You’ve heard of the better mousetrap.
Well, now there’s a better plastics application.
And it’s been used so successfully in residential development in Point Loma, that it has garnered an industry Just Imagine design award.
The eye-catching “Louvers by Design” project, made with LuciteLux Frost in Glacier Green cast acrylic, is a residential property collaboration project by Elliott Rabin of ePlastics of Kearny Mesa and Jeff Kull Construction. The joint project was completed in early 2014.
Michael Sebastian, ePlastics online marketing director, discussed the dilemma resolved by the new plastics application.
“We used this Lucite plastic application for some (window) louvers because the residents wanted to be able to block the sun but also wanted to get an ocean view out of the windows,” Sebastian said. “So it (windows) were constructed to block the sun on the lower level, but not on the upper level.”
Sebastian said the resulting customized plastics application has “added to the visual aesthetics of the home.”
Architectural plans in the Point Loma home called for window louvers that would diffuse natural light coming into the two-story living room while allowing people on the second floor to have a clear view of the Pacific Ocean. Kull turned to ePlastics to identify a material that would not only accomplish that objective but also be strong, durable and able to withstand varying temperatures and all kinds of weather, particularly in its relatively exposed position at the top of the house. ePlastics introduced Kull to LuciteLux Frost in Glacier Green, and the rest is design history.
“‘Louvers by Design is a breathtaking example of taking a traditionally functional feature – in this case the louver – and making it a major part of the home’s overall aesthetic,” said Chris Robinson, business manager for Lucite International. “We’re delighted that the duo behind the project selected one of our most versatile product offerings, LuciteLux Frost, to realize their creative vision. Its cool, frosted surface resists scratches and retains its texture when designers form it into all kinds of shapes and sizes.”
“We selected LuciteLux Frost because of its opacity level and color, which blended with the ocean beautifully,” said Rabin. “The home’s decorators had a very intentional theme and color scheme. The LuciteLux cast acrylic was a perfect match.”
Rabin added that the product was also selected for the housing project because of its thermoformability, which allowed it to be heated and wrapped around an aluminum frame in a controlled and uniform manner, avoiding the risk of kinking or cracking.
The Louvers by Design project was honored recently with a win at The Just Imagine Awards recognizing designers who embrace the originality of working with and creating designs using LuciteLux.
The Just Imagine award recognizes a designer’s achievement in the field, and celebrates their distinctive contribution to the world of design using LucieLux’s cast acrylic material.
As the winner of the Just Imagine Awards 2014, ePlastics will receive a high-profile promotional campaign that includes a full-page spread in Architectural Record, a feature on popular blog Design Milk, and a ‘making of’ documentary-style video about their work and artistic vision.