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An architect in Texas first contacted Vancouver Gas Fireplaces through our web site after conducting a random search of custom fireplace fabricators. The architect—one line in a maze of contacts—was doing research on behalf of a New York company developing a restaurant project in Ohio. The project was contracted by a company based in Florida. The principal of the developing company wanted a fire feature to be the focal point of the restaurant’s entrance. The feature was to be viewable from the exterior, the lobby, the exterior patio area and the main part of the restaurant. He wanted something unique and eye catching, not a standard log set. The idea was that this feature would eventually be replicated as a part of the signature look of a number of restaurants across the US.
The design architect did not have a specific idea in mind, just a space to put it in. Because the space was bound essentially by four corners with irregular dimensions, a complete fabricated zero-clearance unit was not possible. The feature had to be designed as a hybrid installation where the burner was installed into a base built on-site and a vent hood built into the construction above. This required close interaction between our designers and the architect to ensure a seamless transition combined with safe clearances between the burner, the hood and the finishes.
As with most restaurant jobs, especially in colder climates, we were concerned with having enough make-up and vent dilution air for the feature. The majority of restaurants, because of their powerful venting equipment, tend to have negative pressure situations where positive venting can be difficult to achieve for fireplaces. This is particularly challenging in open fire features without glass. To overcome this issue we designed into the system a side wall terminated inline power venter, interlocked with an intake which had its own power vented system. The intake was brought from the side wall above the feature, down one of the corners, and into the base. This delivered air directly to the burner area through a system of grills designed into the burner containment pan.
As is often the case with these types of projects, there was much discussion about the installation of glass in the various openings. We always prefer glass because it allows us to control the venting and combustion environment. Most clients and designers want some form of openness for the "immediacy" of the flame. We were particularly concerned about having an open flame directly accessible to the lobby area; this could have presented a safety hazard, or problems with people throwing things into the burner. In the end the feature was partially glassed-in.
One consideration with unit glass in an unobstructed setting is that precautions must be taken to protect the public from the hot glass. What is often not understood is that no matter how much the heat is removed by a power vent set-up, radiant heat from the flame still works on the glass. More flame will produce a nicer picture, but also more heat. We usually recommend, at minimum, a warning sign plus some kind of barrier or screening. Another option is to have two layers of glass with an air wash in-between.
Finally, as mentioned, the client was looking for a burner that was unique and eye catching. In this situation we were restrained by how much gas we dared use. It would have been easy to get attention with a large flame. Instead, we came up with a unique arrangement of four torch-like flames surrounded by flames coming up through a bed of glass. Though simple, this design was definitely very different from anything else out there, and specific to this client. The technical parameters of this project did not present any new challenges, but the license the client gave us to create something different, without any real direction, made this project a bit special and we appreciated their leap of faith.
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