University of Colorado, Visual Arts Center

Boulder, Colorado

Architect: OZ Architecture

Products:SeriousGlass Architectural Glass; Commercial Fiberglass SeriousWindows

Construction Type: New Construction

Design Standard: LEED Gold

Objectives:

The University of Colorado is well-renowned for its high performance buildings and sustainability practices, placing first in the Sierra Club’s list of greenest universities in 2009, amongst other recognitions. Serious Energy has installed super-insulating SeriousGlass commercial glass in 14 buildings at the University of Colorado over the past 23 years. In the recent construction of the University of Colorado at Boulder’s $65 million Visual Arts Center, the University relied on Serious Energy to address the variety of goals and challenges its design targeted for LEED Gold certification. Art can be incredibly sensitive to its surrounding environment; high relative humidity can promote the growth of mold on paper and temperature changes can have deleterious effects on valuable items. To preserve the artwork’s quality, the school maintains humidity at 40%. Given the cold winter climate in Colorado, one of the primary design requirements was absolute freedom from condensation, even in the humidified air of the art gallery.

Serious Solution:

• Super-insulating wide-pocket fiberglass windows and glass
• Addressing condensation and UV concerns
• Achieved HVAC first-cost offset for rapid payback

Serious Energy worked with OZ Architects to configure super-insulating, directionally tuned windows and glass to drive a cost-effective design that eliminated the need for perimeter heating.

The use of low-conductivity fiberglass framing powered by SeriousGlass maximized condensation resistance and perimeter comfort. As this was a new construction project, we optimized full-frame performance through consideration of both the glass and frame. By expanding the glazing pocket from a traditional 1” pocket to 1 3/8”, we cost-effectively achieved R-7.7 center-of-glass with the use of argon gas (in lieu of krypton upgrade). This wider pocket glazing had the added benefit of improving sound attenuation. Further, instead of relying on aluminum framing systems, we used lower-conductivity fiberglass framing.

In addition, due to the tremendous comfort near the glass, the school was able to completely remove perimeter heating. This allows art viewers and students to enjoy the art gallery at leisure, with high window-to-wall ratio, without having to avoid perimeter radiators or feeling cold during the chilly Colorado winters. The marginal cost of the Serious glazing solutions was $263,000 with the first-cost HVAC offset at $242,000, achieving an incremental payback well within one year. Finally, the glass package was designed to block 99.3% of UV rays to protect the 5000+ works of art. To read more about the new building at the University of Colorado, visit the Visual Arts Center’s website.