Exterior Doors
SKY - FRAME

The DTS Project House has partnered with SKY - FRAME of Switzerland with USA representation in Culver City, California to provide and install exterior motorized sliding glass doors.

The "glass and steel boxes" are one of the elements that give the DTS Project House its aesthetic and both its exterior and interior experience. Since most of the exterior is defined by the sliding glass doors, the visual qualities of the doors when open and closed give the house its "look" both inside and outside. The lightness of the fenestration is intended to be all the more light by contrasting with the heaviness of the concrete. The ability to easily open the exterior sliding doors in different configurations is one of the distinctive features of the interior experience. The ability to open the exterior sliding doors is also a prominent aspect of the natural ventilation and cooling of the house. The third story lap pool is made indoor outdoor by opening and closing the large scale exterior doors. The successful implementation of the architectural intentions of the DTS Project House is dependent on the choice of exterior sliding glass doors.

mills studio and the Owner's conducted extensive research into all door types and metal / aluminum door and frameless glass door manufacturers. Door types from sliding, to bifold, to stacking bifold, to guillotine, to upward acting doors were considered and evaluated along with the products of over 20 door manufacturers. mills studio and the Owners visited the showrooms and or installations of all the products under consideration to experience the aesthetics and operation of each door in person. Each door product were evaluated for aesthetics, both in the open and closed positions; ease of operation; compliance with stringent energy standards; ability to integrate motorization; ability to integrate screens, and cost , and do installation. Manufacturer's were evaluated for ability and willingness to provide product information and details; complete the Shop Drawing process; ability to customize products. In summary, the products and manufacturers were evaluated on their ability to transcend the everyday utilitarian functionality and raise it to an art form.

It was clear that SKY - FRAME was the product to be installed in the DTS Project House when mills studio and the Owner's experienced the SKY - FRAME product and met with the SKY - FRAME staff.  SKY - FRAME was the last manufacturer looked at and evaluated. The SKY - FRAME  showroom in Culver City immediately shows you the product in true context with one of the showroom's exterior walls a SKY - FRAME sliding window wall. You immediately see how minimal and light the vertical frames of the SKY - FRAME sliding doors are and see that there are no visible horizontal frames at either the head or sill.  Once you see the  window wall from the interior you see how minimal the border is between inside and outside. The visual lightness of the SKY - FRAME product provides the desired contrast between the glass system and the concrete walls. The visual lightness also helps the interior spatial experience become one of covered exterior spaces which is key as the interiors were designed without balconies or decks so the interior is an exterior space when desired. mills studio was looking for a door system with a minimal frame profile to accentuate the view, but also a door system with sufficient weight to feel substantial when operated by the human hand. The SKY - FRAME doors accomplish both with just the right balance.

   

The DTS Project House exterior glazing system design is based upon numerous corner openings with no structural support and the SKY - FRAME doors are as elegant a corner of door to door as is possible. Where many sliding door systems require a third party motorization system which either compromise the aesthetics of the building or are cumbersome to install, the SKY - FRAME product has the most state of the art integrated motorization. Although motorized, the SKY - FRAME panels can also be operated manually which provides for more operational and overlay options. The beautifully integrated built-in screens solve the vexing problem of aesthetics versus a desire for ventilation without insects. The hardware locking mechanisms is beautifully integrated and disappears. The precision engineering of the SKY - FRAME product contributes to a major architectural theme of contrasting craft and precision.

   

The professionalism of the SKY - FRAME staff and their desire to get every detail just right through an arduous Shop Drawing process was equally as important as the SKY - FRAME product. SKY - FRAME's clear dedication to raising the "window" to a work of art is exemplified by SKY - FRAMES  art project "A Piece of Sky" for SKY - FRAME by Stephan Hurlemann at Milan Design Week 2019. The SKY - FRAME doors and windows contribute as much as any other product to the intended artistic and state of the art experiential qualities of the DTS Project House.

Phone
424 298-8906
Phone 2
844 877-4187
5912 Blackwelder Street
Culver City, Ca
ZIP Code
90232
DTS Project Partner
Yes
  • Exterior Doors
  • Exterior Doors
  • Exterior Doors
  • Exterior Doors
  • Exterior Doors
  • Exterior Doors
  • Exterior Doors