Phone
(903) 583-7500
Project Overview
Urban Outfitters needed three large operable storefront openings for its Carlsbad, California location that could function as secure glazed barriers when closed and open pedestrian entrances during business hours. Each opening measures approximately 13’ 4” wide by 8’ 7½” tall, making the way the doors operated an important part of both the storefront design and the usable retail space.
Renlita Float vertical lift systems, formerly the S-1000 Floataway, were used to create the three openings. Their single-panel, counterweight-balanced design allows the glazed storefront panels to move vertically rather than requiring conventional overhead tracks to extend into the store.
The Challenge
Large operable storefronts can require substantial operating hardware, and the location of that hardware matters in a finished retail environment. A conventional sectional overhead door can work well when ceiling-mounted tracks are acceptable, but this project called for three large openings without extending that hardware into the exposed interior.
Hydraulic opening systems offered another way to move panels of this size, but they would introduce hydraulic equipment, additional maintenance requirements, operational noise, and the possibility of fluid leaks. Those considerations were particularly relevant in a retail environment containing clothing, merchandise, and customer-facing displays.
Urban Outfitters therefore needed a system that could open three approximately 13-foot-wide sections of the storefront while preserving interior space, providing security when closed, and remaining straightforward for employees to operate as part of the store’s daily routine.
The Solution
Renlita engineered three custom Float vertical lift systems, formerly the S-1000 Floataway, measuring approximately 13’ 4” wide by 8’ 7½” tall. Each door uses a single glazed panel with 6.38 mm clear laminated safety glass and manual counterweight-assisted operation.
The Float’s counterweight system balances the large panel so it can be raised vertically without a motor or hydraulic operating system. Because the panel moves at the building opening rather than traveling along horizontal tracks into the store, the design keeps the ceiling area behind each opening clear of conventional sectional-door tracks.
When closed, the clear laminated glass maintains visibility through the storefront while the doors provide a physical barrier between the retail interior and exterior. When raised, each panel clears the opening to create a large pedestrian entrance. Using three independently operated Float systems gives the storefront multiple large openings without requiring the operating hardware of a conventional sectional or hydraulic door system inside the primary retail space.
Key Benefits
Large Open Storefronts Without Interior Tracks
Each Float system creates an approximately 13’ 4”-wide opening without requiring sectional-door tracks to extend across the retail ceiling. The single panel moves vertically at the storefront, preserving the interior space behind the opening for lighting, displays, circulation, and the exposed architectural design of the store.
Visibility With Security When Closed
The 6.38 mm clear laminated safety glass allows the three Float systems to function as part of the glazed storefront when closed rather than becoming opaque barriers. Customers can still see into the retail environment through the closed openings, while the panels provide the physical separation and security required when the entrances are not open.
Manual Operation Without Hydraulic Equipment
Counterweight balancing allows employees to manually operate panels measuring approximately 13’ 4” wide by 8’ 7½” tall without a hydraulic operating system. Eliminating hydraulics reduces mechanical complexity and removes hydraulic fluid from an environment containing clothing, merchandise, and customer-facing displays.