New requirements for better performing, more sustainable and thermally efficient glass and glazing products represent an important opportunity for the industry, said Apogee CEO Joe Puishys during his keynote address at the 2020 Building Envelope Contractors Conference. The event, organized by the National Glass Association, drew about 680 registered attendees to Nashville March 1-3.
“I want to address what’s going on with the regulatory environment—the trends toward efficiencies,” Puishys said. “I am a fan of regulation for selfish reasons. It is hugely helpful to the quality players in the industry. … The higher the standards, the better for quality players.”
Increasingly stringent codes allow industry companies to promote and sell better performing products, and they open the door for new technologies that may have previously struggled to gain foothold in the market. “At the end of the day, higher technology products don’t get [value-engineered] out of ultimate building decisions,” Puishys said.
Additionally, emerging requirements for higher performance of existing buildings will allow industry companies to capitalize on new opportunities in renovation. “Consider the size of the market of existing buildings today. [It] is 100 times the size of [the market] for curtain wall glass and windows [that are installed] each year in new construction. Yet, we are all chasing the new construction world,” he said.
Many industry-leading companies say they are embracing the challenges and opportunities that come with the continued push for performance. A recent survey of National Glass Association technical committee members asked respondents about their companies’ role in bringing the glass and window industry forward to meet the needs of the future buildings that are net zero, intelligent, adaptive and more. Thirty-six percent of respondents report their companies are leading the way, or are in sync with others, in creating this future vision; 44 percent said they are currently behind but recognize the need to catch up.
This issue of Glass Magazine dives into current and future performance demands and solutions, beginning with the in-depth report, Glass & Metals 501: The Architect’s Guide to Glass and Glazing Performance on pages 44-59. The report covers roadblocks to performance and presents important payback considerations, looks at the wide range of high-performance product solutions, and addresses emerging topics such as thermal bridging and energy modeling. In addition to the report, get a closer look at envelope backstop requirements on page 30, and read an architect’s perspective on sustainable façade trends for the 22nd Century on page 20.
