Architects Corner
Notes on windows, doors, and the work.
Short pieces on specification, materials, and projects across Southern California, drawn from what we post and what we get asked.
- September 3, 2026 Steel Windows and Doors in Santa Barbara and Montecito Why the South Coast asks for steel, what replaced wrought iron, and what design review looks at before it signs off on a window. Read
- August 24, 2026 Brentwood Replacement Windows: Retrofit or New Construction? Two ways to replace a window, and the one that decides whether you inherit the old waterproofing or start clean. Read
- August 17, 2026 Quartz EdgeLine Windows & Narrow Lockbox Doors, Now in the Showroom Quartz by Quaker's EdgeLine window series and narrow Lockbox doors are on the floor in Brentwood, finished and hardware installed. Read
- August 16, 2026 How to Know That Your Windows Meet Title 24 Requirements What U-factor and SHGC measure, why the glass number isn't the window number, and why Brentwood and Beverly Hills are held to different targets. Read
- August 10, 2026 What Window Brand Should I Go With? Brand is the last decision, not the first. How to pick material by architectural style, then compare brands on the details that drive cost and fit. Read
- August 6, 2026 Steel Windows & Doors: The Rolls-Royce of Fenestration Why steel carries more glass on narrower sightlines, lasts 100+ years, and stands up to how people actually use a daily-access door. Read
- July 28, 2026 OTIIMA Minimal-Frame Sliding Systems: Plus, Vision, Fusion & Classic OTIIMA's four minimal-frame lines compared on U-values, water and wind ratings, acoustics, and how to pick a series for the exposure. Read
- July 20, 2026 Aluminum-Clad Wood Windows & Doors: Why the Cladding Is There How an aluminum shell over a wood core protects aluminum-clad wood windows and doors from UV, moisture & rot. The construction behind the material. Read
- July 7, 2026 Arcadia T225 Thermal Aluminum Window System How Arcadia Custom's T225 holds a narrow 2¼″ sightline and meets Title 24. Thermal break, hardware, and glass stop options for fixed, casement, awning & hopper. Read