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OCTOBER 2015 | 17 PHOTOGRAPHY BY IVAN HUNTER PHOTOGRAPHY INC./COURTESY PHOENIX GLASS Curtain Wall & Window Wall Other trends are also at work in the curtain wall, window wall and glazing sec- tors. "The latest National Energy Code is having a profound impact," says David Borys, director of sales at Border Glass and Aluminum. Although he believes that stricter rules on building envelope thermal perfor- mance may be exerting downward pressure on the market for fenestration overall, he says that when curtain wall systems are used, there is an increasing demand for better quality and performance than in the past. There is now more use of triple glazing, along with "better framing systems with improved thermal performance, because of the use of double thermal breaks." Designers, it seems, are increasingly experimental in their quest for the best thermal solution. "Everyone is starting to think outside the box," Borys says. In fact one of the company's suppliers has reported the use of quadruple glaze in Europe. Module size is also increasing, reflecting increased demand for a greater "vision area" in office towers and condos. This trend has another angle. "In curtain wall, the thermally weakest part is the aluminum frame, so more glass and less metal means better thermal performance," Borys says. At the same time, though, the demand for more glazing is also squeezing out the amount of space for spandrel, which, in turn, is going to reduce the thermal per- formance of the envelope. Spandrel can be R-25, while glazing R-values often don't climb above the single digits. Ensuring as smooth a process as possible from design to installation has become increasingly important, Borys says, in no small measure because of costs. A while back, the rule of thumb was that fenestration for a single family home averaged about 10 per cent of the cost. Today, for an office tower, it is around 15 per cent and up, but it can be as high as 25 per cent for some buildings, Borys says. He adds that most builders today are advocating their involvement as early as possible in the design process to help with constructibility. Borys says that new energy codes, along with changes in weather and climate, are a factor in the increased use of solar shading in Canada, as well as elsewhere. "We're seeing solar shadings now on about 10 per cent of buildings in Arizona, in vertical and horizontal configurations, sometimes both on the same building. That's moving north and coming here." Managing both daylight and thermal transference was a strong focus of the design work for the construction of the new Humber River Hospital in Toronto. Because it is a general hospital and includes a psychiatric facility, conventional Venetian blinds with cords were not an option because of the risk of self-harm. A Sull sash option was given serious consideration as it included a system that protected the blind behind a layer of glass, says Murray Altman, pre-construction manager at Contract Glaziers. In the end, though, an electrochromatic glass system was selected partly because it could be tied in easily with the building's automation system. With this type of glass, its tint varies according to the amount of sunlight on it. "So the building is self-regulating. There are no interior blinds," Altman says. The fact that the Sull sash system is manually operated was seen as a drawback, whereas the electrochromatic system responds to conditions automatically. But the system opted for at the Humber does have a manual override that patients can use. Contract Glaziers is the largest fabricator in North America of the Schuco line of products and systems, and has had a lot of success with it. "It accommodates triple glazing, a major alteration – it's ready for it, along with systems for operable win- dows and doors," Altman says. Besides increased focus on enhanced thermal performance, considerations of user comfort are also getting more attention. "The new Calgary International Airport building has full double-skin curtain wall. You not only use the cavity to harvest energy, but it also improves the comfort of the building's occupants," Altman explains. The Anvil Centre. 8166 92 Street Delta BC Tel 604 525 2800 sales@phoenixglassinc.com PHOENIX GLASS INC. AND COLUMBIA ALUMINUM PRODUCTS ARE MEMBERS OF THE ATIS GROUP Trusted manufacturer and supplier of innovative, high-performance curtain wall, window wall and architectural glazing systems since 1992. Visit our new website – www.phoenixglassinc.com Anvil Centre, New Westminster Royal Bay High School, Victoria – Image courtesy of HCMA Architecture + Design Oak Bay High School, Victoria – Image courtesy of HCMA Architecture + Design Phoenix Glass, Delta

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