When the building management team requested a design change on an addition to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, Ore.—home of the WWII-era airplane Spruce Goose—the team at Scott/Edwards Architecture, Portland, was forced to eliminate an emergency staircase at the back of the building and redesign one of the existing staircases to provide a fire-safe exit that would meet building codes. Surrounding one of the existing open staircases with masonry or other fire-blocking material, however, would alter the aesthetics of the building's design. So they turned to glass.
By utilizing Pilkington Pyrostop fire-rated glass, Fireframes Curtainwall fire-rated frames, and 90-minute Fireframes Heat Barrier Series doors from Technical Glass Products, the design team met the highest impact safety ratings for glazing while also meeting three code-required goals: block the potential spread of flames and smoke for up to two hours, shield people exiting the building from high heat, and provide safety impact resistance. They also rescued the sleek look of the museum.
“The TGP products integrated well with the overall design,” says Jeff Hammond, project manager with Scott/Edwards Architecture. “The custom colors and frames matched the aesthetics of the other glazing used throughout the project, including the large curtain walls on the front and back of the building.”
Technical Glass Products
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