PPG Industries has announced that the upcoming Centre for Sustainable Landscapes at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens located in Pitsburgh will feature the SOLARBAN 60, STARPHIRE and SUNGATE 500 glass brands from PPG Glass.
The Center for Sustainable Landscapes at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, which is anticipated to be one of the world's first certified "living" buildings, is being constructed with SUNGATE(R) 500 STARPHIRE(R) glass and SOLARBAN(R) 60 STARPHIRE glass by PPG Industries. For more information on SUNGATE 500, SOLARBAN 60 and STARPHIRE glasses by PPG, visit: https://www.ppg.com/ or call 1-888-IDEA (774-4332). (Photography courtesy of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens)
The Centre is being designed with the strict requirements of the Living Building Challenge in mind. The certification program is conducted to recognize designers, architects and building owners to attain high sustainable design standards. According to the Executive Director of Phipps, Richard Piancentini the selection of the right kind of glass was critical to achieve these standards, which would maximize energy efficiency and enhance comfort.
He also added that the project required a low emission glass, which had high performance in terms of solar and thermal control efficiency and at the same time had the capacity to allow natural daylight. According to Chris Minnerly, AIA LEED AP, principal of The Design Alliance Architects, the ideal glass will be achieved with the right balance between solar heat and the amount of visible light transmitted. For this purpose the chosen glass should have the most optimal UV transmission under particular light spectrums. While SUNGATE 500 Starphire glass will be installed on top of the light shelves and sunshade, SOLARBAN 60 Starphire glass will be installed below the sunshade. When Starphire glass is combined with two triple-pane insulating glass units as specified, SUNGATE 60 has a light-to-solar gain ratio of 1.24 and SOLARBAN 60 Starphire has a light-to-solar gain ratio of 1.90. Cascadia Region Green Building Council developed the Living Building Challenge in 2005 under which the building is required to generate its own energy, which will in turn lead to maximum energy and resource efficiency.
Source: http://www.ppg.com