Mega-Skylight Tops A Renovation

Night or day, the vast dome over the courtyard provides a sense of intimacy and a feeling of being outdoors at the same time. All photos by William Lemke, courtesy of Super Sky Products Enterprises LLC.

A huge dome creates a space for all seasons on a Midwest campus.

When Washington Univ. in St. Louis renovated the School of Law’s AnheuserBusch Hall and enlarged the student commons, the construction team took a bold step: covering a courtyard in a canopy of glass and metal spanning 80 feet by 85 feet over what previously served as outdoor space. Designed by Hartman-Cox Architects, Washington, in the campus’ traditional Gothic style, the $31.2-million, 175,000-sq.-ft. AnheuserBusch Hall was built with Missouri red granite. After a decade of use, the student body, faculty, and staff had increased by 50%. During the hall’s 2008 renovation, Washington Univ.’s internal team served as the general contractor with support from Tarlton Corp., St. Louis. “Hartman-Cox’s vision and design transformed relatively unused space into a vibrant central hub for the Law School. Their understanding of the materials used, specifi cally the glass, not only resulted in an absolutely beautiful space but a useable and comfortable space as well,” said Ryan Navis, project manager for Super Sky Products, Mequon, WI, which manufactured and installed the skylight. “Tarlton Corp. was the lynchpin between Hartman-Cox’s awesome vision and the stunning result. The outcome of a project is usually a direct result of the people in charge of the construction, and this was no exception.”

Clearly green

The team was committed to a green approach for the skylight, which gives the courtyard an entirely different look and permits its use all year. Energy-effi ciency and daylighting strategies are key tenets for green building—and key challenges for the project. The use of 7,210 sq. ft. of glass from Viracon, Owatonna, MN, managed solar heat gain and glare in the former courtyard. All of the glass is insulated, low-e, and heat-strengthened. The skylight boasts a frit pattern on the outermost lites.

Even the fi nish used on the aluminum framing is green in philosophy, if not in color. To shield the frame against weathering, aging, and pollution, Linetec, Wausau, WI, fi nished the skylight’s aluminum framing in Revere gray, using a high-performance, 70% polyvinylidene fl uoride (PVDF) coating. “These are some of the most durable coatings available,” says Linetec’s senior marketing specialist Tammy Schroeder, a LEED Green Associate. “Their long lifecycle reduces the need for maintenance and replacement and minimizes the associated time, cost, and materials.”

Effi cient use of resources and a commitment to sustainability are core values at Linetec. As an environmentally responsible fi nisher, the company safely captures and destroys the liquid paints’ volatile organic compounds (VOC) content before the fi nished material arrives at a job site. For projects seeking LEED certifi cation and other green goals, choosing durable products with no-VOC fi nishes can be an important part of the selection and specifi cation process.

Installation challenges

Putting the framework in place for such a huge structure was a huge job in itself. “The skylight geometry and diffi cult-to-access location at the top of the courtyard presented some tough challenges,” explained Navis. “The top-of-the-line team assembled for this project is really what allowed a demanding project such as this to become reality.”

The Gateway Co., St. Louis, fabricated the

▲ Looking a bit like a transparent

UFO coming in for a landing, the dome’s frame is precisely lowered into position by the largest crane in Missouri. Although the dome appears airy from ground level, a close-up view reveals the careful design and construction of its aluminum frame and insulated glass.

Before the addition of the dome, the courtyard was a pleasant but ordinary outdoor space.

the skylight structure. Once the structure was assembled, the largest crane in Missouri lifted the dome’s pre-metal frame into position. Super Sky’s work on the jobsite followed.

While it is considered the most prominent new architectural feature, the skylight is just one part of a larger renovation. Other notable aspects of the expansion included additional group-study rooms and faculty offi ces, a new main entrance on the fi rst fl oor, and enhanced spaces for clinical education, student services, career services, and computing, audio/visual, and web services. But the dome is what catches visitors’ attention.

“Doming the courtyard with a skylight presented an innovative yet practical design to meet the school’s needs while incorporating daylight,” observed Linetec’s Schroeder. It also makes a big statement about a commitment to green building and the future. That’s something everyone on campus can appreciate.

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