ARCHITECTURAL CHALLENGES Courtesy of Guardian Glass, LLC, ©Gonzalo Botet2 Left: A rendering of ©SimpsonHaugh One Blackfriars, London Background photo: La casa del Desierto Guardian TAKING GLASS TO THE LIMITS AND BEYOND Guardian Glass’ special event for international press in London, gave invited guests the chance not only to listen to and speak with some of the company’s key people about its most recent projects, such as La Casa del Desierto and the Jeddah Tower, but also to see for themselves – One Blackfriars – which uses 5,764 panes of Guardian Glass. Glass-Technology International 5/2018 139 ARCHITECTURAL CHALLENGES uring Guardian Glass' with aesthetics – consider ian Glass, it’s important generation system and a special event held in colour for example. to know that the company set of photovoltaic panels. DLondon, members of Jasmin Hodzic, Commercial has always – and is con- Positioned in the Gorafe the press were invited to see Project Director Africa and tinuing to – make impor- Desert (Granada, Spain), for themselves how the use Middle East at Guardian tant investments. Its most considered one of the most of the company’s special Glass, gave us an overview recent investment in Eu- adverse and extreme en- glass is changing our lives. on the technical challenges rope, for example, involves vironments in Europe, La Attendees were given a pre- of megatall buildings, such a 1,000-tonne tank for Casa del Desierto stands view of one of the most re- as wind loads, temperature Poland, expected to create on a wooden structure and cent projects of Guardian and altitude differences, and 150 new jobs, thanks to the is fully glazed with high Glass – One Blackfriars – condensation. ‘healthy’ demand coming performance, energy-effi- with its 170 metres height from Eastern Europe and cient Guardian Glass. and 50 floors, which uses GUEST SPEAKERS AT the company’s aim to in- 5,764 panes of Guardian THE EVENT crease its footprint in that MEGATALL BUILD- Glass. Guests at the special press area. Another investment INGS – CHALLENGES Those present also got a day also got the chance regards a new laminating Wind loads ‘teaser’ of what we can ex- to meet some of the ar- line for Hungary, while Megatall buildings are sky- pect to see at this year’s chitects involved in the production is continuously scrapers over 600 metres glasstec, with important new projects, with Ian Simp- on the increase in Spain. high, which generally use technology and, of course, son, founding partner at And this type of demand a lot of glass, which often Guardian Glass' focus on SimpsonHaugh, speak- is expected to undergo im- tends to be taken for grant- vacuum insulated glass. ing about tall buildings portant growth in the next ed in terms of its technical in London, and Christian three to five years, doubling functions. When it comes MEETING THE KEY Male, partner, who has led or tripling. Demand for to megatall structures, the PEOPLE the development of One value-added glass types is main challenges are wind The business day with Blackfriars in London dur- also increasing in Eastern loads, temperature and Guardian Glass gave an ing construction through Europe and other regions. altitude differences, and overview of the company, to the building’s imminent condensation. In fact, for its business activities and completion. RECENT PROJECTS the Burj Khalifa, the glass investments, explained to Before taking us on to its façade was designed to us by Kevin Baird, Presi- Špela Videcˇnik, Founding most recent and spectacu- withstand wind loads of up dent and CEO of Guardian Partner at OFIS arhitekti, lar projects, such as One to 250 km/hour, while the Glass, Guus Boekhoudt, spoke about her collabora- Blackfriars of course, but glass system for the Jeddah Vice President of Guardian tion with Guardian Glass also the Burj Khalifa and Tower is designed to with- Glass and General Man- in terms of thermal and the Jeddah Tower, pres- stand a 2.5 metre radius ager of Guardian Glass in structural challenging, while ently under construction, sway without breakage or Europe, as well as Sheldon Edoardo Tibuzzi, Associate while another recent pro- leakage. Davis, Vice President of Director at AKTII, architect ject from Guardian Glass Close to the ground, wind Science, Technology & In- and structural engineer of was La Casa del Desierto, is disrupted by trees and novation. La Casa del Desierto gave us where performance and other buildings, but as a Guardian Glass' ‘Glass an idea of his daily research, aesthetics really come into building rises to supertall Experts’ took us through which involve structures and the scene. heights, these obstacles the high performance that multi-disciplinary design Covering only 20 square disappear. The tower then glass needs to have, with