Category: Uncategorized

Henrietta Library

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Matt Faircloth - Uncategorized

Henrietta Public Library is a two story, 36,000 square foot library that was constructed in 2019, located in Henrietta, New York near the City of Rochester. This library is replacing an older one which wasn’t feasible for renovation. The public library is a space that has an important place in every community. In fact, Henrietta saw this as so important that this library in particular had public hearings that were intended to allow the public to help shape this library that will be used by them for many years to come.

According to Project Architects Peter Wehner and Emily Connors of Passero Associates, “The Town of Henrietta is home to the Rochester Institute of Technology. In 2018, while the library was under construction, the Town celebrated its 200th anniversary and Rochester Institute of Technology celebrated its 50th anniversary at its location in Henrietta. To commemorate both events, students from Rochester Institute of Technology’s industrial design program participated in a competition to design a play element for the children’s library. The winning design was a “treehouse” using wood from an oak tree that had fallen on RIT’s campus the previous year. The Town worked with Rochester Institute of Technology to execute the winning design and place it in the children’s library.” explains Connors.

But in addition to public engagement, the Passero Associates team recognized that one of the most important factors in the design of a library is its lighting. You wouldn’t want to read in a library that has poor lighting, as it wouldn’t be comfortable. Natural light is recognized as the best quality light available and is ideal for libraries. The design team understood this, and as part of their design process they sought a way to bring natural daylight into the library while also making a connection to the outside world.

The key element of their daylighting strategy was the use of skylighting, but skylighting with clear glass results in bright glare patches deep inside a space which is a worst-case scenario. They solved this by using Solera glass which is a highly effective engineered light diffuser. “We are strong believers in providing natural daylight to spaces but also in making buildings energy efficient.” said Connors. “Traditionally natural light is only available on the exterior walls of the building, and in such a large facility as a library, that can leave the center of the building feeling isolated from the outside world. The Solera skylights allowed us to bring daylight into the center of the space, even down to the first floor through a large two-story atrium, while still providing an insulating R-value comparable to a wall assembly.”

Having Solera in the skylight allowed for daylight to reach every space inside Henrietta Library. Being able to read a book, or work on a computer in this library will feel more comfortable than the average library because everything will be more color correct and glare will never be an issue due to Solera. “Glare is a key consideration in libraries where your eyes are often doing focused work on a book or computer screen. With the Solera panels, the sunlight is diffused through the space creating a softer and more even distribution of light.” Says Connors.

The design team was very pleased with the results, but the best endorsement is from the building’s users. Once the new public library opened, library staff told Passero Associates that the first month’s circulation was up 20% over the same time the previous year. That was confirmation that Passero Associates’ work to create a library filled with daylight had reignited a passion for reading and learning for the local community.

Advanced Glazings Ltd. is proud to have been able to work alongside Passero Associates by providing natural lighting design assistance and Solera glass to help in the creation of this beautiful public library that the citizens of the Town of Henrietta will be able to enjoy for many years to come.

Awards

2020 ACEC NY Gold Award for Engineering Excellence

2020 NAIOP Best Educational / Institutional Project

2020 APWA Genesee Valley Project of the Year

News

https://www.passero.com/news/the-new-henrietta-public-library-wins-gold-acec-new-york-2020-engineering-excellence-awards

Car Dealership Architecture

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Matt Faircloth - Uncategorized

Car dealerships exist to sell cars, and the design of the building can have a dramatic impact on the dealership’s success. Adding comfortable natural daylighted to an indoor environment has been known to increase sales and can add a ‘wow factor’ if done right. So why wouldn’t you consider incorporating natural daylight into your car dealership design?

In this competitive environment, it isn’t enough for a dealer to just have the best product. Customers need to be given a ‘buying experience’ that sets the stage for them to feel comfortable, see the product in the best light and in the end, buy the vehicle. Natural daylight is one element that can help contribute to creating the optimal buying experience for customers and, also offer employees a better work environment.

But creating an optimal interior environment is not as simple as adding more vision glass, as it inherently results in glare, contrast, and overheating. Squinting customers can’t experience vehicles fully in this environment. Fortunately, an optimal naturally daylit space can be created with a combination of vision glass for view and connection to the outside, paired with engineered light diffusing glass to provide comfortable broad angle glare free illumination. The diffuse light backlights shadows and illuminates the interior more uniformly. This creates a delightful indoor environment where human perception works better, and colors are rendered perfectly. This is the ideal retail environment.

