by Brianna Crandall — November 11, 2015—Rogers Memorial Hospital in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, celebrated its completed renovation in April of this year. The 50,000-square-foot, 56-bed facility now offers inpatient care for children and adults diagnosed with anxiety, depression, addiction, and other behavioral care needs.
For this project, the SEAL windows meet human impact drop-testing, use an overlap sash design for more resistance to patient tampering; and use between-glass blinds to minimize maintenance, reduce solar heat gain, and offer privacy.
As part of the total renovation, Wausau Window and Wall Systems’ SEAL behavioral care windows were selected to update the facility’s old windows. Engineered for high performance in health care settings, these windows provide a safe, comfortable interior; an attractive appearance; and natural light and outside views that connect the patients with their surroundings, says the company.
Brown Deer is the first Rogers facility to incorporate biophilia into its design. Biophilia design recognizes the way humans have an emotional connection to nature and natural forms from Earth, and aids in a patient’s healing process, explains Wausau.
To bring the healing elements of nature inside, TWP Architecture addressed both the hospital’s aesthetic renovation needs and performance upgrades to meet current codes and standards. TWP’s principle in charge, John Curran, explains:
Wausau’s SEAL windows provide a safe, comfortable interior; an attractive appearance; and natural light and outside views that connect the patients with their surroundings.
Built in the ’80s, the building was not very inviting. It had these narrow, dark-tinted windows cut into the masonry wall that gave it a prison-ish look. We didn’t have a lot of money to work with, but wanted to completely change that first impression. We added an interior living green wall to bring the biophilia concept indoors, and opened up the entry with lots of natural light to give it a bright, welcoming feeling with views to the nicely landscaped grounds.
Working closely with general contractor VJS Construction Services, glazing contractor Simmons Building Products installed 70 of Wausau’s SEAL 2187-DT interior accessory windows. SEAL is an acronym for sound, energy, air, and light, representing the improved energy efficiency and acoustic comfort they offer.
Eric Breidel, Wausau’s sales representative for Wisconsin, also describes the SEAL units as ideal for psychiatric care and treatment areas:
Our ‘DT’ windows are drop-tested for interior human impact up to 2,000 foot-pounds. Two thousand foot-pounds of energy, as imparted by the human impact drop test apparatus, simulates the shoulder impact of a 200-pound person moving at 25 feet per second. This means that the windows support patient safety without requiring detention screens or bars, promoting a home-like, healing atmosphere.
Around the perimeter of the building, we were able to maintain the glass, light, and views. If you eliminate the glass, you create an unpleasant, institutional feel. Using Wausau’s SEAL units, we didn’t have to replace the existing windows. Instead, we added the SEAL unit and upgraded the patient areas to the necessary safety levels. We don’t want anyone to get hurt from breaking a window.
For the Brown Deer project, not only do the SEAL windows meet human impact drop-testing per AAMA 501.8-12, they also use an overlap sash design, rather than a flush sash, to make them more resistant to patient tampering and prying. Integral between-glass blinds minimize maintenance, reduce solar heat gain, and offer privacy, without the potential dangers of exposed cords and slats.
Contributing to health care facilities’ environmental goals, all of Wausau’s SEAL window products are available with high recycled aluminum content. Linetec finished the windows’ frames with a warm Dark Bronze anodize finish. This extremely durable coating is easy to clean and resistant to marring in even the most demanding circumstances, says the company.
