With a sleek, upscale aesthetic and strong corner presence in one of Bellevue, Washington’s, premier, mixed-use districts, LMN Architect’s 929 Office Tower is attracting big name tenants like the cloud-computing giant Salesforce. Many of these occupants will walk past its stylish glass-clad exterior on their way to work every day without realizing it provides critical protection against the spread of fire between adjacent structures. In large part, this is due to the Fireframes SG Curtainwall® Series, an innovative, exterior fire-rated separation solution from Technical Glass Products (TGP).
Installed on the southeastern ground floor corner and side of the building, the Fireframes SG Curtainwall Series serves as a one-hour barrier to the spread of flames, smoke and heat. It helps prevent a fire from traveling to or from neighboring buildings—a critical safeguard for an office tower positioned along one of Bellevue’s 600 foot by 600 foot downtown “superblocks.” Even more importantly, it brings fire and life safety protection in line with the building’s aesthetic design intent.
Unlike other fire-rated curtain wall systems, the Fireframes SG Curtainwall Series is able to achieve the clean sightlines and seamless aesthetic of silicone glazed (SG) curtain wall systems. It consists of Pilkington Pyrostop® fire-resistive-rated glass attached to narrow, steel, fire-rated frames with a toggle retention system. The assembly is silicone sealed and requires no pressure plates or caps. Once installed, the toggle retention system becomes completely hidden, allowing for a smooth, frame-free exterior surface. This was a critical design benefit for LMN Architects, as only select portions of the 929 Office Tower ground-floor exterior were required to provide fire protection by code. The monolithic aesthetic of the Fireframes SG Curtainwall Series helped ensure smooth visual transitions at these junctions.
Clean sightlines with high strength, narrow steel
As an added benefit, the Fireframes SG Curtainwall Series made it possible for the project team to provide lot line protection without sacrificing light transfer. The large, fire-rated glass walls extend the surface area through which light can transfer to help illuminate the office tower’s linear core and retail area. The curtain wall system also uses a variety of strategically insulated fire-rated glazing products, including low-emissivity and spandrel fire-rated glazing, to respond to the angle of the daylight and support balanced light transfer. The 929 Office Tower is designed to LEED Gold standards, and uses a number of complementary controls, including smart technologies and phone apps to help further control energy use.
The patented Fireframes SG Curtainwall Series is fabricated in the United States, and is available with up to 120-minute fire ratings for unrestricted glazing in locations where the total glazing area exceeds 25 percent of the wall. It is air- and water-pressure tested for exterior use, and is classified and labeled with Underwriters Laboratories (UL). TGP designed the system to accommodate its Fireframes® Designer Series and Fireframes Heat Barrier Series door systems to provide architects with a complete curtain wall and entrance solution.
For more information on the Fireframes SG Curtainwall Series and Pilkington Pyrostop, along with TGP’s other fire-rated and specialty architectural glass and framing, visit fireglass.com.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Project: 929 Office Tower
Location: Bellevue, WA
Architect: LMN Architects
Glazing Contractor: Crown Corr, Inc.
Product: Fireframes SG Curtainwall® Series frames with Pilkington Pyrostop® fire-resistive-rated glass
Technical Glass Products
800.426.0279
800.451.9857 – fax
sales@fireglass.com
www.fireglass.com
Related Stories
Sponsored | Metals | Sep 22, 2015
ALPOLIC® Makes the Impossible Possible: Ryerson University Student Learning Centre
It’s said that Ryerson University can be found at the intersection of Mind and Action. Ryerson’s new Student Learning Centre can certainly be found there, although the actual street address is the intersection of Yonge and Gould, in the busy heart of Toronto, one of the world’s most vibrant and diverse cities.
Sponsored | Fire-Rated Products | Aug 24, 2015
Of Sky Garages and Dezervators: Porsche Design Tower sets a new standard of cool with the help of fire rated glass
The 60-story, 132-residence luxury Porsche Design Tower designed by Sieger Suarez Architects promises to deliver a new standard of cool.
Codes and Standards | Jul 31, 2015
2015 gypsum fire resistance design manual released
The 2015 edition contains nearly 100 new systems that supplement existing assemblies for walls and partitions, floor-ceiling systems, area separation walls, and many others.
Sponsored | Fire-Rated Products | Jun 2, 2015
Is fire rated glass expensive?
Where product selection has the most impact on cost is also the area where the majority of fire rated glass is being used, which are 20 minute doors and 45 minute sidelites, transoms, and openings.
Sponsored | | May 11, 2015
Fire-rated glass separation helps merge new and old pools into a single connected aquatics center
Clear fire-rated glazing helps create a light-filled, safe space for student athletes and spectators in Niles, Illinois.
Sponsored | Fire-Rated Products | Apr 14, 2015
Fire resistive curtain wall brings maximum light, views and safety to Aspen Art Museum
The curtain wall used for the Shigeru Ban-designed museum provides maximum daylight while protecting the art from fire
Sponsored | Fire and Life Safety | Apr 1, 2015
Radiant Heat: The Invisible Killer
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Where there’s fire, there’s the deadly threat of radiant heat.
Sponsored | | Mar 3, 2015
New York’s Fulton Center relies on TGP for light-flooded, underground transit hub
Fire-rated curtain wall systems filled this subterranean hub with natural light.
Sponsored | Fire-Rated Products | Feb 12, 2015
State of the fire rated glazing industry
Many years have passed since my days as the “Wired Warrior,” writes SAFTI FIRST's Bill O'Keeffe. Every year at this time I reflect on just how far the fire-rated glazing industry has come.
Fire-Rated Products | Feb 3, 2015
AIA course: Fire and life safety in large buildings
Earn 1.0 AIA/CES learning units by studying this article and successfully completing the online exam.
