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Fallen Leaf Residence, Part Two
The Coating Conversation with Dynamic and Arkema
Location: Martis Camp, Lake Tahoe, California | Architects: Walton Architecture
Builder: Loverde Builders | Photos: Paul Dyer Photography
Project Summary
Fallen Leaf Residence is a luxury home near Lake Tahoe designed by Clare Walton of Walton Architecture and built by Loverde Builders. This impressive structure is described as “almost invisible” due to its expansive glazing that makes up roughly 70% of the building. Dynamic supplied thermally broken Arte Aluminum series windows engineered to meet the site’s extreme demands, high elevation, seismic risk, heavy snow load, and strict California energy codes, using narrow, fully welded frames and low-E, low-U-value glass to balance transparency with structural and energy performance. The homeowner personally toured Dynamic’s facility in Canada before selecting the fenestration service provider, and the project required close collaboration among architect, builder, and Dynamic resulting in a widely praised outcome for all parties involved.
For the full feature article, click here.
The Coating Conversation
Due to a strong commitment to long-term coating performance, Dynamic has been using waterborne coatings based on Kynar Aquatec® PVDF, provided by Superior Finishes. Kynar Aquatec® PVDF is a unique polymer that won’t degrade in the sun or the weather. Its resin technology has been used for over 60 years to protect noteworthy buildings. Specially formulated by Superior Finishes for sleek aesthetics, supreme color hold and durability, it is a great fit for dramatic climates, such as the High Sierra Nevada Mountains.
“We chose Kynar Aquatec® PVDF for our Arte and Fiber series because our clients are building projects that are expected to last,” said Tyler Evans, Vice President, Dynamic Fenestration. “The finish needs to hold up long term, both in performance and appearance, and the Kynar Aquatec® fluoropolymer chemistry consistently delivers the best color and gloss retention available. Just as important, it’s backed by Arkema. Having a supplier with that level of scale and reliability gives us the confidence to make commitments to our clients and stand behind them.”
Evans noted that coating selection is not a late project decision, but an early-stage conversation—one that includes material selection, exposure analysis, architectural intent, and long-term ownership expectations. Within the fenestration industry, coating performance is often measured by AAMA standards. At their core, these standards measure one thing: how a finish changes over time under environmental stress. More specifically, the AAMA standard measures:
- Color retention: how much the finish fades under UV exposure
- Chalk resistance: if the surface begins to break down into a powdery residue
- Gloss retention: how the visual quality shifts over years, not months
- Adhesion: whether the coating remains bonded to the substrate
- Corrosion resistance: how well the system withstands atmospheric conditions
Dynamic defaults to AAMA-2605, the highest-performance durability specification. This performance standard cannot be achieved with common coatings, but it is readily achievable using Kynar Aquatec® resin within Superior Finishes’ premium paint formulation. Dynamic carefully and precisely coats their windows after assembly, ensuring that all edges are coated, protected, and appealing. And while Dynamic’s process calls for coating in the factory, coatings based on Kynar Aquatec® resin can also be applied in the field, making it ideal for long-lasting protection of renovation projects as well as new builds.
Read the full feature article on Arkema’s Kynar Aquatec website.
Conclusion
The coating specification on Fallen Leaf Residence illustrates a broader point about how Dynamic approaches material selection: finish performance is engineered to the same standard as structural and thermal performance, not treated as a downstream aesthetic choice.
By defaulting to AAMA-2605 performance through Kynar Aquatec® PVDF, Dynamic extends its commitment to design intent well past installation day, protecting the architect’s vision, the builder’s craftsmanship, and the homeowner’s investment for decades. For architects like Walton who are designing at this level, it’s a reminder that transparency is a systems problem, not just a glazing spec, and that the right fenestration partner engineers for what a home will look like in year twenty, not just year one.
