Emerald Hills Executive Plaza One (now known as Ganot Plaza), located in Hollywood, Florida, was in desperate need of an overhaul. The 40-year-old building was encased with glass that used an inconsistent film, which struggled to keep sunlight out. In a highly competitive market, the property owner desired an upgrade to improve not only the building’s looks, but its comfort and performance, which resulted in faster leasing rates for the investment.
THE BUILDING: The Ganot Plaza is a 63,342-square-foot, six-story mid-rise office building. To give the building a sleek, modern, contemporary look and feel, the building received a major curtain wall retrofit.
SOLUTION: For this project, there was one clear choice -- energy-efficient VUE-30, one of Viracon’s highest performing coated glass. Working with a 28,000-square-foot curtain wall system, VUE-30 not only transformed the drab 40-year-old Emerald Hills office building into a modern marvel, but enhanced the energy efficiency of the building.
BENEFITS: In today’s tightening energy code environment, designers and developers have been demanding a low-emissivity coating with exceptional performance (a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of less than .20). To meet that need, Viracon developed the VUE line of glass coatings, which offers the opportunity to maximize window-to-wall ratio while maintaining performance that exceeds current domestic energy code requirements. Viracon VUE-30 provides natural daylight while reducing potential glare; balancing light with energy savings and low U-V transmittance. VUE-30 has superior solar performance with a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of .18 and Visible Light Transmittance (VLT) of 31% on clear glass resulting in an LSG of 1.72. VUE-30’s solar performance is complimented by a transparent appearance that designers have been asking for.
THE PLAYERS: Architect, Iraj S. Shojaie; General Contractor, Burke Construction; Curtain Wall Manufacturer and Contractor, Crawford-Tracey Corp.; Glass Fabricator, Viracon Inc.
To learn more, visit viracon.com
Related Stories
Sponsored | | May 3, 2014
Fire-rated glass floor system captures light in science and engineering infill
In implementing Northwestern University’s Engineering Life Sciences infill design, Flad Architects faced the challenge of ensuring adequate, balanced light given the adjacent, existing building wings. To allow for light penetration from the fifth floor to the ground floor, the design team desired a large, central atrium. One potential setback with drawing light through the atrium was meeting fire and life safety codes.
| Apr 25, 2014
Recent NFPA 80 updates clarify fire rated applications
Code confusion has led to misapplications of fire rated glass and framing, which can have dangerous and/or expensive results. Two recent NFPA 80 revisions help clarify the confusion. SPONSORED CONTENT
Sponsored | | Apr 23, 2014
Ridgewood High satisfies privacy, daylight and code requirements with fire rated glass
For a recent renovation of a stairwell and exit corridors at Ridgewood High School in Norridge, Ill., the design team specified SuperLite II-XL 60 in GPX Framing for its optical clarity, storefront-like appearance, and high STC ratings.
| Apr 8, 2014
Fire resistive curtain wall helps The Kensington meet property line requirements
The majority of fire rated glazing applications occur inside a building to allow occupants to exit the building safely or provide an area of refuge during a fire. But what happens when the threat of fire comes from the outside? This was the case for The Kensington, a mixed-use residential building in Boston.
| Apr 2, 2014
8 tips for avoiding thermal bridges in window applications
Aligning thermal breaks and applying air barriers are among the top design and installation tricks recommended by building enclosure experts.
Sponsored | | Mar 30, 2014
Ontario Leisure Centre stays ahead of the curve with channel glass
The new Bradford West Gwillimbury Leisure Centre features a 1,400-sf serpentine channel glass wall that delivers dramatic visual appeal for its residents.
| Mar 13, 2014
Austria's tallest tower shimmers with striking 'folded façade' [slideshow]
The 58-story DC Tower 1 is the first of two high-rises designed by Dominique Perrault Architecture for Vienna's skyline.
| Mar 7, 2014
Thom Mayne's high-tech Emerson College LA campus opens in Hollywood [slideshow]
The $85 million, 10-story vertical campus takes the shape of a massive, shimmering aircraft hangar, housing a sculptural, glass-and-aluminum base building.
| Feb 27, 2014
12 facts about heat-treated glass: Why stronger isn’t always better
Glass is heat-treated for two reasons: the first is to increase its strength to resist external stresses such as wind and snow loads, or thermal loads caused by the sun’s energy. The second is to temper glass so that it meets safety glazing requirements defined by applicable codes or federal standards.
| Feb 27, 2014
PPG earns DOE funding to develop dynamically responsive IR window coating Technology aims to maintain daylighting, control solar heat gain
PPG Industries’ flat glass business has received $312,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a dynamically responsive infrared (IR) window coating that will block heat in the summer to reduce air-conditioning costs and transmit solar heat in the winter to reduce heating costs.