Situated in southeastern Massachusetts with a panoramic glass façade, the Medical Information Technology Inc. (Meditech) Building, also called “Meditech Southcoast,” is a four-story, 122,000-square-foot structure located in Fall River, Mass. The building is located on a 17-acre site that also features a pond-a key amenity that Payette architects Matt Bandzak and Jeff DeGregorio considered when designing the structure.

Photo courtesy of Kawneer, © CJ Berg Photographics, www.cjbergphoto.com

The Meditech project is a prime example of how glass and glazing can be used to create a sustainable structure. To meet the state’s stringent thermal requirements, the façade integrates products designed to provide advanced energy performance and indoor environmental quality.  Kawneer Co. Inc. served as the window and curtainwall supplier, while Prelco was the glass fabricator. Tower Glass Co. served as the contract glazier for the project.

The south elevation features a curved glass wall and side roof overhangs that were installed to shield summer sun, but allow in the low winter sunlight. The curtainwall is hung from the roof to allow for a highly transparent butt-glazed opening. Thin steel plate beams and tension rods were also used at each floor level to resist only the wind load.

The north elevation features repetitive windows constructed with triple-glazed insulating glass to minimize heat loss at openings within the rainscreen terracotta façade. The windows are also contrasted by three large glass slots that provide views of the building’s three communicating stairways

The east and west ends are clad in zinc and aluminum panels and extend the use of the rainscreen wall from the north façade.