Located in Daytona Beach, Florida, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is the world’s largest university dedicated to aviation, aerospace and STEM fields. Founded in 1926, it has become one of the most prestigious institutions for aviation and aerospace technology, offering students hands-on experience in these fields.
Recently, the university completed an expansion of its research park, which features several decorative glass products courtesy of Pulp Studio.
About the expansion
In 2022, Hyatt Brown, Brown & Brown Chairman, and his wife, Cici Brown, announced that they would be donating $25 million to support the expansion of Embry-Riddle’s research park. This contribution doubles the size of the research park, adding a 65,000-square-foot facility called the Cici and Hyatt Brown Center for Aerospace Technology, as well as two 20,000-square-foot aircraft hangers.
For this expansion, Pulp Studio fabricated three different IGU glass types, creating the vibrant pops of color seen throughout the building’s façade. A key element of this design is the interlayer, which, despite being thinner than a dollar bill, produces stunning visual effects such as color shifts, rainbow effects and metallic finishes.
“Achieving a rainbow effect in architectural glass is often a challenge because the process can be temperamental,” says Kirk Johnson, CEO of Pulp Studio. “The appearance of the effect is highly sensitive to factors like lighting and viewing angles. Typically, most dichroic glass is vacuumed directly onto the surface. However, in this case, Pulp Studio laminated the dichroic layer between two pieces of glass. This method provides more design flexibility, but it requires precise control of the temperature, bell curve and PSI during the lamination process.”
This design features a combination of:
- ¼-inch low iron tempered glass, ½-inch black Tecnoform Spacers,
- 9/16-inch annealed laminated glass, 5/16-inch #614LI on the No. 1 surface with a dichroic interlayer,
- 3/16-inch low iron, ¼-inch D2G LI Satin Etch Frit Line Pattern on the No. 2 surface,
- ¼-inch #456 tempered glass on the No. 3 surface,
- 7/16-inch annealed laminated glass, 3/16-inch low iron with a dichroic interlayer and
- another 3/16-inch low iron layer for a sophisticated and high-performance glass composition.
The Embry-Riddle project exemplifies Pulp Studio’s dedication to designing stunning spaces that bring together communities and the educational institutions they serve. Past projects include multiple public schools in New York City, the UCLA Ackerman Union Building and North Stafford High School in Stafford, Va.
