PPG, J.E. Berkowitz announce glass supply milestone for the Tower at PNC Plaza

Berkowitz, LP, Pedricktown, N.J., announced that they have shipped about 50 percent of an order they received in 2013 to supply more than 400,000 square feet of fabricated vision glass panels for the Tower at PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh.  

The new 33-story building, designed to be the world’s “greenest” office tower, is being erected with an innovative double-skin façade featuring STARPHIRE(R) ultra-clear and SUNGATE(R) 400 passive low-emissivity (low-e) glasses by PPG. Permasteelisa North America Corp., Windsor, Conn., is the glazing contractor.

The façade, which is expected to help the structure achieve net-zero energy status for more than 40 percent of the year, features laminated glass and dual insulating glass units (IGUs) fabricated by J.E. Berkowitz, a member of the PPG CFP Certified Fabricator Program using PPG Skyline Quality Standards. Arthur Berkowitz, president, said that due to the double-wall design, total glass shipments, which will be completed later this year, could total more than 1 million square feet.



Image courtesy of Gensler

The Tower at PNC Plaza, designed to be the world’s “greenest” office tower, is being erected with an innovative double-skin façade featuring STARPHIRE(R) ultra-clear and SUNGATE(R) 400 passive low-emissivity (low-e) glasses by PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG). The new 33-story building, which is being designed to surpass standards for LEED(R) certification at the Platinum level, is expected to open in 2015.

Designed by Gensler and sustainability consultants Paladino & Co., Seattle, the Tower at PNC Plaza will be wrapped in a two-layer façade with a motorized outer layer and a manually operable inner layer of louvers that will draw fresh air across the building floors, where it will be heated and then drawn through the “chimney” shaft to be exhausted through the roof. Narrow floor plates and highly transparent Starphire and Sungate 400 glasses will enable light to penetrate work spaces throughout the building, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Starphire glass is made with a proprietary low-iron formulation that produces the industry’s clearest, most transparent float glass.



Photograph courtesy of PNC

The Tower at PNC Plaza will be wrapped in a two-layer façade with a motorized outer layer and a manually operable inner layer of louvers that will draw fresh air across the building floors, where it will be heated and then drawn through the “chimney” shaft to be exhausted through the roof. Highly transparent STARPHIRE(R) and SUNGATE(R) 400 glasses by PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) and narrow floor plates will enable light to penetrate work spaces throughout the building, reducing the need for artificial lighting.

Sungate 400 glass, introduced in 2010, is an exceptionally clear, passive low-e glass with a magnetron sputtered vacuum deposition (MSVD) “soft coat” that helps commercial buildings in heating-dominated climates reduce winter heating costs by retaining heat from the sun. When coated on conventional clear glass in a standard 1-inch IGU, Sungate 400 glass has visible light transmittance (VLT) of 76 percent. On Starphire ultra-clear glass, VLT is 80 percent. The Tower at PNC Plaza, which is being designed to surpass standards for LEED(R) certification at the Platinum level, is expected to open in 2015.

For more information about Starphire ultra-clear glass, Sungate 400 glass or any other PPG architectural glass certified through the CRADLE TO CRADLE CERTIFIED(CM) program, visit www.ppgideascapes.com or call 1-888-PPG-IDEA (774-4332).

About J.E. Berkowitz, LP

J.E. Berkowitz, LP, is the country’s largest independent architectural glass fabricator. Founded in 1920, the ISO 9001-certified company serves customers in domestic and overseas architectural markets and has a long history of work on major projects, including, more recently, Bank of America Tower in New York and Comcast Center in Philadelphia. For more information, visit www.jeberkowitz.com.

PPG: BRINGING INNOVATION TO THE SURFACE.(TM)

PPG Industries' vision is to continue to be the world’s leading coatings and specialty materials company. Through leadership in innovation, sustainability and color, PPG helps customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction markets and aftermarkets to enhance more surfaces in more ways than does any other company. Founded in 1883, PPG has global headquarters in Pittsburgh and operates in nearly 70 countries around the world. Sales in 2013 were $15.1 billion. PPG shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol:PPG). For more information, visit www.ppg.com and follow @PPGIndustries on Twitter.



Bringing innovation to the surface is a trademark and Starphire and Sungate are registered trademarks of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.

LEED – an acronym for the phrase “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” – is a registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Cradle to Cradle Certified is a certification mark licensed by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.