Good for you, you did not accept that and they are getting redone. If done correctly...you should (or can) get away with NO vertical plastic stops. I try to avoid anything that collects gunk and requires maintenance. I measure and order all my doors and the gap should be 1/8"-1/4". Anything over 1/4" is too much for my satisfaction. 1/2" is totally pathetic. When this gap is done correctly, you will find you do not need a plastic stop to prevent water from leaking out. If you use a sweep on the bottom, that will keep the door in place where it needs to be because it puts some drag onto the threshold. Measuring takes time, a lot of time if done correctly.

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone. The reason I am hesitant to go the permanent route was it is so permanent. And if we don't like how it turned out, that's an expensive mistake. The reason I am hesitant on film is because I'm not sure how it holds up from a quality perspective. Oaktown: Wow, that's cool film. I wonder if it works? Very interesting. Virgil: We have tried pinging the architect on it. He hasn't responded to our emails. I wouldn't mind him being more engaged on the issue, but maybe he thinks it is too small an issue to get involved? I imagine if he did weigh in, he would say to just leave it all plain glass (no obscure). I will try to give him a call and ask about it. I get the impression that he thinks we over-think things.

Follow up (I'm OP): GC contacted the lead guy (owner?) of glass co., and within days they were at my house to discuss. They said the door's vertical sweep (which closes to the fixed glass 1/2 panel - see pic) could be replaced with a thinner one. And some glass cos. don't even put a sweep there. They said to totally disregard everything the receptionist said - she had no business diagnosing the problem. The thinner sweep would only be the top half of the door. But we're thinking your eye won't notice that the bottom half has a thicker sweep because there's a 1/2 wall, tiled, there. Get this: The day they showed up the door worked again (pivoted both in and out of the shower)! It was colder - wildly guessing the walls are expanding in heat, or maybe its just a stiff sweep problem (they didn't opine as to cause). Glass co. owner gave me his text and direct dial/vm, and said he'll install a thinner sweep whenever - i.e., if I want, I can wait until its hot again. The only thing I find annoying is that, well, I paid about $3,900 with tax for the glass (HCOL area), and seems I should have a door that fits with the usual sweep. And I'm concerned that if we go with the thinner sweep, maybe the walls will contract when it cold again. But I guess I would rather be done with this and, if it does leak in the winter, deal with that problem then. My 1 year warranty is up Dec. 2017.

If you already have a double pane door, the problem may not be the door. Before going into expense of adding another layer of drywall to the walls and ceiling and replacing the door, I would check other things. Like bathroom exhaust fan ducting...is it insulated? HVAC ducts. Plumbing vents. Gaskets on all the exterior wall switches & receptacles as well as ceiling lights. Recessed light cans? Pull a piece of door/ window trim and check that the space between the jamb and framing is insulated.