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Aluminum Curtain Wall Installed in New Net-Zero Building Design

© by Tubelite

Vaisala, a Finland-based global provider of weather, environmental and industrial measurements, recently opened its new North American headquarters in Louisville, Colorado.  The company chose to use aluminum in many of  the building’s critical features to help it achieve net-zero environmental impact and a clean, modern aesthetic.

Tubelite Inc.’s  aluminum curtainwall and window wall systems contribute to the building’s minimalist, high-performance design. Thermally broken aluminum framing, insulated glass and Tubelite’s PTB120 thermal pressure plate, supplied by Deceuninck, further support the building envelope’s sustainability and energy-efficiency goals.

Designed by OZ Architecture of Denver, Colorado, the office building blends Scandinavian style and sustainable, net-zero-ready functionality. The new two-story, 35,000 sq ft Vaisala building accommodates the majority of the company’s 150+ Colorado-based employees along with a weather-monitoring operation center. It includes a fluid indoor/outdoor space and will also serve as a conference and training center for customers and researchers from around the world.

The architectural design of  Vaisala’s headquarters presents an open, inviting, and collaborative facility. OZ described the building’s exterior as being inspired by the topography of the region, oriented to bring views of the Rocky Mountains while within the building. The interiors reflect natural elements of metal, wood, sunlight, and earth. To complete this architectural vision, Tubelite’s 400T Thermal Curtainwall enclose a double-height, daylit atrium and reception area, and 900RW thermal window wall provides views from the offices, training area, and conference rooms.

Thermal Aluminum Curtainwall

“Tubelite’s thermal pressure plate, supplied by Deceuninck, was key in meeting Vaisala’s high thermal performance requirements and energy-efficiency objectives,” said Tom Mifflin, director of marketing at Tubelite. “Thorough testing by an independent laboratory ensures our 400T system is the highest quality curtainwall framing product the industry has to offer. We engineer 900RW and 400T to compliment each other in performance and aesthetics, providing a complete package that’s easy to fabricate and install, which saves time, labor and associated costs.”
Engineered for mid-rise applications like Vaisala’s headquarters, Tubelite’s thermally broken curtainwall meets or exceeds today’s stringent energy codes and net-zero goals. The 400T series curtainwall has a 2.5-inch aluminum face, with system depths from 6.25 to 10.25 inches and optional thermal pressure plates.

“We were excited to work with Tubelite on the pressure plate for this new development,” said Greg Koch, VP of sales and marketing North America at Deceuninck. “Our custom solution, Innergy AP, enabled them to enhance the thermal and structural performance of their existing curtainwall system and realize the vision and high demands for this modern mid-rise building. The results are spectacular.”
General contractor FCI Constructors, Inc. has worked with Tubelite for more than 14 year, making them familiar with Tubelite’s dependable, high thermal performance systems. On Vaisala’s headquarters building, glazing contractor Colorado Window Systems worked closely with FCI and Tubelite on the building’s 10-month construction timeline. In total, more than 3,400 ft of curtainwall and 8,100 ft of window wall systems were installed.

Sustainable Aluminum Coating

Protecting the systems’ framing members and enhancing their appearance, Linetec finished the aluminum in a three-coat black 70% PVDF resin-based architectural coating. As an environmentally responsible finishing provider, Linetec uses a 100% air capture system and regenerative thermal oxidizer to safely destroy the VOCs in liquid paints’ solvents. By managing this in its quality-controlled facility, there is no adverse environmental impact either at Linetec or on the job site.

The high-performance architectural coatings specified for Vaisala’s curtainwall and window wall systems meet the industry’s most stringent standards for resistance to humidity, chalking, chemicals, salt spray, gloss loss, and color change. These durable finishes are low-maintenance and long lasting. Reducing the time and labor needed to maintain or repair office buildings also supports aesthetic, economical, and sustainable building goals.

“The clean, modern architecture belies the complex design of the building,” said the architectural firm, OZ. “The end result will be a NetZero-ready building with extraordinary low energy use that far surpasses energy-use codes, making it one of Colorado’s most sustainable office buildings.”

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