Here are three reasons why natural daylight should be on your radar to sell more cars and increase employee performance.

1. Providing access to uplifting natural daylight can help increase the amount of money customers spend at your dealership

A 2016 study by Beepi Consumer Automotive Index shows that 87% of customers dislike something about shopping at a traditional car dealership.[ii] Building owners have the ability to change the shopping experience for their customers. Small and personable changes can make people feel more at ease for purchasing an investment and make an important decision that many find daunting.

Natural daylight has been attributed to an increase in retail sales by up to 40% and in the automobile dealership – daylighting matters to your customers.[iii]

Did you know the type of lighting you have in your store can change the color of the vehicles that you have on display? “The right color on a car can resonate with consumers”, explained Kenneth Lin, Director of Product Management for Subaru of America.[iv] The color of a vehicle plays a massive role in the purchase making decision. A customer may have their heart set on a certain color or shade that they admire whether it’s for the aesthetics of their new vehicle, cleanliness, insurance or personal reasons. Some car makers are performing product testing on the color of a vehicle itself, including Subaru, “When a new color is launched, it is again reviewed outside in daylight to confirm that there is color harmony between the body color and all the add-on parts (i.e. fascia, door handles, mirrors, etc.), which are usually sprayed at different assembly plants” says Kenneth Lin, Director of Product Management for Subaru of America.[v] Cars are made for being outside, so it only makes sense that customers get to see their car in outdoor settings and under the natural light of the sun.

Even more, the Eneref Institute reports “that adding daylight to a retail space makes the environment more conducive to purchasing decisions.” Creating a comfortable space for customers to first meet and communication their needs for a vehicle is a good start to helping people feel comfortable at your dealership. An easy way to do this is by incorporating natural daylight by adding a skylight or other opening to let daylight into your dealership.

2. Natural daylight increases productivity

It is no secret that natural daylight impacts people’s well-being. Humans love to be in the sunshine – it’s part of the reason Northerners flock to the tropics every winter. Creating a comfortable space for worker productivity should always include managed natural daylight.

Humans feel better after being exposed to sunlight whether it’s on a mountain hike or lounging in our own backyards. At work – why not take the next step and add natural daylight for your workers to help them feel their best while they’re inside.

Increased productivity has been linked to natural daylight time and time again. Occupational Health & Safety, the Eneref Institute, Forbes and Harvard Business Review all report the same message – natural daylight plays an essential role for increasing your company’s productivity levels.[i] By adding daylighting in your space, especially active spaces, sunshine can increase your employee’s productivity meaning more sales for your business.

3. Glare control is a common issue that disrupts work and creates a difficult setting when reading, writing, or working at a computer

Uncontrolled natural daylight can result in glare and hot spots creating a painful workspace for employees and customers. Blinds are often used to solve the problem, however, there’s an alarming report of 65% of buildings with blinds are permanently occluded, eliminating daylight from your space.

By adding equally diffused natural daylight in service areas that are face-paced workstations and have high customer traffic is an excellent tactic to combat glare. Everyone dislikes getting a harsh beam of sunlight in their eyes when working – it causes disruptions, headaches and creates an uncomfortable workspace which ultimately impacts your dealerships sales.

Choosing a daylighting solution that eliminates glare, keeps the natural daylight deep inside of your space and provides a glimpse of exterior views seems like an impossible task – but it doesn’t have to be. Solera and SoleraWall are both translucent glazing options that can help you provide all the above and so much more to automobile dealership.

We’re here to help you envision daylighting from the very start by offering complimentary daylight modeling so you can envision what Solera or SoleraWall would look like in your dealership so you can see the difference daylighting makes.

Click here to contact us to request your complimentary daylight model today: https://www.advancedglazings.com/contact

References:

>[i] https://hbr.org/2018/09/the-1-office-perk-natural-light, https://ohsonline.com/articles/2019/11/27/five-ways-that-natural-light-improves-productivity-in-the-workplace.aspx https://www.forbes.com/sites/alankohll/2019/08/13/new-study-air-quality-and-natural-light-have-the-biggest-impact-on-employee-well-being/>

[ii] https://www.walkerglass.com/acid-etched-glass-at-volvo/

[iii] https://eneref.org/daylight-in-big-box-retail-stores/

[iv] http://eneref.org/reports/eneref_daylight_retail_subaru.pdf

[v] http://eneref.org/reports/eneref_daylight_retail_subaru.pdf

Daylight Modelling

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Matt Faircloth - Uncategorized

Daylight modelling is a tool architects use to assist them in the effective use natural daylight, to create comfortable interiors spaces for occupants as well as reduce requirements for electric lighting, heating, and cooling demands.

