Great Glazing: Michigan College of Optometry and Center for Collaborative Health Education

Photo by Dietrich Floeter

The basics: Until recently, Michigan College of Optometry students at Ferris State University in Big Rapids learned and trained in a converted residence hall built in 1968. Spaces were long and narrow with poor lighting, and the clinic was located on the fifth and sixth floor, not conducive to vision-impaired, handicapped and elderly patients. 

In January 2011, a new facility opened for the school: the Michigan College of Optometry and Center for Collaborative Health Education, a $26.9 million, three-story, 91,000-square-foot building certified Gold by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. The modern healthcare facility features a glass atrium foyer, a two-story glass-enclosed lounge/lobby and classroom windows that provide ample natural light for the students and faculty, according to a Guardian Industries release. 

The players: Architect, Neumann/Smith Architecture; glass manufacturer, Guardian Industries; glass fabricator, Thompson IG; contract glazier, Traverse City Glass.

The glass: Guardian SunGuard SuperNeutral 62 on clear for high light transmittance and low solar heat gain. The building features a glass atrium foyer, a two-story glass-enclosed lounge/lobby and classroom windows that provide ample natural light for the students and faculty.