Architecture Blog

Winterizing Your Windows

10. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Glass

The U.S. Department of Energy states that energy-efficient windows can lower heating or cooling costs by 20 to 30%! The best way to lower heat loss through windows in to install energy efficient windows, or low-E windows. These windows have been manufactured to prevent heat loss. Architectural glass in large buildings and glass windows in homes both pose a concern for heat loss and higher energy costs. These windows are usually more expensive than the traditional window. If that is not an option, there are other ways to winterize your windows to reduce the loss of heat during the winter months.

First, make sure and check window frames for air leaks. If you have to, light a candle and hold it in front of the window. Watch the flame for wavering or flickering. If the flame does, you have located an air leak. Secure loose frames to the building and recheck for air leaks. Next, check the window for any loose panes. Use window caulking to seal any loose panes. Check storm windows to make sure they are secure. Clean the window tracks to ensure they are snug. Caulk anywhere around the frame to prevent air from entering. Make sure you close the storm window completely.

Next, cover the outside of the windows with a heavier plastic to keep cold air from reaching the inside of the window. Staple the sheet of plastic over the outside leaving a few inches around the sides. Secure the edges with wooden strapping and staple to the outside window frame. Trim off any excess plastic. Get some shrink plastic designed to apply to the inside of windows. Apply the double-sided tape that comes with the packet to the perimeter of the window frame. Attach the plastic to the tape, beginning at the top and working your way down. Blow a hair dryer on the plastic and it will tighten up. Make sure all of the edges are held securely fastened.

For additional protection, install blinds or insulated shades to block cold air and prevent warm air from escaping. Hang solar curtains to capture the sun’s rays during the day and prevent heat loss at night.

The Ledge – Scarier than Halloween!

09. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Glass

If you have ever been to Chicago you know how amazing the skyline is. Chicago has more tall buildings than one can imagine. If you have been downtown, you have probably seen the Willis Tower, formerly named the Sears Tower. It used to be the tallest building in the world until the Burj was constructed in Dubai. The Willis Tower now has a four foot glass balcony that jets out from the 103rd floor skydeck. WHAT?!!! That’s right, you heard me. It’s called “The Ledge”, and even some Chicago residents say they would never go up there.

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Picture from www.geekologie.com

“The Ledge” is 1,353 feet above ground and can hold an estimated five tons! Some have said it’s like walking on ice, others have raved about the view. One thing in for sure, the first step is the hardest.

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Picture from www.geekologie.com

The glass balcony was completed in 2009 and was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the same architecture firm that designed the building. The balcony is made of 1.5 inch thick crystal clear, laminated glass panels. The entire box balcony hangs from a steel truss that rides on rails and can be retracted into the building for cleaning and maintenance. The glass was manufactured by a 120 year old local contractor MTH Industries. Each glass panel weighs 1,500 pounds and is tempered for extra durability.

The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor

08. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Memorials

On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes surprised the U.S. at Pearl Harbor and unleashed an attack that would be known as the Date of Infamy. Now, only second to the World Trade Center attack, it was the worst day in U.S history. The USS Arizona received a direct hit and sank. As a result, 1,177 people lost their lives. Many of the bodies still remain in the sunken ship.

The memorial, which was dedicated in 1962, straddles the USS Arizona but does touch it. The memorial is only accessible by shuttle boat which is operated by the National Park Service. The Memorial Visitor Center was opened in 1980 and on May 5, 1989 the sunken ship was declared a National Historic Landmark.

PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII (HI) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA) DoD photo by: PH3(AW/SW) JAYME PASTORIC, USN

The memorial was designed by Alfred Preis, a Honolulu architect. The United States Navy had given specific instructions to Preis that the memorial be like a bridge, floating above the ship, but not touching it. They also wanted the memorial to be able to accommodate 200 people.

The memorial structure is 184-foot long and has two peaks at each end connected by a sag in the center of the structure. The shape is meant to represent the peak of American pride before the attack, then the sudden sadness of the United States after the attack and then the rise of America again to new heights after the war.

Originally from [http://en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia]

Preis describes the architecture Arizona Memorial as, “Wherein the structure sags in the center but stands strong and vigorous at the ends, expresses initial defeat and ultimate victory … The overall effect is one of serenity. Overtones of sadness have been omitted to permit the individual to contemplate his own personal responses … his innermost feelings.”

The Willis Tower Stands Tall

02. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Buildings

The Willis Tower is located in downtown Chicago and is one of the great buildings, not only in the city of Chicago, but also in the United States. The structure is 1,450 feet tall with 110 stories, making it the tallest building in the U.S. The Willis Tower, previously the Sears Tower, was the tallest building in the world until 1998. The building is made up of 3.8 million square feet which includes offices, seven restaurants, a parking garage, conference center and fitness facility.

Willis Tower is the center of the West Loop, home to Chicago’s largest corporations and commuter rail stations. The Willis Tower was finished in 1973. The tower consists of steel columns and beams in a “mega-module” system. The Property features a 160-car executive parking garage accessible from Franklin Street. Other features include a world-class broadcast platform, skydeck, and exceptional technology features.

