Materials + Methods

RAEANNE MARSH

>>> MechoShade Systems, Inc., Phoenix, Arizona

Innovation lies at the very core of MechoShade Systems, which evolved from HomeCraft Drapery & Upholstery following a successful solution to a demanding commercial window-covering application.

It was a project in Atlanta, Georgia, with window walls that would not allow a shading system to traverse them to stack, when fully opened, in the window bay. Between each floor-to-ceiling window unit was a bearing window-wall column into which part of the window jamb was recessed flush. And the windows were designed to be fully pivoting to allow for cleaning and maintenance. The shading system would have to rise and collect in a ceiling pocket above the windows, and, at the time, the accepted solution would have been Venetian blinds. The company chairman, however, would have nothing do with either Venetian blinds or the puddling of cord that would occur with the standard reel-pulley design.

The solution? The original manual roller shade system, with a continuous-looped bead chain: MechoShade.

Atrium windows on the London Stock Exchange building are shaded with a virtually transparent MechoShade product — just enough to eliminate glare.

Taking the product name for the company, MechoShade Systems, Inc. was launched in 1969. The predecessor company had been founded by Meyer Berman in 1932 to manufacture custom window treatments (and upholstery) for the high-end residential market, but had already begun to focus on the commercial market by 1962, the year Meyer's son Joel Berman joined the company and brought in a knowledge of both architecture and lighting.

The younger Berman worked closely with architects to harness the most natural light, reduce both the light and energy load on a building, and make the interiors a more user-friendly environment. In fact, a recent study by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on the new (November 2007) New York Times building showed MechoShade does exactly that.

Joel Berman also created the cloth StretchWall System, an architectural finish that appears to be an integral part of the wall but may be demounted when necessary.

At Apple's headquarters in California, a skylit ceiling can be darkened with a MechoShade treatment.

Interest in MechoShade received a boost in 1974, when the oil embargo made energy efficiency a hot topic, and architects and commercial building owners recognized a need to install energy-conserving window-management systems. Headquartered in Long Island City, New York, with a facility in Phoenix, Arizona, MechoShade has continued to invest in research and development of motor controls, switches and accessories, adding another level of functionality and flexibility.

"MechoShade Systems' contributions have made it possible for architects and designers to push the limits of design by allowing for greater use of environmental acoustics, glass, natural light and solar energy," says Dan Silver, MechoShade's manager of marketing communications. Describing MechoShade's solutions as cutting edge, ecologically sound and within sustainable parameters, Silver cites Ecoveil, a PVC-free and recyclable solar shadecloth, as one of many examples. "The firm's proprietary shadecloths are essential to the effectiveness of the shade system. The shadecloths are woven in strict accordance to color, density and performance criteria, as well as to complement glazing and the functional aspects of a given interior space." The shades' openness factor determines how much sunlight will pass through; the smaller the number, the less light will permeate. Shades also may be inkjet-printed with logos, artwork or photos (Image Shades).

The shades can operate manually, be motorized or integrate with a computer system. And, with MechoShade's SolarTrac system, controls can be individualized per shade, per window. "More than mere window shading, SolarTrac is a revolutionary motorized, computer-driven solar-shading system that can interface with audiovisual, lighting and other third-party systems," notes Silver. It is designed to automatically, and incrementally, adjust the position of the shades to shield the interior from direct sun, excessive brightness and glare while leaving as much of the window open to the view as possible, given the position of the sun at any given time.

Simple MechoShade treatments reduce glare in this residential dining room at Renaissance Square by Cappelli in White Plains, New York. Photographs courtesy MechoShade Systems, Inc.

MechoShade continues to work with architects to develop customized solutions for individual projects, and helps educate clients regarding how the sun will hit a given window and therefore which fabrics and hardware will work best. "Every window is different," Silver notes, pointing out that they differ not only in shape and size, but also in orientation to the sun. "Different amounts of light will hit the building on different sides."

Some fabricating is done overseas (in Switzerland, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand, to name a few countries), but the main plants are in Addison, New Jersey, and Phoenix. MechoShade products are available worldwide.

2851 W. Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85017, (480) 656-8769; 42-03 35th St., Long Island City, NY 11101, (718) 729-2020; or www.mechoshade.com.