Page 144 - GTI_2018_5

ARCHITECTURAL CHALLENGES

uring Guardian Glass' with aesthetics – consider ian Glass, it’s important generation system and a
special event held in colour for example. to know that the company set of photovoltaic panels.
DLondon, members of Jasmin Hodzic, Commercial has always – and is con- Positioned in the Gorafe
the press were invited to see Project Director Africa and tinuing to – make impor- Desert (Granada, Spain),
for themselves how the use Middle East at Guardian tant investments. Its most considered one of the most
of the company’s special Glass, gave us an overview recent investment in Eu- adverse and extreme en-
glass is changing our lives. on the technical challenges rope, for example, involves vironments in Europe, La
Attendees were given a pre- of megatall buildings, such a 1,000-tonne tank for Casa del Desierto stands
view of one of the most re- as wind loads, temperature Poland, expected to create on a wooden structure and
cent projects of Guardian and altitude differences, and 150 new jobs, thanks to the is fully glazed with high
Glass – One Blackfriars – condensation. ‘healthy’ demand coming performance, energy-effi-
with its 170 metres height GUEST SPEAKERS AT from Eastern Europe and cient Guardian Glass.
and 50 floors, which uses THE EVENT the company’s aim to in- MEGATALL BUILD-
5,764 panes of Guardian crease its footprint in that INGS – CHALLENGES
Glass. Guests at the special press area. Another investment
Those present also got a day also got the chance regards a new laminating Wind loads
‘teaser’ of what we can ex- to meet some of the ar- line for Hungary, while Megatall buildings are sky-
pect to see at this year’s chitects involved in the production is continuously scrapers over 600 metres
glasstec, with important new projects, with Ian Simp- on the increase in Spain. high, which generally use
technology and, of course, son, founding partner at And this type of demand a lot of glass, which often
Guardian Glass' focus on SimpsonHaugh, speak- is expected to undergo im- tends to be taken for grant-
vacuum insulated glass. ing about tall buildings portant growth in the next ed in terms of its technical
in London, and Christian three to five years, doubling functions. When it comes
MEETING THE KEY Male, partner, who has led or tripling. Demand for to megatall structures, the
PEOPLE
the development of One value-added glass types is main challenges are wind
The business day with Blackfriars in London dur- also increasing in Eastern loads, temperature and
Guardian Glass gave an ing construction through Europe and other regions. altitude differences, and
overview of the company, to the building’s imminent RECENT PROJECTS condensation. In fact, for
its business activities and completion. the Burj Khalifa, the glass
investments, explained to Before taking us on to its façade was designed to
us by Kevin Baird, Presi- Špela Videcˇnik, Founding most recent and spectacu- withstand wind loads of up
dent and CEO of Guardian Partner at OFIS arhitekti, lar projects, such as One to 250 km/hour, while the
Glass, Guus Boekhoudt, spoke about her collabora- Blackfriars of course, but glass system for the Jeddah
Vice President of Guardian tion with Guardian Glass also the Burj Khalifa and Tower is designed to with-
Glass and General Man- in terms of thermal and the Jeddah Tower, pres- stand a 2.5 metre radius
ager of Guardian Glass in structural challenging, while ently under construction, sway without breakage or
Europe, as well as Sheldon Edoardo Tibuzzi, Associate while another recent pro- leakage.
Davis, Vice President of Director at AKTII, architect ject from Guardian Glass Close to the ground, wind
Science, Technology & In- and structural engineer of was La Casa del Desierto, is disrupted by trees and
novation. La Casa del Desierto gave us where performance and other buildings, but as a
Guardian Glass' ‘Glass an idea of his daily research, aesthetics really come into building rises to supertall
Experts’ took us through which involve structures and the scene. heights, these obstacles
the high performance that multi-disciplinary design Covering only 20 square disappear. The tower then
glass needs to have, with optimization. metres, the layout consists faces the full, unobstructed
Javier Unquera, Guardian DEVELOPMENTS of three areas: bedroom, force of the wind, which
Glass' Science and Tech- AND EXPANSION IN bathroom and living room. can be extremely high.
nology Europe Director, GUARDIAN GLASS' A large space directly over- Even though the dynamic
who also spoke about how BUSINESS looking the landscape, La shape of the building is de-
this high performance al- Casa also has a water fil- signed to reduce structural
ways needs to be balanced Speaking about Guard- tration system, an energy loading due to wind vortex

140 Glass-Technology International 5/2018