Most innovative protective glazing project

Photo by New York Focus LLC, 2011

This 35-story, 586,000-square-foot Class A high-rise incorporates the strongest curtain wall window system of any commercial building in the nation, according to officials from Enclos Corp., the contract glazier responsible for the overall design, fabrication, assembly and installation of the exterior façade at 1450 Brickell Ave. in Miami.

While Miami-Dade County requires that glass in the first 30 feet of a building be large-missile impact-resistant, the entire 35-story curtain wall system on this technologically advanced building is designed for large-missile impact.

Viracon provided the glass, and PGT Industries supplied the curtain wall out of its Salisbury, N.C., facility. Typical ground-level wall systems at 1450 Brickell incorporate twin span units measuring 18 feet, 8 inches tall by 5 feet wide. Typical curtain wall units on levels 10 and above measure 13.5 feet tall by 5 feet wide, providing expansive views of downtown Miami and the Biscayne Bay to the east.

The curtain wall consists of dual-pane glass that utilizes a PVB triple-layer core and PET film between the panes. Sequenced lab testing included extreme static water, dynamic water, air flow and impact testing. The curtain wall system surpassed each testing sequence; it was water tested to a pressure of 20.9 PSF and structurally tested to a negative load of 274.5 PSF.

"After enduring the most rigorous set of window testing ever conducted in the United States, I can say with confidence that 1450 Brickell's curtain wall system will set a new standard for building strength," says Enclos Senior Project Manager Troy Johnson. "In a city as susceptible to catastrophic wind speeds as Miami, the advantages of 1450 Brickell's curtain wall technology may mean the difference between security and vulnerability for building occupants."

Security is not the only advancement provided by this progressive curtain wall design. The PVB layer and PET film incorporated in the glass also improve energy efficiency, and the addition of a low-E coating on the glass laminate increases solar performance by 25 percent. As a result, 1450 Brickell was Miami's first office tower to earn LEED Gold pre-certification from the U.S. Green Building Council,and has since become LEED Gold certified. Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates was the architect for the project.