PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 13, 2026--
Western Architectural Openings, a premier national provider of large-format glass walls, architectural doors, and luxury window systems, recently announced it has been selected as the sole window and door provider for The New American Home 2027, the flagship exhibit for the International Builders’ Show (IBS) taking place on February 2-4, 2027. This is Western’s fifth time contributing to The New American Home project.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260813254594/en/
Located at 56 Clearview Summit Drive, the three-story, 10,400-square-foot home will be in Southern Highlands, an exclusive community situated in the scenic foothills of Las Vegas.
Western will provide a full-house window and door package for the project, featuring products from its Series 8000 Vantage Collection and the Series 300 Minimalist Multi-Slide Door.
“This year’s home is being constructed with a thoughtfully designed floor plan that focuses on maximizing natural light,” said Brian Leizerowicz, Vice President of Sales for Western Architectural Openings. “By incorporating Western products, the home will welcome natural light, frame panoramic desert and valley views, and create a seamless connection between indoors and out.”
Defined by ultra-thin frames and minimal sightlines, the Series 8000 Vantage Collection maximizes glass to welcome more natural light and keep the focus on the surrounding views. Behind its refined aesthetic, Euro Groove framing and advanced thermal barrier technology deliver exceptional performance. Featured products include the 8630 Fixed/Window Wall and 8670 Casement Window.
The Series 300 Minimalist Multi-Slide Door combines smooth operation with innovative narrow interlocks that minimize the boundaries between indoors and outdoors. With large panel sizes up to 12 feet tall, fine lines, and energy-efficient low-E, dual-paned glass, the Series 300 is a perfect complement to the home’s modern aesthetic.
Las Vegas-based Blue Heron is the builder and architect for this year’s home. The project has an estimated completion date of fall 2026, ahead of IBS in 2027.
About Western Architectural Openings
Founded in 1959, Western Architectural Openings, part of the MITER Brands portfolio, is the premier national provider of large-format glass walls, architectural doors, and luxury window systems. Renowned for redefining the boundaries between indoors and out, Western crafts custom-configured aluminum systems of exceptional scale and sophistication. Each product is meticulously engineered, precision-built to order, and delivered with a level of personalized service reserved for the most discerning projects.
Driven by an uncompromising pursuit of craftsmanship and innovation, Western Architectural Openings partners with architects, builders, and homeowners to create breathtaking environments that elevate everyday living. From panoramic vistas to seamless indoor-outdoor transitions, Western transforms spaces into immersive experiences that celebrate light, openness, and the beauty of their surroundings. For more information, visit WesternAO.com.
About MITER Brands
Founded in 1947, MITER Brands is a residential window and door manufacturer that produces a portfolio of window and door brands for the new construction and replacement segments with an owner-operated, family-first approach. Through optimized manufacturing, valued relationships, and dedicated team members coast to coast, MITER Brands instills confidence and drives quality customer experiences. The name “MITER” is an acronym reflecting five of the company’s core strengths: Manufacturing, Innovation, Trust, Experiences, and Relationships.
For more information, visit miterbrands.com.
The New American Home 2027 features a full package of windows and doors by Western Architectural Openings that emphasize natural light in the home and create spectacular panoramic views
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday made his first visit to the Kuril Islands, a Moscow-controlled Pacific archipelago that also is claimed by Japan, which voiced a diplomatic protest over the trip.
Putin visited a fish plant, a hospital and a school on Iturup, one of the volcanic chain's southern islands. He also briefly spoke to local residents and met with the governor of Russia's Sakhalin region, Valery Limarenko.
Japan asserts territorial rights to the four southernmost islands of the chain, which it calls the Northern Territories. The Soviet Union took them from Japan in the final days of World War II, and the dispute kept the countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending their hostilities.
Decades of diplomatic efforts to negotiate a settlement haven’t produced any visible results. Moscow over the years has also bolstered its military presence on the Kurils in moves that appeared to underscore its firm stance in the dispute.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said his country “strongly protests” Putin's visit to Iturup, which Japan calls Etorofu.
“The Northern Territories, including Etorofu (Iturup) Island, are Japan’s inherent territory both historically and from the perspective of international law,” Motegi said in a statement.
He summoned Russian Ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev to the ministry in Tokyo and lodged a strong protest over the visit, requesting that he "promptly report the message back to Moscow,” the minister told reporters afterward.
Later Thursday, the Russian Embassy in Japan called Tokyo's protest “unfounded” and said Nozdrev had explained that “the southern Kuril Islands are an integral part of the Russian Federation and became part of it following World War II on legitimate international grounds.”
Putin's travels are “sovereign decisions of the Russian leadership and can't be subject to discussion with foreign states," the statement added.
Japan also protested in 2021 when Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin visited Iturup.
Putin in recent days has visited several regions in Siberia and the Far East. Before coming to Iturup, he stopped on Sakhalin Island to attend the final part of drills by Russia's Pacific Fleet.
Speaking aboard a warship that was participating in the naval exercises, Putin said Wednesday that the current status of the Kuril Islands “is enshrined in international documents as a reality that arose following the outcome of World War II.”
“But even here, Russia was prepared to seek a solution with the goal of concluding a peace treaty with Japan,” he said.
Putin said that in the past, Moscow “had developed constructive relations with a number of Japanese leaders, including the tragically deceased former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who did much to bring Japan and Russia closer together, to align our positions.”
Japan imposed sanctions on Russia after it sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and “listed Russia as a source of primary threats,” a change in that constructive relationship, he added.
Russia remains ready “to cooperate with all its neighbors, including Japan and other states in the region,” Putin said.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Putin’s visit is “incompatible with the Japanese position on the Northern Territories” and is “absolutely unacceptable.”
She said the visit was a further blow to the already-strained ties between the two countries over Ukraine, and that Moscow should understand the consequences.
“We must say this visit has further hardened Japanese public sentiment toward Russia and has made it more difficult to restore bilateral relations in the medium to long term,” she said. “We hope the Russian side fully understands the seriousness of this.”
One of the reasons Japan has made the effort to maintain ties with Russia is to allow former Japanese residents to return to the islands and pay tribute at their graves as a humanitarian consideration.
Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president and prime minister who now serves as deputy chair of the country's Security Council, responded to Takaichi's remarks on X by saying, “This chatter won't change a thing.”
The Kuril Islands “were, are, and will remain Russian land,” Medvedev, who himself visited the Kuril Islands four times as president and prime minister, wrote. “Anyone who fails to understand this will face the monstrous consequences of their delusion.”
——
Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, right, speaks to reporters after he summoned Russian Ambassador to Japan Nikolay Nozdev, not pictured, in Tokyo Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Kenzaburo Fukuhara/Kyodo News via AP)
Russian Ambassador to Japan Nikolay Nozdev, left, arrives at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Kenzaburo Fukuhara/Kyodo News via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, interacts with schoolchildren as he visits a secondary school named after Eduard Norpolov in Kurilsk on the Iturup Island, the largest of the Kuril Islands of Russia's far-east, on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, second left, visits a secondary school named after Eduard Norpolov in Kurilsk on the Iturup Island, the largest of the Kuril Islands of Russia's far-east, on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, visits the central district hospital at Kitovoye village on the Iturup Island, the largest of the Kuril Islands of Russia's fareast, on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, listens to Sakhalin Region Governor Valery Limarenko in Kurilsk on the Iturup Island, the largest of the Kuril Islands of Russia's fareast, on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, visits the Secondary School named after the Hero of Russia Eduard Norpolov in Kurilsk on the Iturup Island, the largest of the Kuril Islands of Russia's fareast, on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
