ARCO/Murray HQ

About ARCO/Murray National Construction Company, Inc.

ARCO Construction Company Inc. was founded in 1992 in St. Louis, Missouri and has continued to grow by providing clients with a turnkey design and construction solution. The ARCO family of companies consists of nine construction companies with offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Dallas, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Tampa.

In 2014, after nearly a decade of being based in Oakbrook Terrace, ARCO/Murray relocated to a brand new office building in Downers Grove, IL — a larger facility with a more modern design and increased solar exposure.

The solar control challenge

The facility receives little-to-no solar blockage from surrounding low-rise office buildings and businesses, meaning it is exposed from all directions throughout the daylight hours.

ARCO/Murray needed a solar control solution that would preserve their view of the Downers Grove area while providing acceptable levels of natural light and solar heat gain, provide privacy, and match the contemporary style of the building interior.

The solution

Illinois Window Shade Company designed and produced a total of 131 clutch operated shade systems that are easily operated and control solar glare and heat gain.

To reduce the facility's dependence on artificial light and create a comfortable work environment for staff, the shades were equipped with woven mesh, transparent fabric specifically designed to allow high levels of natural light while reflecting a large amount of solar heat gain.

To address ARCO/Murray's privacy challenges, clutch operated roller shades were fitted with transparent fabric and placed in the interior windows of the conference and board rooms, maintaining the modern and minimalist design of the office while providing sufficient privacy for important meetings.

Rollease R Series clutches were used for both the solar and privacy shades to accommodate the large glass windows of the building. The clutch is ideal for handling large weights and commercial applications. All clutches and rollers were concealed with 3" anodized aluminum fascia.

Results

The clutch roller shade systems at ARCO/Murray's office space not only look attractive but are also perfectly suited for the building's geographic location.

Staff now have a practical means to control the solar light and heat in their office space while conducting exclusive conferences and meetings without visual disruption.