Clearview 225 - August 2020 | Page 59

GLASS&SEALEDUNITS
About Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain develops, manufactures and distributes
materials and solutions that make a key contribution
to the wellbeing of people and our future. These
materials surround us in our living spaces and daily
lives – in buildings, transport, infrastructure and in
many industrial applications. Saint-Gobain’s system
solutions provide comfort, performance and safety
while also addressing the challenges of sustainable
construction, resource efficiency and climate change.
• EUR 40.8 billion in sales in 2017
• Operates in 67 countries
• More than 179,000 employees
www.saint-gobain.com
SMART SOLAR PROTECTION
Even in the first drafts, a smooth glass shell
was planned for the façade of the CUBIC
building, designed to convey the concept of
openness outwards, too. The curtain façade
of large glass elements measuring 1,12 x
3,05 m is supported by an internal frame
construction, which is connected to the
building’s support structure with brackets. A
third of the 535 glass elements were designed
as opening elements. The swinging elements
can be opened automatically for ventilation
and smoke extraction in the event of a fire.
The exterior view of the all-glass surface
has a uniform, delicate appearance and is
divided only by thin joints between the glass
elements. This façade design was used on all
the vertical façades, including in the three
courtyards.
The structural glazing façade was built using
Vario solar protection glass by SageGlass.
Thanks to its tinting electrochromic coating,
the smart glass can control the heat influx
from sunlight – all while staying transparent
and offering an unobstructed view of the
outdoors. SageGlass Vario is a certified
design variant for challenging all-glass façade
applications. Even in bright conditions, the
coating on the inside of the glass blocks heat
from the sun before it enters the building. The
CUBIC building required no external solar
protection as a result. A total of 1 600 m² of
SageGlass was installed – 450 m² of which was
used for the courtyard façades.
SMART FAÇADE
To maximise the flexibility of the space, the
façade was divided into small sections. Two
of each of the triple-glazed elements form a
zone that can be tinted individually. This is
important for controlling the solar protection,
as the building’s façades are shaded to varying
degrees by the neighboring buildings. Areas
can also be reallocated when the room layout
is changed to support flexible use of space. The
façade tinting system is linked via a BACnet
interface to the internal building management
system, which is used to monitor and manage
the entire building. In addition to automatic
tinting via sensors that respond directly to
changes in sunlight, the façade at the CUBIC
building can also be controlled manually with
touch panels.
When the sun shines, the façade darkens,
constantly changing its appearance. A major
advantage of SageGlass is its constant ability
to react to its surroundings, even when tinted.
This is much more beneficial to the employees
in the building compared with internal or
external solar protection. Moreover, the
transition between the different tint levels is
smooth and completely silent, preventing any
disruption of operations.
About SageGlass
SageGlass® is the pioneer of the world’s
smartest dynamic glass. Electronically tintable
SageGlass tints or clears automatically to
optimize daylight levels while preventing
heat and glare, without the need for blinds or
shades. SageGlass delivers superior comfort,
enhances occupant wellbeing and saves energy.
As a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, SageGlass is
backed by more than 350 years of building
science expertise that only the world leader in
sustainable environments can provide.
Find out more at www.sageglass.com or on
Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Images ©SageGlass, photographer Faruk Pinjo
CLEARVIEW-UK.COM » AUG 2020 » 59