Full Envelope: The Company Raising the Standard in Aluminum Solutions for Construction

Anyone traveling along the coastal road these days cannot ignore the sight of Big Glilot, the commercial center that is defined as the largest in Israel, with 44,000 square meters of retail space. The appearance of the two-story commercial building is particularly attractive, as it incorporates white wave cladding installed vertically, which creates a barrier between the highway and the country's largest commercial center. The center was designed in collaboration with the Yaski Sivan architectural firm and PearlSystems.
"In this case, the architect provided the vision and we translated it into practice, using our international knowledge and experience with solutions already on the market, with products that are suitable in terms of their strength, bending capability, correct coating and long-term maintenance, so that an architectural specification does not become a 'failure,'" explains Amnon Pearl, founder of PearlSystems, a civil engineer with over 30 years of experience in the aluminum industry.

Project Management of Aluminum Systems
Not far away in Herzliya Pituach, the new Super Pharm Tower is currently being planned, for which the company provided the design of the aluminum and glass systems that form the curtain walls. This is a trend in towers and luxury buildings, where there are no concrete walls but glass and aluminum profiles called curtain walls. "Between the curtain wall profiles, we use sophisticated Low E (Low emissivity) glass, which maintains a uniform internal climate in both heat and cold, and also meets the architectural need for clean lines and aesthetics while also complying with the requirements of green construction and thermal and acoustic solutions," says Pearl.
The systems are based on European standards, but since Israel is considered a hot country, they are adapted to the Israeli climate.
The extensive experience and knowledge that the company has gained in the various solutions available in the global market – both in the most cutting-edge technical solutions, product design and finishing, and at varying price levels depending on the country of manufacture – give the company a notable advantage that allows flexibility in choosing and developing various and diverse systems and products.

Pearl founded the company, which specializes in aluminum design and site supervision, a decade ago in London as PearlSystems UK, which carried out a large number of projects in Africa and Europe. Later on Jonathan Rootshtain joined as a partner. Rootshtain, former manager of project design at Klil, specializing in the design and implementation of new systems in building projects, has experience in planning engineering projects. The company's offices are located in the Beit Mantzur office building in Ra'anana, whose envelope was also designed by PearlSystems, and its staff consists of 14 employees.
Pearl grew up in Moshav Asheret, studied in Boston, and when he returned to Israel, he began working in the management of extrusion companies (aluminum system production, development and design) that develop systems for the construction industry. Under the Alum Eshet company, he managed the construction of the glass envelope systems for the three Tzameret Towers, known as the "Akirov Towers," one of the first projects in Israel to feature a glass envelope.

The Developer's Control Over the Planning and Budgeting of Aluminum Systems
After working as the VP of Marketing for Extal and a short stint at Klil, Pearl opened a project management company. While abroad aluminum consultants are part of architectural firms, in Israel the situation is different, and consultants are independent. In effect, Pearl established a management unit that took on the management of aluminum systems in projects for construction and development companies, including independent design of aluminum systems.
"The first successful project was with Tidhar Company, where we conducted a self-management process and demonstrated the ability of a contractor/development company to manage and determine the aluminum budget and have control over the economic and performance aspects. This process also applies to any developer interested in constructing an office building with curtain walls or other complex elements," explains Pearl.

Why is it important to manage the aluminum sector separately and under the control of the developer?
"The cost of the aluminum system in office tower projects is between 15-25 percent of the overall project cost, as it is a sophisticated and highly expensive system that requires a lot of attention. Each project has its own tailor-made solution according to the architect's vision and involves issuing a tender for aluminum and glass suppliers. In the tender, we define the product according to the building's height, location, and the required thermal and acoustic conditions."

From Architectural Requirements to Economic Demands
As a company that combines both the technical and managerial sides, PearlSystems works with developers to build aluminum systems that meet all criteria, from complying with architectural requirements to defining an optimal product that will meet economic requirements. PearlSystems employees work as in-house consultants for companies such as Electra Construction, Megurim, Fattal Hotel Chain, Bait Vegag Development and Real Estate, Electra Residential, the Big Chain (22 centers), The City People, and more. In collaboration with Solel Boneh, PearlSystems competed and won the consulting contract for the Kiryat HaModiin relocation project to the south.
In addition, and thanks to their high standard, PearlSystems works closely with universities, the Faculty of Engineering and student dormitories at Bar Ilan University, the Faculty of Computer Science at the Technion, Ariel University (7 buildings of different faculties), Beit Lessin Theater, the Gush Etzion Council, and recently completed work on the emergency room building at Ichilov Hospital.

PearlSystems also works regularly with the Fattal Hotel chain, from the initial design stages and product definitions, while taking into account economic aspects to ensure the quality that the chain requires, and is currently involved in the construction of two hotels in collaboration with the Amram Avraham construction company. PearlSystems provides solutions and estimates for development companies, including financial companies or construction companies owned by local authorities. Moreover, it is also involved in projects with foreign supplier companies to develop products and provide solutions for architects in Israel. The company is currently involved in unique projects, including the greenhouses at the Botanical Garden in Jerusalem, which are built from 25-meter-high cladding, and the preservation of the Knesset building in Jerusalem, built in 1965, adding a dining room in a light structure whose appearance was adapted to the building.

According to Pearl, the residential sector is moving towards mega-projects, such as in the town of Katzrin in the Golan Heights or in cities like Ramla, Sderot and Ofakim. In these places, entire neighborhoods of thousands of housing units along with schools, synagogues and hotel units are being built, with the aluminum and glass systems being designed by the company. "In the luxury apartment sector, we provide particularly high-end solutions for windows and balcony doors, as well as glass cladding or building envelope solutions made of aluminum materials, HPL cladding and more."

Integrating Advanced Systems into the Building Envelope
The Emek Bracha Bridge in Tel Aviv is one of the company's most innovative projects. The bridge is at the forefront of technology and highlights the miracle of photovoltage, solar panels for directly producing electrical energy from sunlight. Pearl explains that the product is mounted on the roof of the bridge, absorbs sunlight and provides lighting without the need for electricity – with LEDs along the bridge for vehicles and interior lighting for pedestrians. This is definitely an architectural sight that cannot be ignored.
In terms of design, PearlSystems takes the utmost care to provide a functional solution for the architects' wishes, while managing the aluminum system and adhering to the budget. For example, in the Azrieli Town project, a unique curtain wall was created with protruding profiles of varying depths, which instead of being placed horizontally for shading, are placed vertically, thus creating various forms of prominent cladding. Solutions such as these have become a national design trend in towers or other public projects with curtain walls that cover the entire building.
Pearl cites the importance of maintaining high standards for aluminum products, so that they last for a long time. "I remind developers, especially those who also own the building and will remain with it, that the product should take care of itself, be easy to clean, and allow for convenient maintenance. And for this reason, it's important for me to be involved in the early stages of the project to prevent them from paying twice as much for an inferior product."

What makes you proud as an expert in your field?
We are proud of raising the standard of our products and the technical and managerial cooperation with development and contracting companies in Israel, being part of the system from the very early stages of decision-making in the project. When the cost of constructing a building is 200 million shekels, of which 40 million shekels are earmarked for aluminum, someone needs to be there to design it in the best way possible according to the area, the target audience and of course the product. We stand behind the quality of our products and offer good, reliable and uncompromising service."

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