The University of Texas at Dallas’ Engineering and Computer Science West (ECSW) building design uses high-performance glazing to put engineering – and the learning taking place inside – on display.
The 200,000-square-foot, LEED® Gold-certified facility features a highly transparent façade designed by SmithGroup around Solarban® 70 glass from Vitro Architectural Glass. The triple-silver-coated low-e glass provides 64% visible light transmittance (VLT) and a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.27, helping maximize daylight and views while limiting unwanted solar heat gain and reducing cooling loads.
“Solarban® glass provided the ‘sweet spot’ the project demanded, a combination of high daylight transmission, excellent solar control and color-neutral clarity,” said Randall Daniel, senior principal and science & technology studio design leader for SmithGroup in Dallas.
The glazing works with a layered system of exterior shading elements tailored to each building orientation. Large overhangs and a calibrated brise-soleil filter morning sunlight on the east façade, allowing expansive glazing around commons, instructional laboratories, collaboration spaces and an exterior terrace. On the west, reduced glazing helps control afternoon heat gain, while electrochromic glass strips automatically adjust tint based on solar intensity.
Fully glazed faculty offices along the north and south façades bring daylight deeper into the building, with projecting shade portals providing additional solar protection while maintaining exterior views. Metal screens, fins, frit, coatings, cladding and spandrel panels further balance transparency, glare control and thermal performance.
The design team used SketchUp and Revit to study solar exposure, daylight levels, glazing locations and shading depths, refining the façade for both performance and occupant comfort.
That transparency also supports the building’s educational mission. Visitors can see research labs, maker spaces, student projects and collaborative learning environments as they move through the facility. Even the building systems become part of the experience. Glazed exhaust shafts and elevators expose working systems, while color-coded mechanical, electrical, plumbing and technology infrastructure and visible performance meters turn the building itself into a teaching tool.
Inside, ECSW supports research and education in areas ranging from wind and solar energy and advanced manufacturing to surgical robotics, drone technologies and bio/nanomanufacturing. Outside, the U-shaped building surrounds a shaded courtyard designed to encourage airflow and create a comfortable setting for instruction and events.
Together, Solarban® 70 glass and the building’s carefully calibrated shading systems give ECSW the transparency its architects envisioned while delivering the solar control and daylighting performance required for a high-performance academic facility.
Project Credits:
- Architect: SmithGroup
- Glass Fabricator: Tristar Glass Inc.
- Glazing Contractor: Kovach
- General Contractor: The Beck Group
For more information about Solarban® 70 glass, and for Vitro Architectural Glass’ full portfolio of glass solutions, visit vitroglazings.com or call 1-855-VTRO-GLS (887-6457).