The architect designed the Tower’s curtain wall with modern look of glass and aluminum. The curtain wall system is made from bronze-tinted vision glass and black anodized aluminum spandrel panels framed in striking black anodized aluminum. Granite panels, with aluminum-framed glass storefront windows, accent the ground level. The structural framing consists of steel columns and beams in a “mega-module” system consisting of nine modules. The foundation system consists of reinforced concrete retainer with reinforced caisson caps.

In 1982, antennas were added to the building increasing its total height to 1,704 feet. In 2000, one of the building’s antennas was lengthened to to 1,729 feet, making it the world’s tallest building. The building lost this title in 2009 when Burj Dubai was constructed at a height of over 2,600 feet, making it the tallest man-made structure ever built.

The Willis Tower has a great central location, extraordinary views and the prestige of being one of the greatest buildings in the world.

“Lights Out” in Chicago

30. November 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: News

Two different times a year it is estimated that five million birds of 250 differing species fly through the city of Chicago. The birds are migrating and can travel thousands of miles each year. When the birds pass through large cities, they are attracted to reflections and especially light. Tens of thousands of these birds are either severely injured or die each year from collisions with buildings.

The song sparrow is a bird that is a common casualty in Chicago. The song sparrow are nocturnal, which means that they fly at night. When they fly beside buildings, the lights in and on the buildings can confuse the birds. Sometimes they crash into the building, and other times, exterior lights disorient the birds and cause them to circle the building continuously until they are exhausted and have to land. According to Rebekah Creshkoff, “birds can fly into glass windows as they fly toward a reflection or even a planter inside the building.” Rebekah is part of the New York City Audubon Society, a group that works to get lights turned off in buildings at night, and initiates and supports legislation to protect wild birds. Rebekah goes on to say, “The problem is easy to overlook because you don’t see it in the aggregate. A person will see one dead bird here, one bird there. But it is still a huge problem.”

In Chicago, the city is backing the effort.

The lights on the roof of the Sears Tower have been turned off during the two appropriate times of year. The crown of lights on the top of the John Hancock Center have been dark as well. And such popular architectural icons as the Wrigley Building and the gothic Tribune Tower have dimmed their lights, too.

Earth Hour 2010

The goal is to attract less attention at night. Migrating birds are attracted by the lights of buildings, and many times confuse a light bulb with the stars that navigate them. And often times, the birds crash into the windows. The light that helps people in the dark, is the same light that can kill birds.

”We think several hundred thousand birds a year die from striking buildings in Chicago,” said Suzanne Malek, who is the deputy commissioner of natural resources. The Lights Out program asks building owners to turn out their ornamental lights during migration season which runs from April to May and September to October.

The John Hancock Center

30. November 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Buildings

The John Hancock Center or Hancock Building is a magnificent 100 story building stretching some 1,127 feet into sky in downtown Chicago. Completed in 1969, the building was once the tallest building in the world outside of New York City. It is now the fourth tallest in Chicago and the sixth tallest in the United States. The building is known as “Big John”, and on a clear day you can see four states from the observation deck.

The Hancock Building is considered a multifunctional building because of all the uses it serves. The building consists of offices, restaurants and condominiums. There are 711 condos which take up 48 stories, and 29 stories of offices. There are also shops, hotel rooms, a swimming pool, ice rink and a restaurant. Seven stories of the building are dedicated to parking. The main attraction has to be the observation deck on the 94th floor. This gives visitors one of the best views of the downtown area and Lake Michigan.

The building was designed by engineer Fazlur Kahn and architect Bruce Graham. Kahn also designed the Sears Tower, now known as the Willis Tower. He created and utilized the frame-tube system in both. With this system, the building could resist the strong wind forces more effectively by having the forces absorbed by all three dimensions of the building. The new construction innovated by Kahn also reduced the amount of steel required to construct the building by 50%.

On the 99th floor of the Hancock Building there are lights that go the entire way around the building called the Crown of Lights. On special occasions, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and St. Patrick’s Day, the lights are changed to red or green. It takes two men 40 hours to change all of the bulbs.

Options for Your Shower Glass

21. November 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Glass

If you are considering installing glass shower doors in the bathroom yourself, you will need to be thinking about the type of glass you want. Since the glass is the majority portion of the doors, it is an important decision. Shower door have many types, sizes and designs when it comes to the frame, most people are unaware that there are as many different types of glass to choose from as well. The glass in a shower door is not only an important functional part of the door but it is an even bigger part of the design and style of the bathroom.

Clear Glass

Clear glass doors are a good choice for your shower if you are not looking for privacy. Clear glass shower doors make the bathroom look larger since you can see the far wall through the glass. If you want to make the bathroom look even larger, choose a model of shower door that contains a frame-less installation. Frame-less showers enclosures have very little metal, again making the view through the shower very visible.

Bubble Glass

Bubble glass is another option for your shower glass. Bubble glass has bubble shapes in the glass. This provides privacy and adds a design to the glass.