Daylight modelling done early in a building design can help architects identify potential problems within interior spaces such as excessive glare and contrast. It is also gives architects and designers the ability to virtually model different design options to identify the right combinations that will comply with specific codes such as ASHRAE 90.1 and IECC and achieve credit points for sustainability programs.

Daylight modelling focuses on the daylighting inside an interior space. Daylighting is the practice of using controlled natural light to illuminate a space. It is part science and part art. If done correctly. The end result is a space that minimizes the use of artificial lighting, reduces carbon emission and positively affects the performance, mood and well-being of the occupants.

Advanced Glazings Ltd. conducts daylight modelling simulations using Lawrence Berkely National Laboratory’s Radiance. Radiance is a highly accurate ray-tracing software which is used by architects and engineers to predict illumination and evaluate designs and daylighting technologies. Radiance daylighting simulations will demonstrate how specific products such as vision glass or translucent will perform in space, identifying any glare or contrast issues that would arise with a specific product or glass configuration.

The models below clearly illustrate that vision glass without the use of bolt on solutions such as blinds would make the space uncomfortable. However, when vison glass is paired with Solera engineered light diffusers, and located in strategic positions in the structure, the result is a space that is full of diffuse natural daylight, thereby reducing contract (glare) and increasing the overall ambient light level as compared to the use of vision glass alone

To simplify this, take a look at the model below of Loretto College in Toronto, Ontario. This is a false color representation of the light levels in the space, generated by the software. You can see here that vision glass is used as the primary source of daylighting on the windows above and below. It is easy to see the glare issues that will arise from the extreme contrast ratio. There would need to be curtains and/or blinds on the vision glass to make this space fully functional.

The second model, pictured below is also Loretto College but in this model, Solera is used on the top area instead of vision glass. You can see that the glare is gone, and the contrast ratio is significantly reduced. This allows for this space to be functional without curtains and/or blinds. Also notice that the wall on the opposing side of the Solera has a lot of light on it, this shows just how powerful Solera is at dispersing daylight throughout the interior space.

The last photo beneath this is the as built of Loretto College.

Daylight modelling can also identify obstructions such as surrounding buildings, or any other unique obstruction that you might want to consider that could have an impact on your design. Furniture, cars, and people can all be added to a model to make simulations as realistic as possible. Helping architects to refine designs and present clients with a visual of what their building and interior spaces will look like.

“Advanced Glazings Ltd is helping BNIM to review several projects, including a community gymnasium we are developing with a local school. The comparative daylight analysis Advanced Glazings provided anticipated our first technical questions and suggestions for next steps and were extremely helpful in providing clear illustrations and data that we can immediately turn-around and share with the client and contractor. This detailed information will be invaluable in supporting our design and construction decisions as the project moves forward.” – Jeremy Knoll, Associate Principal, Directory of Sustainability, BNIM.

If you have a design, you would like modelled, reach out to us and let us know. This service is completely complimentary. Helping create the best naturally daylit spaces is what we do. Click here to contact us.

Morgan State

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Matt Faircloth - Uncategorized

Natural daylight is a critical component to any building – especially a building set on one of the oldest university campuses in Baltimore, MD. Calvin and Tina Tyler Hall at Morgan State University is a multi-award-winning building that has been serving both students and staff since its opening in 2020. As one of the largest post-secondary education providers in Maryland, the university campus had a need for an updated student services center. The university was clear in their intent to create an inviting and engaging space that that would contribute to the overall wellbeing of their students, faculty and staff. The owner, Morgan State University had a progressive people-oriented worldview, and Teeple Architects in association with GWWO Architects were there with a creative vision that would make it all come together.

“In this space a lot of the departments work together and to facilitate this, many of the offices were located on the bottom two floors. This building has big floor plates, and it was important to provide access to natural daylight to improve workplace wellness” says Stephen Teeple, Founding Principal of Teeple Architects. Teeple Architects designed the space with a clerestory skylight topping a five-storey atrium, to capture daylight and distribute it throughout the building.

