Cascadia Windows & Doors has received a 2026 Window + Door Award for Most Innovative Window for its Universal Series™ Wildfire Resistant (WFR) Windows, recognizing technology designed to combine wildfire resilience with high-performance energy efficiency, durability and design flexibility.
Built on Cascadia’s Universal Series™ fiberglass frame platform, the WFR Windows are Canada’s first windows to pass California SFM Standard 12-7A-2 wildfire testing.
The California-developed testing standard has also been incorporated into Canadian wildfire-resilience guidance, including the Government of Canada’s National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires and FireSmart Canada’s Builder’s Checklist.
The WFR and WFR Plus options are designed to help architects, builders and homeowners improve building-envelope resilience in communities exposed to growing wildfire risks.
Windows can represent a vulnerable component of the building envelope during wildfire exposure, making glazing, framing materials and assembly design important considerations for Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) construction.
Cascadia’s WFR Windows combine its thermally efficient fiberglass framing technology with wildfire-resistant glazing configurations. The WFR Plus option adds fire-retardant resin technology to the fiberglass framing system.
According to Cascadia President Mike Battistel, the objective was to improve wildfire resilience without sacrificing the thermal efficiency, durability and design flexibility expected from high-performance windows.
The latest recognition continues the evolution of Cascadia’s Universal Series. The platform previously received the Most Innovative Window award in 2017 and later achieved Passive House Institute certification, becoming the first wholly North American designed and manufactured window product to earn that certification.
The new WFR technology reflects a broader shift in building performance as architects and construction professionals increasingly consider climate resilience alongside energy efficiency.
The 2026 Window + Door Award winners will be recognized at GlassBuild America, September 23–25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
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