Pre-certified as LEED® Platinum, 181 Fremont is fully glazed with Solarban® 70XL Glass (now Solarban® 70 Glass) by Vitro Architectural Glass.
Designed to be the most resilient tall condominium on the West Coast, every square-inch of 181 Fremont’s 435,000 square-feet was engineered for superior performance, including the innovative, unitized curtainwall system.
Pre-certified as LEED® Platinum, 181 Fremont incorporates a floor-to-ceiling façade designed to enhance the energy performance of the 55-floor, mixed-use tower, fully glazed with Solarban® 70XL Glass (now Solarban® 70 Glass) by Vitro Architectural Glass—an advanced, triple-silver-coated, low-emissivity (low-e) glass that blocks 73 percent of the sun’s heat energy in a 1-inch insulated glass unit (IGU) while still enabling 64 percent of daylight to pass through.
The design by Heller Manus Architects creates a sawtooth pattern with angled window mullions that face slightly inward against one another throughout the curtainwall that acts as a passive solar control system. The low-e glass accentuates the performance of the angled window mullions, which function as shading devices.
Glazing contractor Benson Industries Inc. took an active role in working through the complex glass geometry. As the glass fabricator, Hartung Glass Industries, a member of the Vitro Certified™ Network, worked closely with Benson Industries to make the project a success.
Solarban® 70 Glass blocks 73 percent of the sun’s heat energy in a 1-inch insulated glass unit (IGU) while allowing 64 percent of daylight to pass through.
“With the proposed sawtooth adjoined diagonal panels, it created hundreds of unique curtainwall units,” said Jeffrey Heymann, vice president of business development for Benson Industries. “Each unique unit had its own 3D model, where the connections and milling could be studied in depth.”
With the steel exoskeleton, the diagonal elements required retention cages that encroached on a typically clear anchor zone. Getting the right fit took several months of modeling, yet the finished result can handle high wind forces and seismic events up to 8.0 magnitude.
To dissipate wind forces along the glass-walled amenity terrace located about 500 feet from the ground, the tower embodies an open, chevron-shaped midway. Due to the open nature of the terrace, wide panels of Solarban® 70XL glass were required to achieve the prescribed level of wind deflection.
To maximize resilience, engineers used a 44-caisson system with a series of dampers to conserve the structural weight. Individual caissons were driven an average of 262 feet into the ground to enhance structural and non-structural design to limit damage and improve egress systems—earning it a Resilience-based Earthquake Design Initiative (REDi™) Gold rating.
Occupant Evacuation Operation (OEO) elevators were used in place of stair towers, maximizing availability of office and residential leasing space.
Completed in May of 2018, 181 Fremont includes 435,000 square feet of Class A office space and 17 floors of luxury condominiums—including a $42 million penthouse. The building’s office space has been fully leased by Facebook. In addition, homeowners have purchased almost all of the dozen residential units, which offer bridge-to-bridge views of San Francisco and the Bay.
To learn more or request a sample of Solarban®70 Glass, visit vitroglazings.com.
Related Stories
| May 17, 2013
5 things AEC pros need to know about low-e glass
Low-emissivity glasses are critical to making today’s buildings brighter, more energy-efficient, and more sustainable. Here are five tips to help AEC professionals understand the differences among low-e glasses and their impact on building performance.
| May 8, 2013
Preventable curtain wall failures - AIA/CES course
In many cases, curtain wall failures are caused by fairly simple errors that occur during the fabrication and installation process. This presentation will highlight common errors and when they typically occur.
| May 8, 2013
Guardian’s Scott Thomsen headlines Glass Performance Days Finland Conference, June 11-15
Scott Thomsen, president of Guardian Industries Global Flat Glass Group, will engage the global glass technorati in an opening speech at Glass Performance Days Finland June 11-15 in Tampere. In addition, Guardian technologists and scientists will present a wide variety of technical papers and glass industry innovations.
| May 6, 2013
SAFTI FIRST announces 3D Autodesk Revit models for fire rated wall, window, and door systems
SAFTI FIRST, leading USA-manufacturer of fire rated glass and faming systems, is proud to announce that Autodesk Revit models are now available for its fire rated walls, window and door systems via www.safti.com and Autodesk Seek.
| Apr 30, 2013
Tips for designing with fire rated glass - AIA/CES course
Kate Steel of Steel Consulting Services offers tips and advice for choosing the correct code-compliant glazing product for every fire-rated application. This BD+C University class is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Apr 10, 2013
23 things you need to know about charter schools
Charter schools are growing like Topsy. But don’t jump on board unless you know what you’re getting into.
| Apr 8, 2013
Oldcastle Architectural acquires Expocrete Concrete Products
Oldcastle® Architectural has acquired Expocrete Concrete Products Ltd., giving North America’s largest producer of concrete masonry and hardscape products an increased presence in the high-growth region of western Canada.
| Mar 27, 2013
Small but mighty: Berkeley public library’s net-zero gem
The Building Team for Berkeley, Calif.’s new 9,500-sf West Branch library aims to achieve net-zero—and possibly net-positive—energy performance with the help of clever passive design techniques.
| Mar 23, 2013
Fire resistive curtain wall helps mixed-use residential building meet property line requirements
The majority of fire rated glazing applications occur inside the building in order to allow occupants to exit the building safely or provide an area of refuge during a fire. But what happens when the threat of fire comes from the outside? This was the case for The Kensington, a mixed-use residential building in Boston.
| Mar 20, 2013
Folding glass walls revitalize student center
Single-glazed storefronts in the student center at California’s West Valley College were replaced with aluminum-framed, thermally broken windows from NanaWall in a bronze finish that emulates the look of the original building.