Honor Your CEO

Today marks the last day for entries in the USGlass magazine 2008 CEO of the Year contest, and I’m pleased to say that I’ve received information on some great candidates. I can’t tell you how inspiring it is to receive these glowing nominations of employers in our industry.

And while it will already be tough enough to choose the winners to include in our December issue—I would like to use this as reminder as an opportunity to invite any last minute nominations. If it’s impressive enough, it’s worth an extra week’s wait, right? And don’t think that we’re only accepting nominations from the biggest companies out there—we’ll be choosing winners in two categories, large and small companies. CLICK HERE for a nomination form or contact me at mheadley@glass.com if you have any questions.

I’ve got to tell you, these profiles are among my favorite articles to write, because it’s always so interesting to sit down and talk one-on-one with an industry expert and to learn the history behind the company.

I blogged last November about my visit to Owatonna, Minn., to interview Don Pyatt, CEO of Viracon and I have my fingers crossed that I’ll be able to make a similar trip on the months ahead.

You can read both my profile of Don, as well as the profile of John Wheaton, CEO of Wheaton & Sprague Engineering, in the December 2007 USGlass.

A Long Road to Whistler

The Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA) summer meeting started on Monday in Whistler, B.C. I feel that I should mention here that the fantastic people at IGMA really know how to pick a meeting location.

When my travels started on Saturday I couldn’t help but feel like someone at Travelocity needed a map as they had booked my flight from D.C. to Canada via Houston, but I didn’t mind the layover too much when it gave me a chance to stretch my legs … and admire the glazing in the E terminal. I felt a bit silly for being so excited to remember that when I profiled BHN Corp. in Memphis, Tenn., several years ago, they had just begun installing the glass in this wing. I particularly liked the clerestory effect of the curved windows three stories up, the natural light pouring in from all angles upon the travelers waiting below (see photo at left).

From Houston I finally made it to Vancouver—a few days early for the meeting as I had never previously had a chance to visit this amazing city. My first impression is that where in most big cities downtown is the place to be, the cityscape here just seemed in the way of the natural beauty of the mountains and rivers. Still, when traveling to an IGMA meeting, one couldn’t help but notice and appreciate the prevalent use of glass throughout the city (see photo).

The meetings kicked off on Monday and from the beginning it’s been evident that this group is here that despite the fantastic venue, the group is here to work. This isn’t one of those meetings where topics are talked about in circles. It’s been a productive and interesting meeting, with action taken in the gas permeability working group to further its test protocol for argon permeability through IGUs, there were some in-depth discussions on capillary tubes to further work in that task group and some progress made on a new educational seminar on IG manufacturing quality control. Not to mention that Tuesday’s lunch featured a timely session on building information modeling and specifically how it relates to manufacturers.

The group also discussed some exciting ideas for being more productive going forward, making this a great time for IG manufacturers to step up and get involved in the direction of this association.

Gonna Soak Up the Sun

We had a beautifully sunny day for my mom’s Memorial Day cookout a couple weekends back, which I suppose could be why the conversation turned the way that it did.

My uncle, the president of a company that manufactures stoplights, had mentioned that he was working on a project very close to where I live. I needled him about providing a stoplight in one particularly troublesome intersection, and he explained the history of the project on which he was working. Upon asking how long a stoplight is designed to last, he explained that many stoplights and other construction signs are powered these days by photovoltaic (PV) panels.

Solar energy, huh? I found the conversation even more interesting as I heard it echoed later that week when I spoke with Steve Fronek, vice president of Wausau Window and Wall Systems in Wausau, Wis., about this very topic.

“It’s a real interesting topic because the overall PV market worldwide is growing like a weed and, for obvious reasons, could really be a key segment for the overall market (building integrated photovoltaics) doesn’t really get the attention because the rest of the markets are growing so fast,” Fronek commented during our conversation. “Going through road construction you’ll see the road construction sites, or the emergency phones by the side of the interstate, are now powered by solar panels instead of battery packs.”