When sourcing a daylighting option, Teeple Architects knew the Tyler Hall needed a solution that could diffuse daylight uniformly and drive it down deep into the atrium. Both Teeple Architects and partner firm GWWO Architects had successfully used Solera on previous projects, and they knew the clerestory skylight design was an ideal application for Solera engineered daylight.

The 141,000 square foot, five-storey hall uses a unique curvature in its shape to accentuate the distinct features of this space including the ‘wings’ of the building that serve the university’s administrative needs. In this application, “Solera was the right product because of the owner’s energy and daylighting goals which included LEED Gold” says Teeple. The curvature and light colors in the space helps to deepen and reflect the impact of natural daylight captured by Solera.

The building includes offices for university administration, financial services, human resources and registration, and the central atrium and lounge. “The five storyfive-storey atrium with beautiful natural daylight all the way to the ground floor forms an inviting social space” explains Teeple.

The Calvin and Tina Tyler Hall has been widely recognized for its award-winning design on a local and national level. “It has everything students need to start their schooling and plays a huge role in deepening their engagement into their education” says Teeple.

The LEED Gold Certified Calvin & Tina Tyler Hall cost $69 million to build, according to the school, and is named after alumnus Calvin Tyler and his wife Tina, who gifted the school with $20 million this February—the largest single sum ever donated to an historically black college or university.

Advanced Glazings is proud to have been included in helping Teeple Architects and GWWO Architects teams in creating another beautiful award- winning project. Congratulations to all partners involved! Watch this video on Calvin and Tina Tyler Hall by AIA Maryland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJQUVfJFW2E

Watch the topping out ceremony of Calvin and Tina Tyler Hall here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp4e5mSQGNw

Awards

2021 AIA Baltimore Grand Design Award
2021 AIA Baltimore Design Award
2021 AIA Maryland Excellence in Design Public Building of the Year
2021 AIA Maryland Excellence in Design Honor Award
2021 SCUP/AIA-CAE Excellence Awards – Excellence in Architecture – New Building – Honor Award
2021 USGBC Maryland – Community Leader Project Award – Finalist
2021 Architizer A+Awards – Institutional – Higher Education & Research Facilities – Popular Choice Winner
2021 The Plan Awards – Education Shortlist – Finalist
2021 ASLA Maryland Honor Award (awarded to Floura Teeter)3

News

November 1, 2021– Architectural Record

^[1] https://www.archpaper.com/2021/11/morgan-state-university-gwwo-teeple-team-for-new-calvin-tina-tyler-hall/

Cambridge Seven Kuwait University

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Matt Faircloth - Uncategorized

Skylights are one of the best tools an architect can use to bring daylight deep into spaces. However, if the natural daylight is not controlled, glare and overheating can make the space uninhabitable. The use of engineered light diffusers can solve these problems, creating beautiful, comfortable naturally daylit spaces that people want to be in.

One of our largest skylight installations to date is Kuwait University’s College of Business Administration – a 40,000 sq. ft. skylight designed for extreme desert climates. To get a sense of the sheer size of the skylight, imagine New York’s Empire State Building laying on its side. Designed by CambridgeSeven, the design called for color-correct natural light to diffuse deep into the space, imparting the feeling of an expansive outdoor garden. “The CBA atrium features an enormous sawtooth skylight inspired by Greek agora — an ancient public space — but designed for air control in hot climates like Kuwait,” – Marc Rogers, CambridgeSeven Principal The skylit central atrium is the heart of the building where informal interactions between faculty and students and community fosters the exchange of ideas.

CambridgeSeven chose Solera® glass units at R18 / 0.31 W/m²·K** for the entire atrium skylight at design conception to ensure the daylighting component of this design supported the project’s sustainability goal. To achieve this, a daylight model comparison was created by the Advanced Glazings, Ltd research and development team to show how Solera®-engineered daylight diffusers would look in the space. It demonstrated that using Solera as a separate component on the south allowed the building owner to satisfy sustainability goals, as well as create a visually and thermally comfortable space for students. The resulting sawtooth skylight, with a north to south orientation, was overglazed for daylighting and cooling balance using 1,126 Solera® R18 units, creating an aesthetic of crisp lines and variegated façade.

