Lafayette College’s Hugel Welcome Center Features VacuMax™ Insulating Glass by Vitro

This modern space, completed in September 2023, pays homage to the college’s dedication to the environment.

The Hugel Welcome Center features one of Vitro’s highest-performing products, VacuMax™ Vacuum Insulating Glass (VIG), which delivers world-leading R-values of up to R20, rivaling the performance of traditional walls. It is the first U.S. project to boast this innovative insulating technology, greatly enhancing thermal insulation capabilities and energy savings and reducing operational carbon.

VacuMax™ VIG delivers thermal insulation performance three to five times better than conventional insulating glass units and up to 20 times better than monolithic glass. The VIG unit is comprised of two lites of 4mm (0.16") glass separated by a non-leaded proprietary metal edge seal and a vacuum space. The unit's slender design and light weight make it easy to integrate into traditional glazing systems, window frames or curtainwall applications. It is often used to replace monolithic glazing in older buildings, making it well-suited for retrofit projects.

The VacuMax™ VIG units at the Hugel Welcome Center feature Solarban^® 90 solar control low-e glass by Vitro on the second surface and AviProtek^® pattern #217 bird-friendly glass on the outboard lite. AviProtek^® glass, created in conjunction with Vitro partner Walker Glass, has an acid-etched pattern on the exterior surface that maximizes glass visibility to birds and helps prevent collisions.

The Hugel Welcome Center boasts a captivating pedestrian walkway featuring a vibrant display of native plants and landscaping. This walkway creates an inviting path for visitors as they transition from the upper level of the Markle Hall parking deck to the first level of Markle Hall. With its recent renovation, the Hugel Welcome Center is now a remarkable introduction for prospective students and their families, leaving a lasting impact and providing a comprehensive first look at the campus.

Additional project credits include:

• Architect: ALMA Architecture, LLC (Philadelphia, PA)
• Glass Fabricator: Glass Enterprises, Inc. (Bensalem, PA)
• Glazing Contractor: National Glass & Metal Company, Inc. (Horsham, PA)
• General Contractor: DVP Construction Group (Ringoes, NJ)

For more information about VacuMax™ VIG, visit vacumaxvig.com. For more information about all other Vitro products, visit www.vitroglazings.com or call 1-855-VTRO-GLS (887-6457).

About Vitro Architectural Glass

Vitro Architectural Glass, part of Vitro, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: VITROA), is the largest glass producer in the Western Hemisphere, manufacturing a range of industry-leading, energy-efficient, high-performance products such as Solarban^®, Sungate^® and Starphire Ultra-Clear^® glasses. Committed to continually raising the industry standard for sustainability, Vitro was the first U.S. glass manufacturer to have its complete collection of architectural glass products earn Cradle to Cradle Certified^® status and the first North American manufacturer to publish third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for flat glass and processed glass products. Additionally, as of April 2024, all Vitro architectural glass products meet the Top 20% Low Embodied Carbon (LEC) material Global Warming Potential (GWP) threshold the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) established pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and related guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Vitro operates seven glass production facilities across North America, four residential glass fabrication plants in Canada and one of the world’s largest glass research and development facilities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit VitroGlazings.com.