Project: Oakland Airport Connector - Doolittle BART Station in Oakland, Calif.
Architect: ED2 International
Glazing Contractor: Bagatelos Glass
Products: SuperLite II-XL 60 IGU in GPX Framing with Sunshade Connection
Why it’s unique: Sunshade connections are not typical with fire rated assemblies
For the Doolittle Maintenance Facility, SAFTI FIRST provided 60 minute, fire resistive wall openings in the exterior using SuperLite II-XL 60 insulated with low-e glazing in GPX Framing with a clear anodized finish. SAFTI FIRST engineered a connection that allows the structural elements of the GPX Framing System to support an integral sunshade system, instead of being hung in front of it.
The framing covers were notched around the brackets to create a seamless connection. The connection was also kept in front of the waterline to avoid a potential breach, keeping the system air and water tight. Other manufacturers would have to go through and behind the glazing pocket to get to the structure, creating a challenge during the fabrication and installation phases.
The potential for water penetration increases significantly once you punch a hole in your framing and glazing pocket. By using the SuperLite II-XL 60 IGU in GPX Framing, the architect was able to achieve the aesthetic and code requirements of the application while keeping the whole system air and water tight.
The Doolittle Bart Station is one of the first installations of the GPX System with sunshade connections, which also include SLCC New Instruction and Administrative Building in Salt Lake City, UT. While it is a fairly new offering, it is quickly gaining attention and interest in the building community. Sunshades are commonly used in building to control the amount of direct sunlight through exterior windows.
When the location of the exterior windows also need to meet fire rated requirements due to property lines, etc., it is good for designers to know that they have an option that combines both.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Callison, MulvannyG2 among nation's largest retail design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 75 Retail Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
USGBC honors Brad Pitt's Make It Right New Orleans as the ‘largest and greenest single-family community in the world’
U.S. Green Building Council President, CEO and Founding Chair Rick Fedrizzi today declared that the neighborhood being built by Make It Right New Orleans, the post-Katrina housing initiative launched by actor Brad Pitt, is the “largest and greenest community of single-family homes in the world” at the annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York.
| Aug 11, 2010
AIA report estimates up to 270,000 construction industry jobs could be created if the American Clean Energy Security Act is passed
With the encouragement of Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV), the American Institute of Architects (AIA) conducted a study to determine how many jobs in the design and construction industry could be created if the American Clean Energy Security Act (H.R. 2454; also known as the Waxman-Markey Bill) is enacted.
| Aug 11, 2010
Architect Michael Graves to be inducted into the N.J. Hall of Fame
Architect Michael Graves of Princeton, N.J., being inducted into the N.J. Hall of Fame.
| Aug 11, 2010
Modest rebound in Architecture Billings Index
Following a drop of nearly three points, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) nudged up almost two points in February. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.
| Aug 11, 2010
Architecture firms NBBJ and Chan Krieger Sieniewicz announce merger
NBBJ, a global architecture and design firm, and Chan Krieger Sieniewicz, internationally-known for urban design and architecture excellence, announced a merger of the two firms.
| Aug 11, 2010
Nation's first set of green building model codes and standards announced
The International Code Council (ICC), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) announce the launch of the International Green Construction Code (IGCC), representing the merger of two national efforts to develop adoptable and enforceable green building codes.
| Aug 11, 2010
David Rockwell unveils set for upcoming Oscar show
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and 82nd Academy Awards® production designer David Rockwell unveiled the set for the upcoming Oscar show.
