commARCH - May 2019

Page 36

PROJECT

| windows & doors

The office building at 777 Aviation Boulevard, El Segundo, CA, was transformed to reflect the needs and culture of today’s workspaces.

Glass Transforms Office Building Architectural glazing systems meet project design and performance requirements.

F

or decades, Xerox Corp. occupied the modernist,

indoor and outdoor collaborative environments and give

design for faster installation. It’s also engineered without

Craig Ellwood-designed office building located

the facade an updated look. SOM accomplished this by

exposed exterior vertical mullions and joint fasteners to

at 777 Aviation Boulevard in El Segundo, CA.

leveraging the benefits of glass throughout the building to

produce uninterrupted horizontal glass spans. This pres-

Historically dense with aviation and defense companies,

optimize daylight diffusion, thermal performance, and

ents streamlined visuals and a seamless transition to the

the city has evolved into a modern and diverse busi-

aesthetics. Integrating a grand atrium with a series of large-

interior. The curtainwall incorporates a polyurethane

ness community. In step with the city’s transformation,

scale skylights, removing concrete shear walls, and incor-

thermal break and proprietary injection-molded thermo-

Los Angeles architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Mer-

porating fenestration systems that met thermal-perfor-

plastic connector that joins interior and exterior members

rill (SOM) reimagined 777 Aviation to reflect the needs

mance requirements without compromising the design

to achieve total thermal isolation.

and culture of today’s workspaces. A café, gym, bike-rent-

intent, all played key roles.

al program, and dog park are all part of the building’s updated scope.

CRL-U.S. Aluminum, Los Angeles, manufactured

The upgraded envelope also features the manufacturer’s

Entice

entrance

system.

The

system

uses

and supplied custom architectural glazing systems to help

ultra-narrow 1 1/8-in. vertical stiles and an overall system

The goal of developers Embarcadero Capital Partners,

meet the project’s design and performance requirements.

depth of only 2 1/2-in., delivering an all-glass aesthetic. In

Belmont, CA, and Westbrook Partners, Los Angeles, was

The first-floor facade and upper-level balcony areas fea-

addition, it has the unique ability to support handle hard-

to repurpose the three-story building from a single-tenant

ture the company’s series 4500SG structural silicone

ware—including panic devices—on 1-in. insulating glass

to a multi-tenant space. They also aimed to create vibrant

glazed curtainwall. The curtainwall has a pressure-bar-free

units using proprietary through-glass fittings. This proCOMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T UREM AG A ZINE.COM

MAY 2019

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