Great Glazing: RBC Centre

Photo by Shai Gil

The basics: Toronto's 43-story, 1.2 million-square-foot RBC Centre recently became the largest building in Canada to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification for new construction, according to a PPG Industries release. The tower, which earned LEED Gold, features more than 420,000 square feet of custom curtain wall. Floor-to-ceiling windows maximize daylighting, and sensor-controlled sun shades and automated blinds provide additional energy efficiency.

The players: architect, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates; architect-of-record, Bregman + Herman Architects; construction manager and general contractor, PCL Constructors Canada; glass fabricator, glazing system and attachment supplier, Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope; glass manufacturer, PPG Industries.

The glass and systems: Solarban 70XL glass on the upper floors and laminated security glass on the lower floors. The glass facade incorporates insulating glass units measuring up to 5 feet by 11 feet with thermal-edge spacers and argon gas. The building also features sunscreens, operable vents, skylights, louvers and canopies.