optimization. metres, the layout consists faces the full, unobstructed Javier Unquera, Guardian of three areas: bedroom, force of the wind, which Glass' Science and Tech- DEVELOPMENTS bathroom and living room. can be extremely high. nology Europe Director, AND EXPANSION IN A large space directly over- Even though the dynamic who also spoke about how GUARDIAN GLASS' looking the landscape, La shape of the building is de- this high performance al- BUSINESS Casa also has a water fil- signed to reduce structural ways needs to be balanced Speaking about Guard- tration system, an energy loading due to wind vortex 140 Glass-Technology International 5/2018 shedding, the glass thick- light they let in to the build- GUARDIAN GLASS ness is very important too. ing in order to enhance the The thickness of the glass wellbeing and comfort of Guardian Glass, a major business unit of Guardian Industries, used depends on the height the building’s occupants. is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of float, coated and of the building where The surroundings of a fabricated glass products. At its 25 float plants around the globe, Guardian Glass produces high performance glass for it is installed. The heat building – and, in the case use in exterior (both commercial and residential) and interior treatment is also crucial of the Burj Khalifa and the architectural applications, as well as transportation and technical (fully tempering or heat Jeddah Tower, the local de- products. Guardian glass can be found in homes, offices, cars strengthening) as it will sert climate – are important and some of the world’s most iconic architectural landmarks. make the glass up to five factors to consider. The The Guardian Glass Science & Technology Center continuously times stronger to resist ex- surrounding areas of mega- works to create new glass products and solutions using the treme wind loads and tem- tall buildings such as the most advanced technology to help customers SEE WHAT’S perature differences. hills and other buildings, POSSIBLE®. actually absorb much of Guardian Industries, a global company headquartered in Light and heat the intense heat during the Auburn Hills, Michigan, employs around 18,000 people Other major factors are day but continue to radiate and operates facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Guardian light and heat. Tall build- or emit this heat to their companies manufacture high-performance float, coated and ings, because of their enor- surroundings through the fabricated glass products for architectural, residential, interior, mous internal heat mass, night. Low-emissivity (low- transportation and technical glass application and high-quality tend to need constant E) glass helps to reflect this chrome-plated and painted plastic components for the air conditioning, even in long wave radiation and automotive and commercial truck industries. Guardian Glass' the colder months of the minimise its transmission. vision is to create value for its customers and society through year. Air conditioning is constant innovation using fewer resources. Guardian is a wholly a skyscraper’s single big- Condensation owned subsidiary of Koch Industries, Inc. gest energy cost. Megatall The local climate in these buildings present a unique hot, humid, desert regions challenge: not only do they – with daytime tempera- have high internal heat tures reaching as high as mass, but a very large pro- 50°C – pose real challenges portion of their overall size for the glass in terms of is high above their neigh- both stress and deflection, bours, so there’s nothing to but also potential conden- block the sun. Also, most sation issues. of them tend to be in desert With megatall buildings, regions of the Middle East, there is always a risk that Africa and South East Asia. condensation may appear To complicate matters fur- on the external glass pane La Casa del Desierto_courtesy of Guardian Glass, LLC, ©Gonzalo Botet (3) ther, the skin of megatall (outside). This is due to buildings is now almost en- the temperature difference heat treatment (fully tem- – and the temperature dif- tirely glass, with a premium between the outside of the pering or heat strengthen- ference linked to this – can placed on tall and wide building (which is very hot ing) will make the glass up cause glass deflection is- glass panes to offer maxi- and humid during the sum- to five times stronger to sues on the insulating glass mum unobstructed views. mer) and the inside tem- resist extreme wind loads unit due to the pressure The challenge is, these perature (air conditioning). and temperature differ- difference. larger glass panes must be Using a low-emissivity ences. On the Burj Khalifa pro- extremely strong to with- glass as the internal pane ject,