Research Triangle Park (RTP) Headquarters is nestled amongst mature willow oaks on an 18-acre site in North Carolina. The Headquarters building sits at the heart of the largest and longest continually operating research park in the United States, encompassing 7,000 acres. Constructed in advance of the Park’s 50th anniversary celebrated in 2009, the RTP Headquarters is one of 78 LEED-certified or -registered building projects in the Research Triangle region.

Designed by O’Brien/Atkins Associates, the RTP Headquarters earned the Silver level certification of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® Rating System (NC 2.2). The majority of LEED points for the 17,000-square-foot building were awarded in the Indoor Environmental Quality category. These design and construction considerations included the use of natural ventilation and low-emitting materials, control for light and thermal comfort, and the incorporation of daylight and views in at least 90 percent of the building’s occupied space.

Super Sky Products Inc.’s custom, triangular-shaped skylight played a significant role in these daylighting and performance achievements. The skylight caps the 6,800-square-foot Archie K. Davis Conference Center, which serves as the RTP Headquarters’ public meeting area and as the main connection to the administrative offices of the Research Triangle Foundation. Further attracting attention, the Conference Center is clad in pre-patina, recycled copper panels and its skylight is illuminated with energy-efficient LEDs.

Linetec painted the aluminum framing in “Bone White” using a two-coat, 70 percent Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) coating.

Barnhill Contracting Company installed the 27×74-foot skylight as a total flush glazed, single slope unit. The glass area spans 2,005-square-feet and is comprised of clear, laminated, heat-strengthened lites. Fabricated by Viracon Inc., the glass surface was silk-screened with a white, 50 percent, standard line pattern to assist in managing unwanted solar heat gain and thermal comfort.