Structural Glass Facades and Enclosures : a Vocabulary of Transparency

305 Pages·2011·30.57 MB·English

by  Patterson

Structural
GlaSS FacadeS encloSureS
and

Structural
GlaSS FacadeS encloSureS
and
Mic Patterson
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
To my parents and my bride, with the utmost gratitude, esteem, and love.
this book is printed on acid-free paper.
copyright © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. all rights reserved.
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library of congress cataloging-in-Publication data:
Patterson, Michael, 1949–
Structural glass facades and enclosures / Michael Patterson.
p. cm.
Includes index.
I SBn 978-0-470-50243-3 (cloth); 978-0-470-93183-7 (ebk); 978-0-470-93184- 4 (ebk);
978-0-470-93185-1 (ebk); 978-0-470-95028-9 (ebk); 978-0-470-95053-1 (ebk)
1. Glass construction. 2. Facades. I. title.
tH1560.P38 2011
693’.96--dc22
2010030986
Printed in the united States of america
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Preface vii
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
1 Context: Glass and Structure 1 7 LA Live Tower 119
interwoven strands 1 Podium Facades
the evolution of sGFs 10 Los Angeles, California
implementing innovative Building introduction 121
technology 18 Facade Program 121
organization of system types 19 strategies for sustainability 128
summary 129
2 Glass and Glazing Systems 23
Glass as an architectural Material 23 8 Suvarnabhumi Bangkok
Glazing systems 32 International Airport (SBIA) 131
Main Terminal Building (MTB) Facade
3 Linear Structural Systems 45 Bangkok, Thailand
introduction 133
Mullion systems 45
Facade Program 133
truss systems 47
strategies for sustainability 141
summary 143
4 Space Structures and Gridshells 65
space Grid structures 65
9 Eli and Edythe Broad Stage 145
Gridshells 72
Santa Monica, California
cable-strut systems 77
introduction 147
Facade Program 148
5 Cable Structures 83
strategies for sustainability 151
cable Mullion systems 85
summary 152
Flat cable nets 86
Double-curved cable nets 87
10 300 New Jersey Avenue 153
Design considerations 89
(51 Louisiana Avenue)
structural Behavior 92
Atrium Enclosure
constructability 94
Washington, D.C.
economy 100 introduction 155
Facade Program 156
6 Glass as a Structural Material 101 strategies for sustainability 164
Heat-treating 102 summary 165
chemical tempering 105
Laminating 105
Glass Fin systems 108
connections 109
v
vi Structural Glass Facades and enclosures
11 Vivian and Seymour Milstein 15 Newseum 223
Family Heart Center 167 Cable Mullion Facade
New York Presbyterian Hospital Washington, D.C.
New York City introduction 225
introduction 170 Facade Program 225
Facade Program 171 summary 230
strategies for sustainability 179
summary 181 16 Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center 231
New York City
12 Strasbourg Railway Station introduction 233
Multimodal Hub 183 Facade Program 235
Strasbourg, France summary 241
introduction 186
Facade Program 187 17 TKTS Booth and Revitalization of
strategies for sustainability 192 Father Duffy Square 243
summary 192 The Glass Grandstand
New York City
13 Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center introduction 247
for Regenerative Medicine and Glass structure 247
Stem Cell Research 195 Project Delivery 257
Los Angeles, California installation strategy 258
introduction 197 strategies for sustainability 258
Facade Program 197 summary 260
strategies for sustainability 204
Endnotes 263
summary 205
Figure Credits 269
14 Richard J. Klarcheck Information
Index 273
Commons, Loyola University 207
Chicago, Illinois
introduction 209
Facade Program 209
strategies for sustainability 217
summary 221
Preface
this book is about the technology of a building marketplace. If this book has the good fortune to
form I refer to as structural glass facades (SGFs). facilitate that diffusion, it will be because of the
It derives from academic experiences over the stunning project work it includes.
past few years in the School of architecture at the
university of Southern california. I left academia
The Case Studies
after completing my undergraduate work to get
the selection of the case studies presented in
some real-world experience, with every intention
chapters 7 to 17 was no simple matter, and the jug-
of returning to pursue graduate work. twenty-five
gling of projects to include continued up to the last
years later, I did. In the interim, I designed and
possible minute. there were several criteria I devel-
built SGFs with a team of the finest and brightest
oped in making the selections:
people ever to walk a building site. So, while the
text derives from academic experience, it is rooted b I chose to have fewer but deeper case studies.
in the joy of building: the pursuit of innovation, the Some of the selected projects could easily be
manipulation of material and process, the collabor- the subject of an entire book. I wanted at least
ative realization of a mere idea, the utter novelty of to consider such issues as project delivery, fab-
every new project, the camaraderie, and, of course, rication, testing, and installation, in addition to
the blood, sweat, and broken bones to be found the usual design focus.
buried beneath every building; it is the construction
b I chose to present projects of varying size and
industry, after all.
complexity rather than to focus only on the
this book is for the next tier of would-be adopt-
grandest or most complex.
ers of SGFs, those who have admired the built appli-
cations and wished for the budget, or the know-how, b I chose to focus, mainly though not exclusively,
