNUS commercial window line.
The Gilbert on First is directly across from NYC Health & Hospitals Metropolitan campus and is the second building in a two-part development which includes Draper Hall, (originally the hospital’s nursing staff dormitory, now senior housing) which was renovated a few years ago and for which Crystal also supplied new windows. The Gilbert on First offers 152 subsidized units ranging from studios to 3-bedroom apartments and features community rooms, outdoor terraces, and an expansive garden space shared with Draper Hall. Just one block off the FDR Drive on Manhattan’s east side, the apartments overlook the East River with great views of the skyline and many bridges.
In total, 925 white uPVC MAGNUS Series 4500 commercial vinyl windows were used in The Gilbert on First. The 3-¼” jamb internally-reinforced In-Swing (Turn Only) and Fixed window styles were predominantly mulled in 2- and 3-window configurations or in arrangements combining vision glass with louver panels. Joined by structurally reinforced mullions, the multiple-window configurations provide large expanses of glass, some as vast as 72” wide by 87” tall. The In-Swing windows were equipped with NY City approved limit-opening devices.
The Gilbert on First project used an architect-designed, custom fabricated shadow box feature on two sides of the south façade windows (left) to add energy-saving sunshading and visual interest. Crystal’s MAGNUS Series 4500 In-Swing window(right) and Fixed window styles were used for this project.
True to the MAGNUS uPVC brand, the Series 4500 In-Swing Turn window boasts an outstanding CW-PG95 structural rating as well as an excellent energy efficient 0.29 U-value. Both the In-Swing and Fixed windows were glazed with 1” insulated glass units (IGUs) using Vitro 3∕16” Solarban 60 and clear glass lights. In select instances where required by code, the double glass lights were tempered. The non-tempered IGUs were fabricated by Crystal Windows and the tempered units by Vitro.
Integral HVAC louvers were sourced and factory-installed by Crystal into many of the window combination units. Crystal used 387 PTAC Louver Model AEL-42 units by Reliable of Geneva, AL, for the project.
Crystal tapped into its broad network of resources for The Gilbert on First project to provide a unique architect-designed “shadow box” window feature for the building’s expansive open exposure south-facing façade. The “shadow box” aluminum components– 8” deep with a tapering thickness from 1-½” to ¾” – were custom fabricated by Crystal’s subsidiary Gateway Extrusions and attached to the windows at the Crystal factory. Using a novel approach, the architect designed the shadow box surround for installation on only two sides of the window perimeter, the head and west jambs, to create a contemporary decorative aesthetic and energy efficient sunshading effect.
The Gilbert on First is owned by Gilbert Apartments, LLC, an affiliate of developer SKA Marin, both of Great Neck, NY. Dattner Architects of New York, NY, provided building design services and Procida Construction of the Bronx, NY was the general contractor. Marvel Contracting of Oakland Gardens, NY provided window installation services. The building is managed by Wavecrest Management of Richmond Hill, NY.
