LONGUEUIL, CANADA, JUNE 09, 2023 – Unicel Architectural Corp., manufacturer of Vision Control^®, timber and aluminum curtain walls and skylight solutions, announces its Vision Control^® advanced louvered glazing and curtain wall systems certified for hurricane resistance in the U.S. state of Florida.

A select group of Unicel Architectural glazing system products recently passed a series of Florida performance tests including:

• Testing Application Standard (TAS) 201-94 – Impact Test Procedures (Large Missile);
• Testing Application Standard (TAS) 202-94 – Criteria for Testing Impact & Non-Impact Resistant Building Envelope Components Using Uniform Static Air Pressure;
• Testing Application Standard (TAS) 203-94 – Criteria for Testing Products Subject to Cyclic Wind Pressure Loading;
• ASTM E1886-13 – Performance of Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, Doors, and Impact Protective Systems Impacted by Missile(s) and Exposed to Cyclic Pressure Differentials;
• ASTM E1996-17 – Performance of Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, Doors, and Impact Protective Systems Impacted by Windborne Debris in Hurricanes

The certified Aluminum curtain wall system (700S) can feature:

• Insulating glass units with Vision Control^®
• Insulating glass units with Vision Control^® Mini
• Insulating glass units with ViuLite^®
• Insulating glass units (without integrated shading)

These products are now certified under Florida Building Product Approval number FL 41609, making them officially compliant with the structural requirements of the current Florida building code including within the region’s “high velocity hurricane zone” (HVHZ).

“We’ve seen countless examples of how hurricane-strength winds, debris, heavy rain, and flooding can devastate communities and the built environment,” said Unicel Architectural Co-President Samuel Doyon-Bissonnette. “But the good news is that building owners can take measures to mitigate the damage of such ferocious storms through improved building integrity and hurricane-certified glazing.”

Hurricane-rated windows are made from multiple glass panes reinforced with a polymer layer, are designed not to shatter when broken, and don’t require additional storm shutters or other protective devices.

With the advent of more frequent and ever-powerful storms, glazing that can resist the punishing high winds of a hurricane or tropical storm has become more important than ever. Because there’s little a building owner can do once a bad storm strikes other than waiting it out, the time to prepare a commercial/industrial/institutional property for heavy and potentially damaging weather is now.

About Unicel Architectural

For 59 years, Unicel Architectural has built a reputation for the most advanced glass, timber and aluminum solutions. These solutions encompass louvered glazing, skylights, timber or aluminum curtain walls and more, to enhance major global construction initiatives with the utmost quality and reliability. Unicel Architectural’s proprietary technology transforms glass, timber or aluminum into one-of-a-kind, highly engineered structures, while Vision Control^® delivers unprecedented comfort and control of vision, light, temperature and sound with a patented combination of integrated louvers between glass that are hermetically sealed and cordless. Unicel Architectural’s solutions are guaranteed for longevity, optimized for energy efficiency, and customizable to any design, environmental or cultural requirements. Unicel Architectural combines its market leading know-how with great design to help architects impact lives by defining the space within.