Argonne National Laboratory Uses SageGlass in New State-of-The-Art Research Facility

The project is one of the first commercial buildings to incorporate electrochromic glass from SAGE’s new high-volume manufacturing facility.Located next to its global headquarters in Minnesota, SAGE’s new facility is the world’s largest and most advanced dynamic glass manufacturing plant. The facility is able to produce dynamic glass in high volumes and in larger commercial, architectural sizes at an affordable cost.

The Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility (APCF) at Argonne will provide researchers with the most advanced technology for protein science experiments in the nation. Chicago-based architectural firm SmithGroupJJR designed the APCF to attain LEED® Gold certification and provide an ideal environment for scientific collaboration while also being highly energy efficient. To achieve that goal, architects designed a south-facing curtain wall with more than 2,000 square feet of SageGlass®, which will harvest maximum daylight while reducing glare and heat gain.

According to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory study[1], maximizing daylight in buildings not only saves energy through reduced lighting and heating load requirements, but improves the physiological and psychological well-being of occupants. SageGlass also provides an unobstructed view to the forest preserve that surrounds the campus, while enabling natural light to penetrate deeper into indoor work spaces typically deficient in natural light. Together, these environmental enhancements will improve the well-being of Argonne scientists and enable them to be more productive.

The 60,000-square-foot facility is being constructed by Maryland-based Clark Construction Group. The APCF will house up to 76 researchers as well as support staff and visitors.

“The APCF at Argonne National Laboratory will incorporate many advanced technologies in this world-class facility,” said Jeffrey Sims, program manager at Argonne. “We are excited to include rapidly emerging design elements such as electronically tintable glass. This feature will improve daylighting in the building and enhance productivity and the work experience for our scientists and staff.” 

About Argonne National Laboratory

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

About SmithGroupJJR

SmithGroupJJR (www.smithgroupjjr.com) is one of the largest architecture, engineering and planning firms in the U.S., ranked a Top 10 design firm by Architect, the magazine of the American Institute of Architects. Its staff numbers 800 employees in 10 offices across the U.S. A national leader in sustainable design, SmithGroupJJR has 343 LEED professionals and 81 LEED certified

projects.

[1] Edwards, L. & Torcellini, P.  (July 2002). A Literature Review of the Effects of Natural Light on Building Occupants. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Technical Report.

About SAGE Electrochromics, Inc.

SAGE Electrochromics is the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced dynamic glass that can be tinted or cleared to optimize daylight and improve the human experience in buildings. SageGlass controls the sunlight and heat that enter a building, significantly reducing energy consumption while improving people’s comfort and well-being. SageGlass can reduce a building’s cooling load by 20% and HVAC requirements up to 30%. It is a smarter, more elegant solution than conventional sun controls such as mechanical window shades, blinds and louvers. Now celebrating its 10th year anniversary shipping commercial SageGlass, the company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered near Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., in the heart of “the Silicon Valley of the window industry.” SAGE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saint-Gobain of Paris, the world’s largest building materials company.

For more information visit:

Website: www.sageglass.com

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Facebook: Facebook.com/SageGlass

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/sage-electrochromics-inc.

YouTube: Youtube.com/SAGEElectrochromics