Dynamic Glass Earns Rave Review

The state-of-the-art Quality 10 GDX Theater in Saginaw, MI, features high-tech sound systems and wall-to-wall screens, as well as the latest in dynamic glass technology. Photo: Paradigm Design

Self-tinting glass adds special effect to new theater.

The new, state-of-the-art Quality 10 GDX Theater in Saginaw, MI, features more than high-tech sound systems and wall-to-wall screens. It also features the latest in dynamic glass technology. Looking to reduce sunlight, heat, and glare during the day, while allowing maximum visibility at night, Goodrich Quality Theaters, Grand Rapids, MI, which operates the theater, selected self-tinting Suntuitive glass by Pleotint, Jenison, MI, for the façade of its 50,000-sq.-ft. cinema.

Martin Betz, chief operating officer for Goodrich Quality Theaters, said the company’s main goals were to create excitement and recapture the entertainment market in the area by replacing a 40-yr.-old multiplex adjacent to the site with a new, energy-efficient building. According to Betz, a particular focus was placed on designing the lobby to enhance the movie-going experience.

“Being a theater, visual experiences play a major role in our daily business,” Betz said. “It all starts in our lobby, where we welcome our guests. We wanted a glass façade so that passersby could see the architecture and activity going on inside the building, but at the same time, we wanted the lobby to be a comfortable space with abundant natural daylight.”

According to Todd Ockaskis, the project’s architect from Paradigm Design in Grand Rapids, the main challenge associated with designing the theater was configuring the glass for the south-facing façade, which is exposed to intense sunlight and solar heat gain throughout the day.

The design team evaluated several options before discovering the Suntuitive glass, a dynamic glass developed by Pleotint.

“We considered using permanently tinted windows, fritted glass, and mechanical shades, but Suntuitive glass offered the advantages of each without any compromises,” Ockaskis explained. “The glass naturally adjusts to provide the perfect tint to counteract outside conditions, while allowing the glass to be clear at night. It was the perfect solution for the glass-clad, south-facing façade.”

Suntuitive glass is a thermochromic glass technology that gradually darkens in response to rising temperatures caused by direct sunlight, then cools as the sun moves across the sky, returning to a clear, neutral state in cloudy or dark conditions. Because of its ability to passively adapt to direct sunlight, the glass opti

mizes indoor comfort, views, and daylighting, while blocking heat generated from sunlight, glare, and ultraviolet light without obtrusive window shades or other sun-blocking devices.

The technology works by laminating a polyvinyl butyral interlayer between two panes of heat-strengthened or tempered glass, then pairing the laminate with a pane of low-e glass in a dual-pane insulating glass unit (IGU). Unlike other dynamic-glass technologies, Suntuitive glass requires no electrical or mechanical intervention, eliminating product failure caused by faulty wiring, poor electrical connections, broken circuits, or temperamental computer systems that require regular maintenance. The self-tinting glass also can be used in window or curtain-wall applications in any shape, size, or frame material, and installation is the same as any traditional glazing system.

For the Quality 10 GDX Theater’s façade, Paradigm Design specified the T1400 series storefront by Tubelite, headquartered in Walker, MI. The IGUs consist of an exterior lite of Optiblue glass, by Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries, that’s laminated with Suntuitive glass, and an interior lite of high-performance, low-e Solarban 60 glass by PPG, separated by argon gas. The glass configuration produces visible light transmittance as high as 43% in a clear state and solar heat gain coefficients as low as 0.16 in a darkened state. Because the dynamic-glass system blocks the sun’s heat in summer, prevents heat from escaping in winter, and allows natural daylight to replace some artificial light most of the day, it helps reduce heating-, cooling-, and lighting-related energy costs, which together can add up to 70% of a building’s total energy consumption.

The theater, which opened in January 2014, has not only been successful in bringing in audiences, but the lobby turned out better than Betz imagined.

“Suntuitive glass was new to us, but after operating the theater through winter and summer, I’m

Suntuitive glass naturally adjusts to provide the perfect tint to counteract outside conditions, while allowing the glass to be clear at night. Photo: Paradigm Design happy to say the self-tinting glass has been a complete success, exceeding our expectations,” Betz said. “I now understand why they call it smart glass. It not only adjusts the tint level throughout the day; it also adapts to each season, allowing sunlight to help warm our building on the days we need it in winter, but blocking it out on summer days when we don’t. It has helped us control our utility costs and added to the contemporary design of our building.”

CBP

Want more information? The resources below are linked in our digital magazine at cbpmagazine.com/digital/janfeb2015.

Circle 4 on the Reader Service Card.

Watch a video demonstration of Suntuitive glass.

Download a technical brochure on Suntuitive glass.

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