Vitro Glass to Promote Reducing Bird-Glass Collisions at AIA

Vitro Glass to promote American Bird Conservancy and reducing bird-glass collisions at AIA Conference on Architecture
Photo source
By Jim Cunningham

Date: 9 May 2019

Company will highlight bird collision research and bird-friendly design.

Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) announced that it will devote its presence at A’19, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Conference on Architecture, to advocating for and educating architects about the principles of bird-friendly glass and building design.

Representatives of Vitro Glass, North America’s largest glass manufacturer, will provide information and educational materials from American Bird Conservancy (ABC), which estimates that up to one billion birds die in the United States each year in collisions with glass windows and walls. ABC and Vitro Glass had previously worked together to test bird-friendly glass designs at the Powdermill Avian Research Center in Stahlstown, Pennsylvania.

Kevin Ramus, manager, architectural quality, Vitro Architectural Glass (center), works with staff from American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and the Powdermill Avian Research Center in Stahlstown, Pennsylvania, to arrange an experiment for bird-friendly glass development. Birds captured at the research center are tested for their ability to see patterned-glass prototypes with the goal of helping birds of every type avoid collisions with glass windows and walls.
Kevin Ramus, manager, architectural quality, Vitro Architectural Glass (center), works with staff from American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and the Powdermill Avian Research Center in Stahlstown, Pennsylvania, to arrange an experiment for bird-friendly glass development. Birds captured at the research center are tested for their ability to see patterned-glass prototypes with the goal of helping birds of every type avoid collisions with glass windows and walls.

Christine Sheppard, Ph.D., glass collisions program director, ABC, said her organization is excited to partner with Vitro Glass on this initiative. “The best way to build a bird-friendly building is to think about birds at the start of the design process,” she explained.

“It is vital to increase the number of glass options that are both bird-friendly and visually appealing so that we make it as easy as possible for talented architects to create a range of bird-friendly buildings, from homes to skyscrapers. This is a chance to show that bird-friendly architecture is not an add-on, but a design strategy that creates beautiful, functional buildings.”

Robert J. Struble, manager, brand and communications, Vitro Architectural Glass, added that protecting birds is an integral part of Vitro’s sustainability efforts. “We’ve worked closely with architects for many years to maximize energy and environmental performance of high-performance glass,” he explained. “We are equally committed to working with the industry and our architectural partners to make glass more bird-friendly, too.”

Photography by Jim Cunningham   An expansive new glass dome comprising 19,600-square-feet of laminated Starphire Ultra-Clear® glass by Vitro Glass with bird-friendly acid etching was installed in the National Aviary’s Tropical Rainforest exhibit, which reopened last summer after a four-month-long renovation. The custom glass specification, which incorporates acid-etching on the exterior (#1) surface of the ultra-transparent glass dome, was designed to reduce the chances of bird-glass collisions by preventing birds of prey living outside the habitat from seeing and attempting to reach potential prey living inside it. The glass also maximizes UV and natural light transmittance to support plant growth and wildlife.
Photography by Jim Cunningham

An expansive new glass dome comprising 19,600-square-feet of laminated Starphire Ultra-Clear® glass by Vitro Glass with bird-friendly acid etching was installed in the National Aviary’s Tropical Rainforest exhibit, which reopened last summer after a four-month-long renovation. The custom glass specification, which incorporates acid-etching on the exterior (#1) surface of the ultra-transparent glass dome, was designed to reduce the chances of bird-glass collisions by preventing birds of prey living outside the habitat from seeing and attempting to reach potential prey living inside it. The glass also maximizes UV and natural light transmittance to support plant growth and wildlife.

In addition to advocating for bird-safe research on the show floor at A’19, Vitro Glass will co-sponsor an invitation-only presentation by Daniel Klem, Jr., Ph.D. of Muhlenberg University, a world-renown ornithologist and expert in bird-collision deterrence. Klem will discuss bird-safety legislation across North America and the impact it will have on the architectural community.

Last summer, Vitro Glass supplied 3,100 panels of laminated Starphire Ultra-Clear® glass with bird-friendly acid-etching to restore the popular Tropical Rainforest habitat at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, which houses more than 70 exotic birds.

The custom glass specification, which was developed by bird-safety experts from the National Aviary and Vitro Glass, reduces the chances of bird-glass collisions by preventing birds of prey living outside the exhibit from seeing and attempting to reach potential prey living inside it. The glass also maximizes UV and natural light transmittance to support plant growth and wildlife.

Photography by Jim Cunningham  Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) will devote its presence at A’19, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Conference on Architecture, to advocating for and educating architects about the principles of bird-friendly glass and building design. Last year, Vitro Glass provided 3,100 panels of bird-safe laminated STARPHIRE ULTRA-CLEAR glass to renovate the canopy covering the Tropical Rainforest exhibit at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh.
Photography by Jim Cunningham

Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) will devote its presence at A’19, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Conference on Architecture, to advocating for and educating architects about the principles of bird-friendly glass and building design. Last year, Vitro Glass provided 3,100 panels of bird-safe laminated STARPHIRE ULTRA-CLEAR glass to renovate the canopy covering the Tropical Rainforest exhibit at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh.

For more information about bird-friendly glass, visit Vitro Glass at booth 9340, log on to www.vitroglazings.com or call (855) VTRO-GLS (887-6457). A’19, the AIA Conference on Architecture, will be held June 6-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. 

600450 Vitro Glass to Promote Reducing Bird-Glass Collisions at AIA glassonweb.com

Others also read

At the heart of CSU Channel Islands, OKALUX glass helps create a bright, comfortable study environment by softly diffusing natural light throughout the library.
BGT supplied advanced glass solutions for Newark Liberty International Airport’s new Terminal A, supporting the project’s bold architectural vision with high-performance, energy-efficient glazing systems.
The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) remained in negative territory in June with a score of 46.8, down from 47.2 in May as more firms reported a decrease in billing.
NorthGlass Coating BU takes a bold step forward with its new 24-meter ultra-long glass technology.
In the heart of Thessaloniki, OKALUX daylighting systems enhance the timeless architecture of the Archaeological Museum, balancing heritage preservation with intelligent, glare-free natural light.
The Company announced the installation of a co-extrusion line specifically designed for the upcoming production of advanced EPE Solar PV encapsulants and EVA tri-layer acoustic interlayers.

Add new comment

From industry

Ottergemsesteenweg 707-Zuid
9000 Ghent
Belgium

İçmeler Mah. D-100 Karayolu Cad. No:44A,
34947 Tuzla,/İstanbul
Turkey

Polígono Industrial El Bayo, parcela I, 19
24492 Cubillos del Sil León
Spain

52 Corniche El-Nil, AL-SHARIFAIN Tower 10th Floor,
Maadi,
Cairo Governorate
11728
Egypt

Via Del Lavoro Snc
64023 Mosciano Sant’Angelo TE
Italy

NEWS RELATED PRODUCTS

Guardian Glass Europe
Vitro Architectural Glass
Qingdao REXI Industries Co., Ltd
R.C.N. Solutions Srl
Vitro Architectural Glass