The result is an amazing occupant experience with beautiful, diffused natural daylight for the more than 4,000 students and 820 faculty members on site. The Kuwait College of Business Administration Women and Men campuses comprise a total area of 850,000 sq. ft. and obtained a LEED Silver certification.

Meeting thermal requirements doesn’t have to mean using less glass.

Curious to learn more about how Solera skylights can help you add natural daylight and help you create a space that people want to be in? We’re here to help with from the very start. Contact a member of our team today for a complimentary daylight model to get your project started: Contact us!

Baldwin and Franklin Toronto Raptors

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Matt Faircloth - Uncategorized

Skylights are a powerful tool to bring daylight deep into spaces where sidelight can’t go. But daylight through clear skylights can create intense glare. This is easily fixed by using Solera engineered light diffusers. This is an easy way for designers to create truly great spaces. Here we look at the Toronto Raptors’ practice space, by Baldwin and Franklin Architects.

***OVO Athletic Centre – Mississauga, Ontario***

Sports facilities rely on natural daylight for athletes to create the best conditions to practice and play in – and the NBA team, the Toronto Raptors, are no exception. The OVO Athletic Centre is a top-tier training facility made practicing sports and the building owner wanted natural daylight to occupy many areas of this building – especially in the locker room. The locker room space is lifted by natural daylight to help team players feel their best both before and after practice. The massive spherical skylights (and the two basketball courts) have Solera engineered daylight diffusers to capture and control daylight deep into the space for a beautiful and diffused space.

Deigned by Baldwin & Franklin Architects Inc., “the goal with this new training centre was to deliver one of the top facilities of its kind in sports.” – Bob Hunter, Chief Project Development Officer for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. By using innovative design encompassing natural daylight, the OVO Athletic Centre developed “a winning culture is built around complex social, physiological and financial modeling – around data management, biometrics, nutrition, conditioning, performance analytics, talent evaluation.” says Baldwin & Franklin Architects Inc.

“Collaborating with Guernsey, a US based firm, we worked closely with team management to refine needs, meet budgets, and consolidate resources – to create a state-of-the-art Canadian facility that would foster success. The project was completed in time for the Raptor’s spectacular playoff run in 2016.” says Baldwin & Franklin Architects Inc.

Take a look at the space by clicking on the video below:

Bringing Daylight Deep Inside Spaces

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Matt Faircloth - Uncategorized

Bringing Daylight Deep Inside Spaces:

A three-part blog on great skylights

Part 1 – HLB Lighting Design enhances viewing of Art at Museo de Ponce with Skylighting

Natural daylight is proven to increase overall wellness in human beings and adding it to a space can be an instant mood booster. By adding daylight inside, architects and designers are creating healthy buildings people will love to be in. Skylights come in all shapes and sizes to add natural daylight in any space. Whether you’re designing a school, gymnasium, art museum or aquatics center – natural daylight is always the perfect addition to a space.

Skylights are a great way to add natural light, and can bring illumination deep into spaces where sidelight struggles to go. But beware – if done improperly, skylights can make lighting patterns worse and create serious glare issues. This happens when clear glazings are used. Direct beam sunlight creates bright patches, up to 10’s of thousands of lux, in an interior that is nominally a 500 lux environment. Occupants will struggle in this level of glare and contrast.

This is easily rectified by use of engineered light diffusing glazings such as Solera in skylights. The impact is dramatic, creating a bright positive functional environment that occupants love to be in. Where applicable, light diffusing skylights are a hugely practical way to make a massive impact on your space.

Curious to learn more about how Solera skylights can help you create spaces that people want to be in? We’re here to help you. Contact a member of our team today for a complimentary daylight model to get your project started: https://www.advancedglazings.com/contact

Crandall

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Matt Faircloth - Uncategorized

Architects 4 based in Moncton, New Brunswick, has been designing daylighted projects for over forty-five years across Atlantic Canada. For them, creating comfortable spaces that capture and control natural light is a core element of their architectural designs.

How does Architects 4 capture natural daylight in primary schools to office buildings without harmful glare, solar heat gain, or visual contrast issues that can be associated with uncontrolled daylight?

