The striking exterior of the BAE Systems facility can be seen for miles. The company’s complex is made up of a four-story office building with an attached 55,000-square-foot prototyping facility. One of the world’s largest global defense, security and aerospace system contractors, BAE Systems developed a plan to consolidate current operations in a highly secure, efficient, modern facility while focusing on employee and customer comfort and accessibility.
Construction needed to move quickly due to the impending frigid Michigan winter. With the clock ticking, all teams were challenged to work together to keep the Sterling Heights facility on track and on budget.
EFCO was approached during the search for highly durable and aesthetically appealing curtain wall and storefront products. Stepping up to the design challenge and the extra-tight timeline, EFCO used 3-D software technology to design the framing system and determine the size, radius and angle of the building’s curved glass. EFCO also created custom angled horizontals to allow the exterior covers to remain parallel to the ground.
The selection of EFCO 5600 curtain wall gave the state-of-art custom exterior its modern appeal, and S433 storefronts and D500 entrance doors provided the desired maximum security. Working through an extremely complex project with an ambitious timeline, EFCO was able to deliver on time and on budget.
Project Details
Project: BAE Systems
Location: Sterling Heights, Michigan
Building Type: Business
Type of Construction: New Construction
Primary Opening Type: Curtain Wall
Material Type: Aluminum
Product Type: EFCO 5600 Curtain Wall, S433 Storefront, and D500 Entrances
Architect: Smith Group
Learn more about Pella EFCO Commercial Solutions.
Related Stories
| Sep 19, 2013
6 emerging energy-management glazing technologies
Phase-change materials, electrochromic glass, and building-integrated PVs are among the breakthrough glazing technologies that are taking energy performance to a new level.
| Sep 17, 2013
World's first 'invisible' tower planned in South Korea
The 1,476-foot-tall structure will showcase Korean cloaking technology that utilizes an LED façade fitted with optical cameras that will display the landscape directly behind the building, thus making it invisible.
| Sep 13, 2013
Video: Arup offers tour of world's first algae-powered building
Dubbed BIQ house, the building features a bright green façade consisting of hollow glass panels filled with algae and water.
| Sep 9, 2013
Top 25 continuing education courses on BDCuniversity
An overview of the 25 most popular continuing education courses on BDCuniversity.com.
| Aug 26, 2013
13 must-attend continuing education sessions at BUILDINGChicago
Building Design+Construction's new conference and expo, BUILDINGChicago, kicks off in two weeks. The three-day event will feature more than 65 AIA CES and GBCI accredited sessions, on everything from building information modeling and post-occupancy evaluations to net-zero projects and LEED training. Here are 13 sessions I'm planning to attend.
| Aug 22, 2013
Energy-efficient glazing technology [AIA Course]
This course discuses the latest technological advances in glazing, which make possible ever more efficient enclosures with ever greater glazed area.
High-rise Construction | Jul 9, 2013
5 innovations in high-rise building design
KONE's carbon-fiber hoisting technology and the Broad Group's prefab construction process are among the breakthroughs named 2013 Innovation Award winners by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Jun 28, 2013
Calculating the ROI of building enclosure commissioning
A researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory calls building enclosure commissioning “the single-most cost-effective strategy for reducing energy, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions in buildings today.”
| Jun 24, 2013
NYC historical landmark features USA-made 2-hour fire resistive curtain wall
Midtown Community Court, designated as a New York Historic Landmark, embarked on an $18 million renovation. However, the building’s south-facing elevation was in close proximity to the property line. Not wanting to sacrifice natural daylight and views to the outside, the architects specified SuperLite II-XL 120 IGU in SAFTIfire CW Framing for the 2-hour fire resistive curtain wall.
| Jun 3, 2013
CENTRIA welcomes Chaz Schafer
Chaz Schafer brings impressive achievements and experience to CENTRIA’s marketing team