And notice I have. Between those two conversations, my commute to work has been much more interesting lately. It’s hard for me to not notice the small panels perched atop the occasional road sign. It’s rather comforting to know that in some ways the transportation industry has adapted to the rising costs of fuel and is turning to alternative power … even if it doesn’t benefit me in my weekly ventures to the gas pump!

But what’s that about building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV)? And why is it an area you should be giving attention? Well, in this day and age, BIPV doesn’t just mean those high-tech looking panels perched atop a house—it can mean power-generating spandrels and even transparent curtainwall and facades.

Maybe this solar energy thing is still just a small trend, but it’s one that’s beginning to get noticed big-time by the glass industry. Have you read USGNN.com lately?

• FTL Solar Gets Funds for Power-Generating Buildings
  
• First Solar Shareholder Signals Swoon With Sales
  
• PORTUGAL - Saint-Gobain Develops its Presence on the Solar Mirrors Market
  
• CZECH REPUBLIC - SCHOTT Solar Officially Opens New Module Production Facilities in Valasské Mezirící
  
• Cardinal Glass to Open Solar Panel Factory in Mazomanie
  
• Glaston Corporation Establishes Solar Energy Targeted
  
• HelioVolt Partners with Architectural Glass & Aluminum Co. for Building Integrated Solar Products
  
• Asahi Reports Agreement to Pay Fine and Other News (other solar news)
  
• Future Houses May be Made Entirely of Solar Cell Glass
  
• Global Solar Energy Opens Landmark Manufacturing Plant, Sets Full-scale Production Capacity Records
  
• Glasstech Forms New Solar Systems Business Unit, Includes Several Current High Tech Systems
  
• SCHOTT Solar Selects Mesa del Sol for New Solar Manufacturing Plant

And that’s just a few of the related stories we’ve covered since the start of this year …

For me personally, BIPV has meant one of the most interesting articles I’ve worked on for USGlass. Do you know how many types of technologies use the sun to generate power? And how many of them involve glass? And that it’s possible to produce a transparent window that creates electricity? I’ve been researching just this for an article set to appear in our July issue.

In the meantime, I’d love your input on this exciting topic. Specifically, if you know of any buildings in the D.C.-area making use of PV (especially in vision areas), be sure to let me know. You can shoot me an e-mail at mheadley@glass.com.

Boston Site-Seeing, the USGlass Way

I headed up to Dulles International Airport Wednesday afternoon, on my way to Boston for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Convention. I’m at Dulles a lot, and I always enjoy watching the progress on their construction of the new underground train lines and walkways that will better connect the terminals. Wednesday I happened to linger for a few minutes outside the security checkpoint to watch the installation of the last of a series of (comparatively) small skylights. A number of lites of glass were propped up on the roof—I suppose you can call it the roof, although the concrete surface with its scattered pyramids of glass was several feet below my viewing area. I watched a crane slowly lifting … well, presumably the skylight or pieces of it that would fill the large opening the three orange-vested workers stood around. I never saw the load make it to its destination. I decided it would be better if I didn’t dawdle too long or snap photos to share with you, readers, as security had already thoroughly checked my bags and I was hoping they wouldn’t do the same to my person.

So it was off to Boston, with my site-seeing already begun.

You see, last week’s call for unique projects in the Boston area hadn’t gone unanswered. Mike Gainey of Azon USA was kind enough to point out a unique and artistic work at Brown University, which Mapquest tells me is about an hour outside of that city. The Lines of Sight Installation is comprised of 140 windows. According to information from the school, each unit is made up of hundreds of thousands of glass elements—made of slightly green-tinted glass or crystal-clear glass, tiny magnifying lenses and small mirrors and prismatic beads—interspersed with about a half-million clear glass distillation beads. Small rectangles of glass, resembling microscope slides, were hand-engraved with phrases of poetry or prose, the authors’ names and their birth year. Finally, the outer layer of glass was sandblasted with the faint image of two hands, one on either side of the bridge. Mike reports that Solar Seal, a commercial glass fabricator in Boston, made the IG units that artist Diane Samuels worked on.

"I have not seen the glass on the jobsite but did in the factory and it was really fun to see something so artistic out of what we do every day,” Mike told me.

It seemed like such an interesting project I just had to share that background here.