Educational spaces in schools including classrooms, libraries and gymnasiums require natural light for younger students to learn and grow in a comfortable environment. In 2009, Ecole St. Therese was the first LEED-certified school the provincial government of New Brunswick built with the requirement of natural daylight for regular occupied spaces including the gymnasium in this space. When sourcing a daylight solution, they knew by capturing daylight it would benefit students more than avoiding it by using blinds or other bolt-on solutions. “Using Solera was important to ensure direct sunlight didn’t blind players in this space. Solera controlled the natural daylight and created a diffused environments for students in the gymnasium” says architect, Alain Malenfant.

Architects 4 were impressed by the light diffusion abilities of Solera, they placed the engineered daylight diffusers in other primary schools, Ecole le Galion des Appalaches and Ecole Arc-en-ciel. The idea was the same but in a cafeteria environment for students to have a comfortable space to eat by bringing in an equal and deep distribution of light, removing dark spots and visual contrast issues.

The success of these two primary schools, lead to the design team to include Solera in Crandall University and in a unique application of both translucent glazings and vision glass. This space was designed with student wellness in mind to create a calm ambiance for students to study and connect. This space was different from the other applications of Solera, as this space has a large exterior wall where there was concern of strong sunlight beaming in during the summer months which could create a problem for students and staff. “Using Solera in the top lights helped to distribute the harsh light during these months to create a comfortable space for students to be in year-round. Solera equally distributed the daylight deep into the space” says Malenfant.

The benefits of controlled daylight are not limited to educational facilities. In a different application, Architects 4 knew natural daylight would be a welcomed workplace benefit in the Gemtec Engineering building located in Moncton, New Brunswick. This office building has clusters of office in the center of the building with cubicles in the surrounding areas. Finding a way to bring daylight into these spaces without glare or hotspots, and providing a comfortable a comfortable place to work was important. “There were concerns with glare on computer screens and Solera was a solution for daylight and eliminating glare from this space” says Malenfant.

Why is using Solera engineered daylight diffusers important to Architects 4?

“We used Advanced Glazings Ltd.’s daylight modeling services for St. Therese school, our first project with this product, and it was a great help. The models played a major factor for the correct veil combination and optimal visible light transmittance, which is something you can’t guess at. By using these services, we were able to predict how Solera redirects sunlight to maximize its distribution in our designs, which is our main objective” says Malenfant. Advanced Glazings Ltd. offers complimentary daylight modeling to help architects and building owners envision daylight from the very start of their design.

“We want to keep using Solera in positive situations to remove glare and control daylight entering the space. This product is ideal for direct sunlight, especially in high windows and where a view isn’t needed. Solera and vision glass easily work together to provide building occupants with the best of both daylight and views” says Malenfant.

Click here to read more about our Solera Engineered Daylight Diffusers

Port Hawkesbury Anniversary

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Matt Faircloth - Uncategorized

Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre opened its doors 17 years ago in 2004. The Town of Port Hawkesbury was looking for a unique facility that could host not only the local community, but also offer diverse spaces that could welcome and host local, national, and international events. They envisioned a facility that pioneered green building concepts and technology. This included stepping outside the box by including an ice rink that can operate solely on natural daylight. Their pioneering did not go unnoticed – the high-quality facility with natural daylight and other green concepts was recognized by the major publication Business Week and included in their series ‘Top Ten World-Class Sports Stadiums‘.

watch a video on the civic centre

When designing this facility, Robert Ojolick, FRAIC, recalled the design process being a very creative one. This building would be replacing an older one that was outdated and no longer met the needs and goals of the community. “The town council wanted to create a building for Port Hawesbury that was more than just rooms and spaces to use. They needed versatile spaces, located in one building where the members of the community could gather. A town hall with cultural facilities including an art gallery, performance theatre, recreation and conferences spaces were only some of the purposes of this new building” says Ojolick.

“We kept in mind that this building was going to be adjacent to a popular school, which had its own distinct facilities, including a library, public pool and theater spaces. We wanted to combine the two spaces, creating a large community venue for community members and visitors. The school and civic centre became connected for both students and the community” says Ojolick.

***Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre 17 year difference.***

Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre hockey arena features natural daylight – something rarely done for this type of space. The town council asked the question ‘could we get natural daylight in the building for the hockey arena?’ and Ojolick Architects delivered by using Solera, an engineered daylight diffuser manufactured in nearby Sydney, Nova Scotia. “This space is rented out for every type of event – not just hockey. The town wanted a daylighted space as an asset for the community to use and enjoy. The building owner was conscious of interior lighting in the arena space. The lights are turned off early in the morning and stay off until 3 or 4pm. This provides the centre and town with substantial savings to their power bill” says Ojolick. It also became the marquis feature in a facility with many green elements, because, in addition to saving energy, daylighting has such a positive impact on occupant experience and aesthetics.

