Performance and aesthetics don’t necessarily need to be mutually exclusive. That’s especially true for new developments in 21st-century glass, as Guardian Industries Corp. demonstrated at last month’s AIA (American Institute of Architects) convention in Philadelphia.
“Energy performance requirements in building design often force architects and designers to measure glass performance against its aesthetics,” says Chris Dolan, Director of Marketing, Guardian Glass, North America.
Not this year. At the AIA expo, architects and designers were be able to examine and evaluate three new products that deliver both the desired appearance and the desired energy performance.
Low-iron Guardian UltraClear™ glass elevates light transmission, presenting views that are nearly true to life, without the green tint of standard glass. “Architects and designers choose UltraClear glass to bring natural light deep into interiors,” says Sarah Wansack, Interiors Segment Product Manager, Guardian Glass, North America.
Guardian UltraClear™
UltraClear’s interior applications include frameless shower enclosures, among many others. “Guardian UltraClear glass allows natural light to pass through with remarkable clarity and brilliance that’s perfect for shower applications,” says Jared Ross, president of Cardinal Shower Enclosures. “Frameless shower enclosures are in high demand, and customers want the true color transmission without the green tint from standard glass. Guardian UltraClear glass offers color neutrality all the way through to the edge.”
Other applications include walls and partitions, entranceways, display cases, tables and railings — all delivering pure, bright and boundless clarity. “The versatility of UltraClear glass means the product can be used with many low-E SunGuard® coatings to combine vivid clarity with the high performance that SunGuard coatings bring,” Wansack added.
Guardian CrystalBlue™ glass offers high visible light transmission with a light blue color, adding flexibility in achieving performance and aesthetic requirements for commercial exteriors.
Guardian CrystalBlue™
“Architects and designers can combine Guardian CrystalBlue glass with many SunGuard® low-E products, resulting in a range of energy performances along with high visible light transmission via an in-demand, blue color,” says Brian Schulz, Commercial Product Manager, Guardian Glass North America.
Guardian’s newest substrate for commercial applications, CrystalBlue glass is available coated and uncoated at 6mm thickness in a variety of sizes.
SatinDeco®on ExtraClear®glass brings brighter translucence to acid-etched glass and offers higher light transmission, more uniform light diffusion and superior color neutrality in interior applications. It can also be fabricated for commercial exteriors.
Environments created with SatinDeco®on ExtraClear®glass are striking and distinctive because of the proprietary, acid-etching manufacturing process. Acid is applied to the glass surface, actually dissolving part of it. The result is a smooth, flat, satin-like decorative surface that diffuses light to transform transparent float glass into glass that seems to glow from within. The extra-smooth finish is extremely resistant to stains and fingerprints and therefore easy to clean.
Guardian SatinDeco® on ExtraClear®
“As a leading glass manufacturer, Guardian strives to deliver value to our customers, and we do that by constantly innovating to make this choice easier,” Dolan says. “Our products deliver both the desired appearance and the desired energy performance.”
Guardian explained how these and other advanced glass products fit into the big picture via its AIA convention CEU, “Evolution of Glass and High Performance Coatings,” led by Eddy Scott, MidAtlantic Architectural Design manager for Guardian.
About Guardian Industries Corp.: Guardian is a diversified global manufacturing company headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with leading positions in float glass and fabricated glass products for commercial, residential and transportation applications; automotive trim; and the distribution of building products. Through its research and development centers (Science & Technology Center for glass and Advanced Development Center for automotive), Guardian is at the forefront of innovation. Its automotive trim group, SRG Global, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of advanced, high-value coatings on plastics. Guardian, its subsidiaries and affiliates employ 17,000 people and operate facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Visit guardian.com.