Ecoview® Plus Sunscreen

Ecoview® Plus Sunscreen has a 2 x 2 weave construction with a 6% and 10% openness factor, providing a level of daytime privacy without compromising the view. The range comes in a broad colour palette of darks, greys and neutrals. With 16 colours to choose from, it will complement any commercial interior. 

Koolblack™ technology has been incorporated into the dark coloured screen fabrics, providing reflective properties. This feature, coupled with the other dark coloured fabric benefits, provides excellent contrast for a clear and sharp view through. Patented technology that enhances dark coloured yarn's energy reflectivity by increasing its near infrared reflection.

Available for Roller Blind, Roman Shade and Panel Glide applications, all colours meet Australian standards for colour fastness to resist fading, and does not exceed the maximum VOC.

Ecoview Chrome Sunscreen Fabric

Ecoview Chrome is a metallised back sunscreen that provides excellent outward visibility. The dark internal face reduces glare while the metallised back reduces heat gain in a room through reflective properties.

The range comes in a broad colour palette with 5 colours to suit commercial interiors. This has also been developed to complement blockout fabrics like Plaza® Plus and Elements, as well as Ecoview Plus 6%, 10% and KoolBlack™ ranges.

Available for Roller Blind and Panel Glide applications, all colours meet Australian standards for colour fastness to resist fading, and does not exceed the maximum VOC.

Hunter Douglas Architectural Takes On a First in the Southern Hemisphere

As the market leader in window coverings, the Hunter Douglas Architectural range continues to be selected for world class commercial projects. Recently, it was again chosen to take part in a unique opportunity to provide an external shading solution for Hobart’s newest ferry terminal at Brooke St Pier. It is the first building in the Southern Hemisphere to be built on dry land, and then floated in the water.

Recognising that the existing pier did not meet the needs of commuters, the Australian Government commissioned a redevelopment of the pier, contributing $5 million. Ferry operators Navigators and Peppermint Bay provided an $8 million joint investment to the project.

Local Hunter Douglas Architectural product supplier, Giuseppe Mampieri of Fabriqué was commissioned to fit the building with awnings that would provide shade and glare reduction, while concealing the awnings as much as possible.

Giuseppe worked closely with the project’s builder, Fairbrother, the principal architect, the project manager and the steel engineers to deliver a product which suited the terminal’s specific requirements. He recommended the installation of the Alpha cable guide system – a product which is proven to be energy efficient and highly effective in controlling heat, light and glare. The awnings were fitted in 10mm thick steel from the inside of the building with a narrow opening for the fabric. This collaborative design meant that patrons would barely be able to notice the awnings when raised.

Fabriqué’s role in the project was delivered in an impressive time frame, as the awnings needed to be installed while the structure was still on land. “We knew straight away that the Alpha cable guide system was the ideal product for this development and we’re so proud to have had the opportunity to be part of such a significant infrastructure for the city of Hobart,” commented Giuseppe.

Martin Schmidt, the principal architect from Circa Morris Nunn Architects was extremely satisfied with the installation of Hunter Douglas Architectural products in line with the design brief.

The 300,000 people who use the facility annually will benefit from the shade provided by Hunter Douglas Architectural awnings, whilst Hobart’s waterfront precinct will benefit from the many restaurants, tourism retailers and coffee shops that plan to open on the pier.

In total, 18 awnings have been fitted which are fully motorised and connected to Somfy Motor Controllers, enabling the awnings to be operated via a remote.

Everview Plus External Sunscreen

Everview Plus External Sunscreen range combines a 2 x 2 basket weave construction which provides great strength and stability even when the fabric is rail-coated (turned sideways). With an on-trend contemporary colour palette of darks, greys and neutrals, the fabric colour range suits almost any exterior decor.

Everview Plus External Sunscreen Fabric has been tested and does not exceed the maximum VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) criteria specified by the Green Building Council of Australia (IEQ-11). Everview Plus External Sunscreen Fabric meets the certification requirements set by Greenguard® for low chemical emissions. 

Everview Plus External Sunscreen range now also allows for different levels of privacy by offering two different openness options. For complete privacy, the 1% openness option is available in 5 colours. For daytime privacy without compromising view, the 5% openness option is available in 13 colours. The Everview Plus External Sunscreen suits a wide variety of exterior trends and privacy needs, and is available for contemporary drop awnings. 

Design aesthetics key to Barangaroo’s exteriors

Barangaroo is one of the most ambitious urban renewal projects in the world today, embodying world-class design excellence and sustainability.

Located along iconic Sydney Harbour, it is also one of the world’s leading waterfront commercial developments, completing the Sydney CBD western waterfront with the natural beauty of Barangaroo Reserve in the north, to the new financial, retail and residential hub of Barangaroo South.

The harbour location offers its own set of challenges when it comes to exterior shading needs. Providing sufficient protection from wind and rain due to the waterfront location, whilst maintaining the magnificent view were key considerations when looking for a suitable solution.

Lend Lease partnered with commercial Specifier, Turner Brothers, to put these specific requirements out to tender. Hunter Douglas Architectural responded with a bespoke solution from its Alpha Awning Series which has been developed to offer maximum flexibility for end-consumer operation. 

The Alpha Cable Guide Awning is a great contemporary straight drop option. Made of high tensile 316 marine grade stainless steel cables and mounting brackets, it is perfect for coastal applications. 

Using a clear PVC fabric allowed an aesthetically pleasing solution that was still practical. To give the fabric a much flatter appearance and reduce the roll up diameter of the tube, the PVC fabric needed horizontal joins rather than the standard vertical joins. It was also essential that the joins lined up with hand rails and were not in direct eye line to ensure a seamless exterior appearance.

In total, 57 Alpha Cable Guide Awnings with clear PVC fabric were installed on Barangaroo’s waterfront, ensuring that consumers do not have to compromise on the stunning views of Sydney Harbour, regardless of rain, wind or shine.  

Claremont Council Chambers

The Claremont Council Chambers were originally built in 1898, lasting until 2010 when the building was badly damaged, and vital documents lost. In 2013 the process of rebuilding commenced with the Town of Claremont issuing a tender for the restoration and reconstruction of the heritage listed building as well as an adjacent integrated, three-level extension. The contract was subsequently awarded to Pindan Constructions in 2014 with Hunter Douglas Commercial reseller Sun Solutions chosen as the exclusive blind supplier for the project.

To suit each aspect of the building, Sun Solutions worked closely with MPS architects to install 59 manual and motorised Roller Blinds, both single and dual systems.

“It was an honour to work on such an iconic local building. We didn’t want to detract from the beautiful aspects of the restored building; we needed something simple and practical so we chose single and dual Roller Blinds for simplicity and Internal Sunscreens, which also met the needs of the occupants,” commented Mark Colthart, Manager Sun Solutions.

The Dual Roller Blinds utilised Elements Blockout Fabric in colour Midnight Storm as well as Neotec Internal Sunscreen Fabric in colour Granite. This allowed for view-through and heat control during the day with the Blockout Fabric an added option for more privacy and heat control when needed. These fabrics are tested to Building Code of Australia requirements for Fire Hazard Properties of materials in buildings and are suitable for Class 2 to 9(a)-(c) buildings.

In keeping with the office environment, the Roller Blinds were also motorised to ensure quiet operation at the single touch of a button.

“The operation of the blinds was important to get right. We linked several blinds together to ensure a uniform look and practicality given there were so many floor to ceiling windows throughout the building. We’re happy to say that the occupants are very pleased with how easy and quiet it is to operate multiple blinds at once,” concluded Mark.