Monday, July 18, 2022
Architects Asked and Berner Delivered: Award-Winning Air Curtains
Berner’s Architectural Air Curtains Win Silver for Excellence in Product Design
To give them what they wanted, Berner worked with architects to design aesthetically pleasing air curtains and gave them something not only beautiful, but quiet and high performing for their spaces. Created with contractors in mind, Berner air curtains are simple to install, operate, and maintain, making it easy for contractors to recommend and stylish enough for architects to want to get on board.
The air curtain manufacturer’s expanding Architectural Collection is now an award-winning line, one that has been featured in multiple leading industry publications in recognition of its product design excellence. Thoughtfully engineered, these architectural air curtains for main entrances are used in many different types of environments, from schools and hospitals to retail stores and office buildings. They are enhancing the spaces they occupy while saving energy and supporting sustainability goals. The newest addition to the Architectural Collection is the Architectural Contour air curtain, which won Silver in The ACHR NEWS’ 2022 Dealer Design Awards, and confirms that Berner is certainly on the right path with this industry-changing line.
Philip Thomas, a Berner Product Manager, said, “Combining the input of industrial designers and architects with our strong engineering foundation allowed us to meet our goal of a quiet, technologically advanced, and beautiful air curtain that performs as well or better than our previous models, while being simple to install, operate and maintain.”
Why use air curtains over main entrances?
Adding air curtains over main entrances helps to support the in-space experience by protecting the comfort of the occupants while providing additional benefits to owners. An air curtain, also known as an air door, is a machine that blows a controlled stream of air across an opening, typically a doorway, to the other side to create an air seal. When properly selected and installed, the invisible seal that an air curtain creates, separates different environments while allowing a smooth, uninterrupted flow of traffic through the opening. Because they help to protect heated or conditioned air when the door is open, they provide sizable energy savings, reduce carbon emissions (GHG), and increase thermal comfort when applied in industrial or commercial settings. Air curtains also help to stop the infiltration of pollutants and flying insects.
Functional…and beautiful
Berner’s Architectural Collection, which started with the Architectural Elite, is a departure from the decades-old rectangular box designs, and offers a distinctive, unrivaled appearance of which designers approve. And just like the Architectural Elite, the Architectural Contour complements 21st century anodized aluminum doors and metal architecture and can be optioned with custom colors or stainless steel. The Architectural Contour air curtain has a sleek, low-profile shape that makes it an aesthetically pleasing option for any space. It’s inconspicuously curved cabinet, constructed of anodized aluminum, is both attractive and visually unobtrusive. The patented design’s performance is AMCA certified and meets the vestibule exception of building and energy codes, ASHRAE 90.1-2019; ASHRAE 189.1; the IECC -2015, and the IgCC.
Installation
The Architectural Contour air curtain ships fully assembled and, like all other Berner air curtains that are designed to be easily installed, can be wall mounted above the opening or suspended from the ceiling using threaded rod. The air curtain ships with wall mounting hangers and a mounting catch and hook. To give the installer some flexibility in mounting over studs /supports, the wall hangers can be slid right or left to match the position of the support structure. Simply lift the air curtain over the door and onto the wall hangers, add some locking screws, and boom. It’s done, and is ready for electrical connections. For ceiling suspension, four factory-installed ¼”-20 threaded inserts are located on the top of the unit, ready to go. If the air curtain is being suspended in front of glass, the air curtain can be ordered with a decorative rear cover, which is factory installed.
Operation
The air curtain is operated via an IntelliswitchTM, a built-in digital controller and typically activated by a door switch and/or a thermostat. This digital controller is treated as a design element, built-into a strip articulated alongside the air stream outlet. It has four common sequences of operations to choose from and allows for custom programming. Should the air curtain need troubleshooting, the error codes help demystify what the issue may be. When optioned with BACnet integration, the air curtain comes with Berner AIR, which consists of a smart controller and app allowing for even simpler set up, control, and troubleshooting of the air curtain.
Maintenance
To keep maintenance simple, the bottom cover is held in place by Phillips head screws. Simply remove the screws along the bottom front of the unit and then the cover drops down. This allows one to access the motor(s) and fans, as necessary. To access the aluminum filter, simply remove the air intake screen, located along the top of the air curtain, and then take the air filter out for vacuuming and/or washing with dish soap and water.
“Beautiful, and both quiet and high performing, Berner’s architectural air curtains save energy and support healthy, comfortable interiors when the door is open,” Thomas said.
Add a beautiful Berner Air Curtain to your beautifully designed entrance
With a variety of sizes, options, and configurations available, the award-winning Architectural Contour and other acclaimed air curtains in Berner’s Architectural Collection are sure to meet your project’s needs. Whether you are trying to save energy, save money, protect thermal comfort, or keep smoke and flying insects out while maintaining the aesthetic integrity of your space, Berner has what you need. Contact Berner today to learn more about these industry-leading air curtains and how they can help you achieve your project goals.
Winning entries in the Dealer Design Awards were featured in the July 18, 2022, issue of The ACHR News, which is distributed nationally to over 27,000 HVACR contractors, wholesalers and distributors, and other industry professionals.
For more information and further coverage, visit www.achrnews.com.