AIA Convention Looks “Beyond Green”

High performance windows, daylighting and solar were hot topics in San Antonio the first week of May, when the American Institute of Architects hosted its 2007 National Convention and Design Exposition. “Growing Beyond Green” was the theme of the event, which featured former Vice President Al Gore, 250 continuing education programs, about 800 companies exhibiting products and services and more than 21,000 attendees.

Window, door and skylight manufacturers were well represented at the event, with many promoting the use of their products in green projects. In addition to big residential names like Andersen, Jeld-Wen, Marvin, Pella and Weather Shield, the list of exhibitors included numerous smaller manufacturers. Commercial and architectural product companies, such as Efco, Kawneer and Vistawall were on hand. Glass manufacturers and a handful of other suppliers such as Azon, Edgetech, Rehau and Veka expanded the industry’s presence also.

Green clearly dominated the educational program, with a variety of speakers focusing on fenestration. “I think the windows are the most important part of the skin of a building, and the most expensive,” said Taylor C. Walker from the Energy Center of Wisconsin in a talk about High Performance Envelope Design. “Windows contribute to the most amount of heat gain or loss. Windows connect us to the outdoors, to light, to views, to ourselves as far as circadian rhythms,” he continued, but adding also, “It’s not just about the glass.” Climate, building type, type of activities and occupancies, and orientation must be considered during the design process, Walker emphasized.

Echoing that sentiment was Paul Armstrong, associate professor of design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who suggested in another session that individual project players couldn’t solve sustainable building. Owners, architects, engineers and suppliers should work together early on in a project to ensure that the structural systems and mechanical systems interact, rather than operating as separate entities. If the mechanical engineers know the efficiency of the curtain wall, they can specify fewer ducts and a smaller HVAC system, he said as an example. “While the initial cost of integration may be higher, the operating costs will go down and your energy costs will be substantially lower,” he concluded.

Careful design and planning is also required to optimize daylighting, said Michael H. Nicklas, one of the owners of Innovative Design Inc., a company that specializes in the construction of new high-performance sustainable schools. The key to success is the control of the quality of light, Nicklas said. It not only leads to saving energy but also aids in the health, safety and comfort of the occupants. He discussed the importance of the directional facing of a building as well as shading strategies. “If they shut the shades and turn on the lights, they’ll be using more energy,” he explained. “If they have the shades down all the time, why put windows in at all? Architects put windows in for aesthetic purposes and for the rhythm or pattern of the building. We make silly decisions on glass placing all the time.”

While many of the talks focused on new construction, the greenest thing architects can do is retrofit existing buildings with energy-saving technologies and products, said Jean Carroon, principal architect at Goody Clancy in Boston. “The greenest building is the one that already exists,” she said. “New construction creates 1.5 times the amount of greenhouse gases than renovation.”

Many historic buildings were designed for efficiency, with large windows to maximize daylight and ventilation. With the advent of air conditioning and fluorescent strip lights, owners brought ceilings down and sealed once-operable windows, creating inefficient spaces. In such buildings, architects should go back to the times of light and air while using new green technologies such as low-E glass, light shelves or sunshades, Carroon said.

Coverage provided by Katy Devlin, editor, e-glass weekly, and Matt Slovick, editor-in-chief, Glass Magazine

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