While I didn’t get too much opportunity for any touristy trips in Boston—days jam-packed with seminars and booth appointments kept me hopping—there were two buildings that used glass in ways worth noting.

On Friday night Oldcastle Glass hosted a lovely reception at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter. One of the top ten sustainable buildings in the nation, as selected by AIA, the venue typically provides the city’s “underserved youth with the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in the arts.” On Friday night it had been transformed into a musical and colorful site for industry networking. I’m mildly embarrassed to say that I did in fact text a photo that night to my coworker Penny Stacey, editor of sister publication AGRR/glassBYTEs, not of the artwork decorating the walls but of the windshields that formed the railing along the loft-like second story. I knew Penny would approve of this mode of decorating.

The second building may seem like an obvious choice, but those of us in the combined USGlass/Glass Association of North America booth couldn’t help but comment on the appropriateness of the new Boston Convention and Exhibition Center as the site for our glass-related activities. The glass-walled Skywalk, the hallway across the expo, provided a neat overview of the show. And the importance of daylighting clearly wasn’t lost on the construction team responsible for the new building. It was a neat venue, and I look forward to returning soon!

Boston, Here I Come!

I’ll admit it: I’ve been looking forward to this week’s American Institute of Architects (AIA) Convention for months now. And yes, I’m looking forward to the insightful seminars on topics such as “Daylighting Obstacles,” “High-Performance Enclosures” and “Energy Codes and Fenestration.” And the interaction with architects expressing where they see demand for glass heading, providing the fuel for many articles to come. And the many appointments set up with companies such as Zeledyne (formerly ACH), which is going through such an exciting transition right now, and others that are just hinting at exciting product introductions to come. But can I be honest with you for a minute? Truth be told, I’m really excited about spending four days in Boston.

I’ve actually only been to Boston once, as part of a school trip back in college. My roommate was a historic preservation major and I was just interested enough in the fascinating topic to take part in the club activities and trips (but not the intensive class work; we lucky English majors just had to curl up with a good book!). What a great way to see a city, though, through its historic architecture.

The first thing I remember about that trip is that it was March and the wind was blowing furiously to the point that our group of 16 traversed the city through a complicated system of coffee shops in order to stay out of the cold: walk a block, stop in Starbucks, walk two blocks, pop into a local coffeehouse, walk half a block until the wind picks up, time for another caramel macchiato.

The next thing I remember is visiting Paul Revere’s house. And, ironically enough, even all of those years ago what interested me the most about the small, historic house surrounded by skyscrapers was (you guessed it) the glass in the windows. No, I am not making this up.

The tour guide explained that you could tell that several of the original lites were still in place because of the lavender color they had taken on over time. (One online source tells me the color change was due to an excess of manganese oxide in the glass. Another says the color was the result of ultraviolet light on the imperfections in a shipment of glass sent to Boston around 1820. Your thoughts?) He also noted that there was a barely perceptible difference between the thickness at the top of each small pane from the bottom because the glass was slowly “dripping” down, glass being a liquid and all … Is that so, I thought at the time. How would you have responded to this comment? Throw your best technical jargon at me so I can casually spout this industry knowledge to other tourists next time I make my way back to Paul’s home.

That visit probably won’t be during this trip. Hopefully I’ll make it out of the convention center for five minutes this week to explore more of this fascinating city. Being time crunched, I sure would appreciate it if you would stop by the USGlass booth, #14165, to share your recommendations of must-see examples of Boston architecture. I’d love another tour like the one I recently took part in while in Las Vegas for Glass Fab. You can bet I’d be staying extra days if it weren’t for the fact that my brilliant and wonderful sister is graduating from the University of Virginia this Sunday with a bachelor’s degree in German and a minor in French (I just had to get that “shout-out” in there). Congratulations Robyn!

Stay Safe Everybody!

Today marks the start of Building Safety Week, as promoted by the International Code Council (ICC). This year’s theme is “Building Safety: Where You Live, Work and Play.” Among the top five building safety tips the ICC proposes for homeowners is the installation of “tempered or multiple pane windows – Windows allow heat to pass through and ignite combustible materials inside. Dual- or triple-pane thermal glass, and fire resistant shutters or drapes, help reduce the wildfire risk. You can also install non-combustible awnings to shield windows and use shatter-resistant glazing such as tempered windows to help prevent breakage from heat and debris.”

