Located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, the renovated 90-year-old Baker Center showcases a prominent new building entry featuring Tubelite curtainwall and storefront systems. At the corner of Marquette Avenue and Eighth Street, the main entry provides a unified façade for the four buildings that comprise the complex.
For the past 20 years, the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) has provided a fair, accurate and credible rating and labeling system for doors, windows and skylights used in residential construction. Anyone who has shopped for a residential window has seen a label similar to the one below: Ratings on the NFRC label have been […]
Fluoropolymer coatings are two-coat systems formulated to provide excellent performance against weathering in normal environments. Suited for architectural product applications — such as storefronts, curtainwalls, windows and louvers — these coatings are highly resistant to chalking, chipping, peeling and fading. They also protect against chemical staining and environmental stresses such as dirt, ultraviolet (UV) radiation […]
Recent studies report that daylighting can offer retail establishments a strong competitive advantage. This is supported by a study commissioned by PG&E that compares the retail sales performance of 108 stores operated by a large (unidentified) chain retailer. Two-thirds of the stores had skylighting, and the remaining one-third did not. Otherwise, the stores were very […]
In November we began a discussion on daylighting and continue looking into that subject this month. When looking at daylighting, an integrated design balances the cooling load of the window against required daylight illumination levels, thereby capturing both cooling and lighting energy savings without creating discomfort. A poor design imposes a substantial cooling load and […]
(Part one of a three-part series) As winter approaches, and the amount of daylight decreases, it’s important to realize the positive effects of natural daylight. The lack of daylight has been documented to cause Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), maladjustment of our body clocks (circadian rhythms) and consistent periods of reduced productivity and enthusiasm. One solution […]
The International Green Construction Code (IgCC) is the first national green model code. It is flexible, enabling jurisdictions to choose additional requirements that make the code a deeper shade of green, while paying close attention to the local climate and local regulatory requirements. This new code is intended to provide “minimum requirements to safeguard the […]
Photovoltaics convert light energy into electrical energy. The word “photovoltaic” is derived from photo, the Greek word for light, and volt, relating to electricity pioneer Alessandro Volta. In 1954, Bell Labs in the U.S. introduced the first solar photovoltaic (PV) device that produced a useful amount of electricity, and by the late 1950s solar cells […]
In the second half of this two-part blog (click here to read part one), we continue our look at how “smart” fenestration designs and applications can significantly improve a building’s performance using the guidelines in the LEED Rating System. This month we’ll take a look at Thermal Comfort, Daylighting and Views to the Outdoors. Materials […]
Not every building is designed to achieve LEED certification, but using the guidelines in the LEED Rating System can help lower utility costs, minimize the impact on our environment and improve occupant comfort levels. In this two-part blog, we’ll take a look at how “smart” fenestration designs and applications can significantly improve a building’s performance. […]
