Guardian’s recently expanded Science and Technology Center (STC) demonstrates the company’s latest architectural glass products.
The STC, based in Michigan, USA, has benefitted from a 27,000-square-foot expansion, and is set to accelerate the rate of Guardian’s product design and development.
Highlights include a full-size vacuum coater; a glass product showcase wall; an electrically wired, full-scale demonstration wall for advanced glazing technologies; and upgraded and expanded laboratory space.
Of particular note is the cutting-edge curtain wall, designed to achieve net zero energy results using Guardian’s high performance commercial glass products, SunGuard SNX 51/23 and SunGuard Spandrel HT, and building-integrated photovoltaic panels.
Sheldon Davis, Vice President, Research and Development, Guardian Industries, notes of the centre’s design:
“We have built the exterior walls using our next-generation low-E glass – SunGuard SNX 51/23 – along with electricity-generating photovoltaic glass.
“There are very few buildings today with this kind of facade technology.”
The building features thermally broken curtain wall, energy-dense vertical wall PV, rooftop PV and high performance glass, to tune the performance per elevation.
Guardian SunGuard SNX 51/23 contributes 51% visible light transmission and a solar heat gain coefficient of 0.23 to that performance.
According to Guardian, no other commercial glass on clear float produced in North America today offers this much light with so little heat.
The black spandrel used on the south façade is one of the first applications for the new Guardian SunGuard Spandrel HT.
PV modules are also installed in the spandrel area to increase the building’s energy efficiency.
“This investment in glass innovation is going to create value for Guardian and our customers for a long time to come,” says Chris Dolan, Director of Marketing, North America, Guardian Industries Corp.
“The wall is extremely flexible and will accommodate multiple sizes of low-E and advanced glazing insulated glass units.
“It will allow Guardian to easily change out and test different glazing technologies.”
Guardian’s InGlass interior products are also featured as part of the STC addition, on applications from tables to white boards, credenzas to countertops.
These include Guardian Reveal switchable privacy glass; Guardian DiamondGuard, which protects glass from scratching up to 10 times longer than ordinary glass; and Guardian Berman Glass editions, patterned glass designs created by glass artist Joel Berman and exclusively manufactured and distributed by Guardian.