Tempered Glass

Tempered glass is the most popular type of glass for shower doors. All shower glass really should be tempered. Tempered glass goes to way the glass is manufactured. Tempered glass is heated to a higher temperature during manufacturing which makes the glass stronger and resistant to heat.

Plexi-Glass

Plexi-glass is an option for your shower but will not give you a classy look. Plexi-glass is much cheaper and lighter than glass. It is very safe as it is hard to break. If it does break the edges are not sharp because plexi-glass is made from hard plastic and not glass. The negatives of plexi-glass is that it can be scratched, and generally it is not clear.

Customized Glass

You can customize the glass for your shower. Your local glass company will have a variety of colors, sizes and designs. One option that takes shower door to the next level is the thickness of the glass. Custom showers have thick glass making the shower much more expensive but making the look top notch.

You may have heard the word laminated when referring to glass. All shower doors are laminated for safety reasons. Laminated glass is two pieces of glass pressed together with a thin layer of plastic film between them. If the glass breaks, it spider webs it stead of breaking all over the place.

Guardian Expands United Kingdom Plant with High Technology Glass Coater

21. November 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Glass

Article originally posted on www.usgnn.com

Guardian Industries in Auburn Hills, Mich., will expand its Goole, England, float glass plant with the addition of a new coating machine for the manufacture of energy-efficient glass for residential (ClimaGuard) and commercial (SunGuard) applications.

Construction has already begun on the $48 million (£30 million) project that is expected to create 50 new jobs when it is completed in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The coater turns standard glass into high-performance, value-added glass. It allows the plant to produce low-emissivity glass that provides thermal insulation, and solar control glass that prevents buildings from overheating. These high-performance products are able to meet or exceed new energy standards.

“The drive by the U.K. government to save energy has resulted in raising energy efficiency standards for both new and replacement windows for residential and commercial buildings,” says Scott Thomsen, president of the global Guardian Glass group. “Further improvements are already planned through 2020 that will demand even more energy efficient glass.”

The Goole plant services window customers and commercial fabricators throughout the United Kingdom. The coater expansion follows the 2008 addition of a state-of-the-art glass laminating line at the Goole plant, an investment of nearly $10 million (more than £6 million). The company built its Goole float glass plant in 2003. It is one of 28 such plants that Guardian operates around the world.

“This expansion reflects the confidence Guardian has in the plant and our strategy for growth,” says Pablo Isasmendi, plant manager. “With the investment in the new coater, Guardian Goole will be better able to serve its customer base and develop new products specifically for the region quickly and efficiently.”

Corrugated Glass and Architecture

20. November 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Glass

Glass is actually stronger than concrete. Many people do not realize that. That does not mean that you are are going to see glass columns supporting concrete floor slabs. But the fact is, many more projects these days are starting to utilize glass as a structural piece to create innovative exteriors and interiors as well as exuberant urban settings.

The Museum aan de Stroom in Belgium looks as though the glass is actually holding up the levels of the building. It’s not, but it looks cool. The building was designed by Neutelings Riedijk, a Dutch architecture. The building contains a series of stacked boxes which contain galleries. The structure features a spiraled-like staircase. The glass that makes up the structure is corrugated which has been manufactured to provide greater diffusion of light.

Picture originally on www.archicentral.com

If straight panels would have been used, the glass would have been way too thick because of the 18 foot free span. Corrugated glass is so much stronger, so it works to take up the wind load for the large span. The corrugated glass is manufactured almost like curved glass, but corrugated glass gets one more step. With this building, the heavy parts of the exterior look like they are suspended above the glass. The concrete boxes actually jet out from a central core of the building. The boxes are separated from the glass panels by a 2-inch space.

Architectural glass is constantly being used as a way to flare up modern structures. Uses of the glass are pushing the limits of imagination in order to create buildings that look good and impress.

Insulated Glass Reduces Energy Loss in Buildings

20. November 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Glass

Under current legislation E-levels are constantly being lowered. Building materials must perform at a higher level than ever. Glass is something that has not escaped this reality. Glass covers a large part of a building’s exterior, and more efforts are constantly being made in manufacturing.

Low-emissivity or Low-E glass has a microscopically thin coating that is designed to reduce the heat transfer through windows, resulting in better insulation. Low-E windows can improve energy loss.

Newer technology is delivering glazing with spec results that give manufacturers the ability to keep heat inside buildings in the winter and out in the summer. This goes a long way to reducing energy costs, especially in larger, taller structures. To accomplish this, manufactures add a second hard coating to a double-glazing unit already equipped with a soft coating. So, in other words, the glass is actually insulated just like your house walls are.

Insulating glazings used for glass exteriors, such as the Thermobel VIP (Vacuum Insulation Panel) glazing, can already achieve a Ug value of 0.15 W/m²K. Thermobel. That sounds complex. What it really means is that the glass is going to save the person who pays the buildings electric bill some more money.

It is important to note that many buildings are using more and more architectural glass. The glass provides both beauty and space for the person looking at it. Could you imagine being in a large tall building in the winter without this kind of glass technology? The heat would absorb through the glass and the building would be impossible to keep warm. Low-E glass makes it possible for the people inside to stay warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and the energy cost lower.