Forsyth County Central Library
Forsyth County Central Library
Complementary glass solutions quietly deliver abundant light no matter the angle
Winston-Salem, N.C. , United StatesLike the patrons and employees quietly working in the Forsyth County Central Library, the glass is also quietly working to give occupants daylight-filled spaces while helping to manage solar heat.
Guardian Glass high performance SunGuard® glass coatings offer a vast array of light transmittance and solar heat management, and the Guardian team offers a vast array of knowledge to help architects identify the best product for each project needs. Sometimes, as with the Forsyth County Central Library, it’s plural - the best products: Two different coatings, on different facades of the building, each quietly working to capitalize on how the light moves throughout the day to provide the right performance overall while meeting the architect’s desired aesthetic.
RATIO’s renovation plans for the two brutalist, concrete buildings sought to transform the facility into a seamless, open plan of daylight-filled spaces for the community. The architect was open to look beyond the typical, single glass product specification and consider two products, and the glass team worked together to present how two distinct Guardian Glass SunGuard® coated glass products would deliver the desired energy performance.
“It’s unusual to use two glass coatings that are so close yet different on the same project. It is a forward-thinking approach to manage how the daylighting and solar heat comes into the building.”
Bill Brown, Project Manager, Pfaff’s Glass
In order to best utilize natural light while managing energy performance, RATIO selected two triple silver Guardian products that could take advantage of the building orientation:
- Guardian SunGuard® SNX 62/27 coated glass on the northeast elevation provides a high visible light transmission of 62 percent with a solar heat gain coefficient of 0.27 on clear glass to maximize the amount of natural light coming into the structure, while providing transparency and connectivity, an important goal for a facility that strives to be a “hub” for the community.
- Guardian SunGuard® SNX 51/23 coated glass on the southwest façade combines a visible light transmission of 51 percent with a low solar heat gain coefficient of 0.23 on clear glass to help ensure daylit spaces do not get too much heat, distracting the patrons and employees and taxing the facility’s HVAC system.
“Guardian SunGuard coated glass provided the right performance to meet the energy performance goals for this project, while providing abundant visible light tempered with solar heat management.”
Kevin Huse, AIA, RATIO Principal
Pfaff’s Glass installed the Guardian SunGuard products, fabricated by Press Glass, in an EFCO framing system. The design adds interest with sections of acid etch glass and fritted glass.
“The glass team worked with RATIO to combine Guardian SunGuard coated glass with acid etched glass in some insulated glass units, and a 50 percent white dot frit on other IGUs,” Huse continues. “Combined with IGUs that used Guardian SunGuard® SNX 62/27 coating on clear glass, these three looks allowed us to get the coloration and tinting just right, bringing the pattern we envisioned to life on the façade.”
The result is an open, inviting appearance beckoning in passersby while providing beautiful spaces for occupants.
“The building is so open,” Brown agrees. “The large atrium is really dramatic, in part because of all the light coming in. And the overall design is unexpected: For instance, the frit at the bottom of the glass is very distinctive. Because there were units that had the frit pattern at the bottom, some that were acid-etch and some that were clear, and they were used in an irregular pattern, we had to be mindful during the installation. It was a pleasure to watch the glass go up. I love going there. It’s a great building.”
The redesign earned RATIO a 2018 Community Appearance Award from the City of Winston-Salem, and the project was also included in the 2018 Library Design Showcase.
“Every project I’ve worked on in the past five years has used Guardian SunGuard® products. It’s just a good product line. And the Guardian team provides very good service. Anything we need, from samples to information, Guardian is always quick to respond.”
John Holbrook of SPS Corporation, who started the project while he was a project manager at Pfaff’s
For more information on Guardian Glass, visit the Glass Expert section or the Guardian SunGuard® eXtraSelective product page of the Guardian Glass website.
Photo Credit: photographie: fourseven©