or knowledge of what the options were, or what on work completed in the united States. the
issues were involved in implementing an SGF proj- technology was certainly created and devel-
ect. at its core, SGF is a mature technology, tried oped in europe, where there is an abundance of
and tested with many examples, with many of the exceptionally worthy candidates for SGF case
early development and testing costs characteristic studies, but these projects invariably receive a
of any emergent technology paid for, and with an great deal of coverage in books and magazines;
infrastructure of capable material suppliers and fab- those in the united States are less well publi-
ricators ready to go to work on your project. there cized. I had no problem identifying a number of
will always be a cutting edge to this technology; relatively recent projects that had received little
that is the source of inspiration that fuels the evolu- or no significant coverage. I ended up with two
tion. However, as happened with glass fin walls, the projects outside of the united States that I sim-
technology will ultimately diffuse into the broader ply could not bring myself to exclude.
vii
viii Structural Glass Facades and enclosures
I have long been frustrated by the tendency to building material. We had great fun exploring glass
document completed projects in a series of photo- and the glass systems and structures that comprise
graphs taken right after project completion, when SGF technology. We worked out a comprehensive
everything is buffed and polished and looking its strategy for the case studies, which we embodied
majestic best. a professional photographer with a in a format that included everything from site and
large-format camera rents a man-lift to access some climate analysis to concept development and sus-
vantage points that no pedestrian or building occu- tainability features. the structural system, glass,
pant will ever experience and produces spectacular and the glass system were to be the core content of
high-dynamic-range images that look somehow each case study, but I was amazed to discover the
otherworldly, like a building on neptune. I personally diversity of approach the students pursued. Some
find a building much more engaging during the pro- became immersed in climate analysis, produc-
cess of construction, when it is still partially opened ing pages of colorful charts and graphs. others
up, the structural frame is revealed, the cladding is explored the green aspects of the architecture: the
crawling its way up, and a tower crane hovers over in-floor radiant thermal conditioning, the natural
all like a crown. So, in this book, I have made an ventilation system, the daylighting strategy. Most of
effort to include images documenting fabrication, them treaded very lightly in the core areas, leaving
testing, mockups, and installation. It is a challenge; that work to me with respect to this book and provid-
what you discover when you examine such mate- ing me with a clear demonstration of my shortcom-
rial is that while some of the images are absolutely ings as an instructor. I now know the importance of
stunning, most of them are unusable because narrowing the focus! nonetheless, many of these
they were taken with a cell phone or small-format case studies started with a student, and I want
pocket camera, and the images are postage stamp to express my appreciation to all of them for their
size when printed. It is a tragedy, and the source of efforts; we had an extraordinary time with “Skin and
many curses from this author (I have started buy- Bones.”
ing decent cameras for people who spend a lot of I became aware a long time ago that it is not
time on the building site, and I have begun teaching necessary to know everything about a subject, or
basic digital photography classes). I did, however, to be able to do everything yourself, to accomplish
manage to find a few images that reflect pieces of something. If you intend to conquer a nation, you
the fabrication and installation process. But in the are likely to need some help. the same is true if you
end, the intent to feature process over finished proj- intend to build a building or an SGF. Just the design
ect may well have been in vain; there was no way to of a building entails teams of designers, consul-
avoid using the amazing photographs of pros like tants, specialists of various sorts, and lots of work-
rainer Viertlböck and Paúl rivera, and great pho- ers. the real power is in knowing how to get a thing
tography combined with the inherent sexiness of done, not necessarily knowing how to do it yourself.
SGFs will no doubt overshadow the crusty rawness I have found that this includes new and innovative
of the jobsite photos. building technology as well. I have had a nearly
the case studies started with a class exercise I lifelong passion for exposed structural systems and
gave in a course I had the great pleasure to teach at highly transparent glass facades. I was going to be a
the School of architecture, university of Southern brain surgeon, but then I saw the centre Pompidou
california. the course, titled “Skin and Bones,” and decided that I had to find a way to get involved
focused on SGF technology and the use of glass in with the technology. I succeeded in that pursuit,
the building skin. the class of 20 consisted mostly of and it put me in touch with a great many design-
graduate students, with a scattering of undergradu- ers who shared this passion and wanted to include
ate and Phd students. We quickly discovered that some form of advanced facade technology in their
they were all equal in their ignorance of glass as a project work. a few were successful in adopting the