I’m sure the glass industry can offer a number of additional ways in which to promote building safety. Are you promoting the many ways in which glass can keep people safe in your community?

For our part, USGNN.com recently ran a preview of an article on skylight safety that will be appearing in our May issue of USGlass. While I found in researching the article a great deal of discussion over whether a human-impact resistance standard was as necessary for glass skylights as compared to plastic skylights, it sure seems like something needs to be done. That same day we ran an article titled “Child Falls Through School Skylight.” The following day we ran this link: "Boy Fighting for Life" (notice the mention of the plastic skylight—I wish more of these articles made note of the type of product involved in these injuries). Unfortunately, these stories aren’t so rare as one might hope. Hopefully programs such as the one ICC is promoting this week will help keep more people safe.

While ICC’s safety promotion might be aimed at the consumer, what better time than the present to take a look at your own safety program and make sure your facility is in full compliance with OSHA regulations.

Las Vegas Through “Glassy” Eyes

And I thought the helicopter tours of Hoover Dam sounded cool; I had no idea that Las Vegas offered a tour so exciting as the one I attended on Monday. As part of the Glass Fabrication and Glazing Educational Conference here in Las Vegas, the Glass Association of North America (GANA) offered a tour to its contract glazing session participants of some of the hottest spots (glass-wise, of course) in this city.

About 40 adventure-seekers climbed onto the tour bus. Greg “glass guru” Carney, technical director of GANA, led the tour.

The visit began with Mandalay Bay, the southernmost casino on the Strip and notable for its sparkling gold color. According to Greg, that bright gold color was created by a 10-carat gold—yes, real gold—coating applied over a clear glass substrate. Although this ritzy casino hotel may look like it features a curtainwall, it’s a regular floor-to-ceiling application, Greg says.

The bus next passed by New York, New York. Before Greg even spoke up attendees were commenting on the bright pink, green and purple glass surfaces on this striking building. When asked how those colors were made, one attendee had the answer: interlayers, not coatings.

A quick detour of the Strip drove us all to the Rio. For this stop, Greg asked his captive audience why we thought the bright building had never appeared in any advertisements, like nearly every other building in Las Vegas. Answer: two suppliers. Spectrum Glass Products started the job, but didn’t have the laminated capabilities necessary to finish, leaving Viracon to complete the task.

From bright purple it was back to gold, with a stop at Trump Tower. There Greg recounted a story about working on Trump International in New York. Mr. Trump had been looking for a gold “tribute” to New York City, and the glass fabricator was all ready to go—until architect Philip Johnson cautioned “consider your neighbors.” Johnson’s reason for that caution is obvious in the blinding glare partly captured in this photo.

Among those neighbors are the Wynn and the Encore, still under construction. The rich almost chocolate brown on those glass-clad buildings is unique to the strip—and, according to Ivan Zuniga of AGC, unique to Steve Wynn Co. It’s a proprietary color chosen by the company for this project, he explained.

As our tour went past the Circus Circus casino, the entire bus could tell what made the roof of the glass-domed big-top casino so pink—that interlayer once again.

Our next stop was to note some of the biggest trends going on in Las Vegas. First was one of the Sky Las Vegas condominiums. Condos are cropping up across the city. This one in particular had some exciting examples of glasswork. Versalux in deep blue covered the outer units, while PPG’s lighter Azuria was used on the units toward the middle of the building. Both products are spectrally selective, Greg noted, showing how more of the building in this city are taking advantage of glass products designed specifically for architectural applications rather than just for color.

Greg didn’t have details on the project next door, but it showed another trend. The lites going up appeared to be unitized (CLICK HERE for more information on that trend).

Our last stop was one most Vegas tourists are unlikely to make (I hope): the Las Vegas federal courthouse. As Greg noted, this GSA building was among the first to be produced to meet blast-resistant standards.

Just when I thought I was done playing tourist in Las Vegas, I have all sorts of new attractions to look out for!