VS1 Systems
The refinement of system components is inspired by the Miesian approach to detailing: simplicity.
Franz Safford, an architectural engineer, invented the VS1 system in 2005. VS1 is now the core product of Innovation Glass. It is a response to what Franz observed as a profound need to improve building envelope performance while also responding to the evolving demands of architectural aesthetics and creative variation of the basic curtain wall.
Standard 70-year-old curtain wall technology remains largely unchanged and demonstrably unable to respond readily to the modern visions of architects and their clients. Franz saw the opportunity to evolve the technology and better meet these new demands with a new system. Other industries, such as computing, aerospace, and telecommunications, are innovating at a remarkable pace; Franz endeavored with VS1 to contribute to the advancement of the glass curtain wall industry.
Combining his expertise in specialty construction—lattice structure (space frames), integrated wall systems (structure and glazing in a unified system solution), tension structures and all-glass constructions using glass as the primary structural load bearing system—Franz took a major step forward and broke through the stagnant, stale concepts of the 1950s that have stunted innovation in curtain wall design.
The VS1 system was patented in 2015 and reconfigures the very building blocks of the industry. No longer are curtain wall design details and performance attributes too expensive and unrealistic for large façade applications. This breakthrough enables designers to enact a level of detail that was previously too expensive or too complex. In its short history, VS1 has already achieved that goal and begun to transform the curtain wall industry at exceptional value to the building owners.
VS1 is implemented in the international construction market by Innovation Glass LLC, a US-based company headquartered in New York, along with its international partners and subsidiaries.
VS1 is redefining the curtain wall.