Guardian glass featured on award-winning Mercy Corps Headquarters

Photo by Jeff Armam Photography

Officials from Guardian Industries announced that its SunGuard SuperNeutral 68 is part of an advanced, energy-efficient curtain wall system on the Mercy Corps headquarters. The project has been designated a 2012 Top Ten Green Projects by the Committee on the Environment of the American Institute of Architects, according to an April 24 company release.

The global relief organization Mercy Corps took over an existing historic landmark in Portland, Ore., for its new headquarters. The architectural firm, THA Architecture, designed the headquarters to receive the green designation. Seismic upgrades to the structure provided support to the addition and allowed for more open floor plans and exterior walls. The structure's east fa?ade curtainwall, and a combination of new and kept windows give occupants outdoor views 95 percent of the time, and allow natural light to penetrate so that interior lighting can be off during daylight hours 39 percent of the time.

The COTE Top Ten Green Projects program celebrates structures that use a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems and technology to provide architectural solutions that protect and enhance the environment, according to the release.

Fabricated by Guardian Select Fabricator Northwestern Industries and installed by Culver Glass, the curtainwall features Guardian SunGuard SuperNeutral 68, one of Guardian's advanced architectural glass SuperNeutral products characterized by high light transmittance and reduced solar heat gain with a neutral appearance that is the most similar to clear uncoated glass. SunGuard SN 68 delivers visible light transmission of 68 percent and a solar heat gain coefficient of 0.38, according to the release.

Ample views and daylight reach virtually every workspace and increase the indoor environmental quality for the occupants. Efficient lighting design and sensors work with the natural light to reduce overall lighting loads, according to the release.

Certified LEED platinum, Mercy Corps achieved all 10 energy points, and the building performance has already surpassed expectations. Energy-saving strategies included efficient envelope design and operable windows used in conjunction with lighting controls. The building has also been honored by Architectural Record with a 2011 Good Design Is Good Business Award.

Mercy Corps and its fellow 2012 COTE Top Ten Green Projects will be honored during the AIA National Convention and Design Exposition, May 17-19 in Washington, D.C., according to the release.