When the city of Fayetteville, North Carolina was awarded an $8 million Federal Transit Authority (FTA) grant to construct a new multimodal transit center, it was the largest Bus Livability Program grant ever awarded in the state. Built to be the home to the Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST), the city wanted a well-lit, open look that would blend well with nearby structures, while offering clear views into and outside the building.
To achieve those objectives, Gantt Huberman Architects designed a glass façade featuring Solarban 67 glass by Vitro Architectural Glass, which not only provides passengers with views outward toward arriving buses, but guides visitors into the building by offering views of amenities and scheduling displays.
With interiority and exterior reflectivity of 16 percent and 19 percent, respectively, Solarban 67 glass delivers crisp, clean views from either side of the transit center’s windows. Visible light transmittance (VLT) of 54 percent and a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.29 fulfill design demands for abundant natural lighting and maximum energy efficiency. Solarban 67 glass also enables the transit center to blend seamlessly with neighboring attractions, creating a sleek modern look that city officials hope will inspire additional growth in the area.
In all, more than 9,000 square feet of Solarban 67 glass were fabricated for the building by United Plate Glass in Charlotte. Glazed by A-1 Glass and Aluminum, the panels form a welcoming two-story, floor-to-ceiling glass façade that encapsulates the structure’s open community room.
The community room was designed to accommodate about 100 passengers and encourages lingering with its sleek, sun-filled atrium and many food, drink and informational amenities. The center totals more than 34,000 square feet with 16 bus overlays servicing more than 58,000 passengers a day—a total of nearly 1.8 million a year.
For more information about Solarban 67 glass and the rest of Vitro Glass’s full line of architectural glasses, visit www.vitroglazings.com
