Specify
A BLOG BY A&I MANUFACTURING
A&I is more than just a manufacturer of custom window treatments; we are storytellers, educators, and purveyors of inspiration.
We believe the finishing touches of a home or workspace should be part of an architect’s vision, not just their to-do list.
Read on for conversations and ideas on sustainability, design, and innovation.
Optimizing Building Design: Understanding and Managing Solar Heat Gain and Loss in the Pacific Northwest
By understanding the principles of solar heat gain and loss, architects can tailor their design choices to optimize thermal performance.
Enhancing the Thermal Performance of the Building Envelope
Did you know about 30 percent of a home's heating energy is lost through windows? One surprisingly simple solution can lower that total energy loss by 40 percent.
The Summer Slump: Overcoming Solar Heat Gain to Maximize Home Office Productivity
Solar heat gain can make or break a remote work oasis. Architects, designers, and specifiers hold a special position to tackle this challenge, and the solution is simpler than one might think.
The Importance of Accessible Window TreatmentS in Healthcare: A Case for Inclusive Design
How can motorized window treatments be used to create an inclusive environment in healthcare facilities and improve patient outcomes by promoting accessibility, comfort, and energy efficiency?
Are You Committed to Cordless?
With potential industry changes related to corded window coverings looming on the horizon, A&I Manufacturing is asking the question we’ve been asking for years: “Why wait?”
Balancing Light and Learning
We shed some light on how daylighting fits into the architecture of an efficient learning environment.
“ENHANCING HEALING ENVIRONMENTS — Embracing Darkness as a Healing Tool”
For healing environments, such as clinics, medical centers, behavioral and mental health facilities and the like, a tool to help providers keep their patients in the dark may actually enhance care.
ENHANCING HEALING ENVIRONMENTS — Improving Patient Wellness with Daylight Harvesting
This week, we explore the fascinating link between light exposure and occupant wellness in a healthcare environment, and the implications it has for hospital design.
SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT: “Greenguard — A Health-Based Differentiator”
This week, we shine the spotlight on one 'health-based differentiator' that can help architects move the sustainability needle with healthy product choices.
“Sustainability Meets Specification”
Eighty percent of architects want to integrate more sustainability into their specifications. Two in three say they aren’t meeting the goal. Building product manufacturers can help them bridge the gap between sustainability and specification.
Automation vs. Motorization: What’s the Difference?
When it comes to window treatments, some consumers may see "automation" and "motorization" as synonymous even though they describe different capabilities.
“SPECIFY,” A&I Manufacturing’s New Blog, is Written Expressly for Architects
If our redesigned website is the ‘meal,’ then our new Specify blog is the conversation over dinner; a way for us to keep the conversation going with architects and build our relationship with them as something more than a building products manufacturer.