Architects are being asked to be “greener” in their designs today, and fortunately the architectural glass and metal industry is responding by offering greener products and solutions.

No matter what the situation is—whether it is commercial or residential, high-rise or low-rise—the industry is utilizing new technologies and products that allow architects and designers to combine aesthetics with energy efficiency.

Here are three examples.

From Brown to Green
Heifer International is a non-profit organization dedicated to relieving global hunger and poverty. Based in Little Rock, Ark., the organization was faced with the need for larger headquarters, but wanted the project to remain true to the earth’s resources. Heifer identified a long-abandoned railroad yard in the city’s old warehouse district, an environmentally dirty site, known as a brownfield, and made the decision to transform it—the green way. One of the first of its kind in the area, the project was designed with careful consideration for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards.

Polk Stanley Rowland Curzon Porter Architects Ltd. of Little Rock developed the building’s design, capturing every opportunity to achieve LEED points and reflect the overall mission. Completed in March 2006, the project was expected to receive its LEED certification in 2007.The curved shape of the building served to take advantage of the solar orientation by stretching in an east/west direction and maximizing sun exposure. To block excessive sunlight, the team integrated sunshades into the exterior, while Kawneer’s InLighten (light shelves) were installed on the interior of the wall to “bounce” natural light up to the ceiling and reflect it into the building.

Custom sun shades were created to be hung vertically between the punchouts, a unique design feature that served to be both aesthetically pleasing and functional, as they protect the interior from both east and west sun exposure. The combination of the building’s narrow floor plate and the curtainwall allows natural light to penetrate to the center of every floor, while strategic interior glazing continues the indoor/outdoor aesthetic and keeps individual offices bright and open. Fixed and storefront framing systems, in conjunction with swing and sliding entrances, were used throughout the interior offices and conference rooms. In addition, , white frost and green glass added to a light and modern aesthetic. The complex design required the customization of several existing Kawneer products, and the curved building footprint complicated fabrication. 

The increased focus on recycled materials (per the materials and resources category under LEED) required the coordination of a sizeable order of secondary aluminum billet necessary for the project. (In fact, 97 percent of the building materials used for the project contain recycled content.)

At the YMCA
The David A. Hunting YMCA in Grand Rapids, Mich., recently became the first YMCA facility in the United States to receive LEED certification and its glass and metal played an important role.

The new green facility is filled with natural light, fresh air and healthy materials and will offer long-term financial efficiencies.

The goal of Integrated Architecture in Grand Rapids was to design a building that would generate energy by connecting people and spaces physically and visually.

The architects selected Vistawall Architectural Products to add transparency to the solid look of zinc panels and renaissance stone. Vistawall supplied its CW-250 and flush-glazed curtainwall systems to support passive solar strategies for the project.

In addition, Vistawall provided standard medium and wide stile entrances and thermally improved doors for the pool area. Its Solar Eclipse sun-control product also was used on the project.

Down to Business
The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, designed by Kohn, Pedersen, Fox Architects in New York City, is a six-story structure that utilizes three separate versions of Architectural Glazing Technologies’ (AGT) Uni-Wall curtainwall to create its unique design.

A key design goal was to ensure that sightlines of curtainwall joints match up meticulously with adjacent brick and stone joints. AGT developed unique, structurally glazed, thermally broken extrusions for each of the three curtainwall systems. The systems passed testing for air and water infiltration at AGT’s test facility.

The most unusual aspect of the job is that the unitized curtainwall is integrated with complex, stick-built skylights. The head of the curtainwall becomes the curb and structure for the skylight. AGT provided an integrated stick-built skylight to tie into the curtainwall seamlessly.

Architects' Guide to Glass & Metal
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