People have been using this space for almost two decades. Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre has hosted world-famous events in the 2,500-seat hockey arena. Some notable events include Celtic Colours annual festival, the national Grand Slam of Curling, training camp for the NHL’s Florida Panthers, Under 17 World Hockey Championship, Montreal Canadiens alumni games and many more. When people enter the arena, they feel the difference natural daylight makes when playing games, gathering with friends and family, and celebrating and enjoying life together. Advanced Glazings Ltd. is proud to have been included in this innovative civic centre design and community space.

**Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre renderings with vision glass top and Solera engineered daylight diffusers bottom.**

Felician University

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Matt Faircloth - Uncategorized

How daylight modeling helped Studio Hillier win the competition for the Felician University’s Rutherford Campus Gymnasium Renovation/Addition.

Felician University is situated just ten miles from New York City, in Bergen County, New Jersey. Its Lodi and Rutherford campuses with over 2000 students are located only three miles from each other. The Gymnasium, located on the Rutherford campus, is home to the University’s Golden Falcons sports teams and doubles for community events.

The University recognized the importance of the facility in terms of the student body and the community and was interested in giving the space a facelift and extensive addition. Original to the existing building were single pane clearstory windows, which provided little visibility, viable natural daylight, and were very energy inefficient. The goal was to find a product that could improve the ‘feel’ of the space, enhancing natural daylight by mitigating high contrast glare and help overall energy efficiency. The Solera product solved all these issues for the design team.

When Studio Hillier presented their design to Felician University, they also presented a series of daylight models to accentuate the differences in the light levels and light distribution between vision glass and Solera glass daylighting units. “The daylight modeling provided by Advanced Glazings Ltd. helped us show our client what the space looks like with the current vision glass and how the same space could be dramatically improved using engineered light diffused glazing instead. In addition, the daylight models helped our client to visualize the impact of natural daylight before construction began” says Felix Heidgen, Senior Project Manager at Studio Hillier.

To create a high-performance energy efficient building, the project employs insulated low-e vision glazing in the thermal envelope. Daylight glazing results in improved solar heat gain coefficients over that of regular insulated vision glazing units.

The University was aware that the existing clearstory windows were causing glare and high contrast issues due to the eastern and western exposures, resulting in visibility issues for players and spectators during games. Like most sports teams, the University wants to record games for training purposes. However, the high contrast light levels from the existing windows made it difficult for video equipment to focus and capture players moving in this environment.

The client asked Studio Hillier about applied window film as a cost-saving alternative, but once they saw the daylight model and Solera’s impact on this space, they knew it was the right solution. “Solera was an enhanced design option for environmental control and natural daylight. It made sense budget-wise, and it will save the University the cost of artificial lighting during daytime hours for years to come,” says Felix.

“The daylight models were fantastic for us to have in our back pocket during the presentation, and it clearly shows the multiple benefits of using Solera to help diffuse natural daylight throughout the space.” Studio Hillier won the competition for the Felician University project by presenting a well-developed design that solved problems known to the selection committee.

Daylighting was the major architectural element they focused on in the renovation of the space. “Felician chose to change the light levels in the gymnasium completely and bring them up by painting the ceiling, new light fixtures, lightening the floor, and renewing all of the finishes in the space.” After reviewing their daylighting options, including vision glass and window film, the project team chose the natural daylighting solution, Solera glass daylight units.

Studio Hillier completed their design in keeping with their original intent – maximizing natural light by applying a daylighting solution in the space. “Solera was a smooth application for this space. The installation was seamless, and everything went very well.”

Felix shared that the University and its students are pleased with their new space, and they can use the Gymnasium without worrying about glare or contrast going forward. Not only that, they’re ready to use Solera again in their future projects. “We’re planning to use Solera again in other projects to add beautiful diffused natural daylight in more of our designs,” says Felix.

*Felician University gymnasium before and after.*

Advanced Glazings Ltd. is proud to have worked with Studio Hillier and DelSano as contractor on the Felician University retrofit project. We are happy to have had the opportunity to work with Studio Hillier to help them fulfill their design intent and story for this space.

Click here to read more about our Solera Engineered Daylight Diffusers