How to Incorporate Window Films Into New & Existing Building Designs

Are you looking to reduce energy consumption in your building without sacrificing aesthetic? Whether you’re an architect, designer or civil engineer, working on a new or existing building, window films are a great tool to use for this purpose. Not only can they shade your space, window films can provide privacy, increase safety and security, even prevent bird strikes, and do much more. Here’s how to incorporate them into new and existing building designs.

Thinking About the Location and Usage of the Building

Of course, every design choice should ultimately reflect how your building will be used, and where it is located. There are a few things to think about, but we suggest you start by thinking about the type of tenants in the building. Office spaces, stores, and residents will all have slightly different needs. Stores will prioritize visibility, office spaces usually want more energy efficiency, and residents may want more security to prevent break-ins. Of course, each type of tenant might be concerned about all three, so it really comes down to what your specific tenants will want.

Then you should consider the building itself. How is it oriented to the sun? Should it have window films applied on the inside or outside? Are there other things to obstruct the sun that might reduce the need for window films?

Next, you should consider if there are special laws in your city requiring specific types of window films, or specific coverage, for any specific usage and if windows films to deter bird strikes are required now or in the near future. If you’re in Canada, the team at Access Protection Solutions can help you explore the legal requirements for window films in your city.

Identifying Must-Have Features for Window Films

Are window films worth it? That depends on what you need. Commercial window tinting can provide several benefits, with a large variety of features, such as:

Energy efficiency: By blocking heat, solar films can make your building much easier to cool in the summer, greatly improving its energy efficiency.
Solar control: Glare can make your building less comfortable. The same solar window films that block the sun for energy efficiency reasons can also control glare on computer screens and projectors and prevent the fading of fabrics and other materials inside the building.
Design: Decorative window films can add beauty, and marketing elements to any window space. They’re great for internal and external window use.
Bird deterrent: Prevent birds from flying into your windows and harming themselves with window film that deters bird strikes. In Toronto, bird deterrent films are required for all new development to prevent the needless deaths of migratory birds in the city. Bird deterrent laws are emerging in other areas as well.
Safety and security: In Canada, it is a requirement that glass meets the safety glass standard, and security window film will ensure your glass meets that standard. Some security films can even provide bomb blast protection.
Privacy: Window film can obscure the identity of people in the building or obscure their activities. This is useful for applications where privacy is a top concern, such as at medical facilities or legal offices.

You can get window films that provide all of these benefits, or just the specific ones that are most valuable for your building.

Selecting the Right Window Film for Your Needs

We offer a wide range of commercial window film products that can provide the right mixture of features for your building. Here are your options:

UV Window Films: These provide solar control and better energy efficiency.
Decorative Window Films: Custom cuts, shapes, colors and fonts are all possible with this decorative version of our window films.
Security Window Film & Anti Graffiti Window Films: Interior and exterior windows and glass walls may need to be protected from blasts, theft, or other potential damage. Security and anti graffiti films can provide the protection you need.
Window Tinting: Our films can provide either one-way or two-way privacy. They can be reflective, frosted, or colored, as a mix between decorative window films and window tinting.
Window Film to Prevent Bird Strikes: No one wants their building to be harmful to birds and negatively impact our environment. The right window films can make the glass visible to birds, so they steer clear.

Which type of window film is best for you? It all depends on the specific needs of your building. You can ask about the specifications of each film, and even get samples, when you get in touch with us.

Access Protection for all your Window Film Specifications

Access Protection offers a wide variety of UV, security, and decorative window films both for existing buildings and new constructions. We can deploy experienced window tinting services and installation teams all across Canada, from Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and more. Contact us for any additional information on our products or to get a quote for your specific product.