Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) has announced that two bird-friendly glass installations at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA, have received a Top Project of the Year Award in the elite Environment + Energy Leader Awards program. The win is an indication that the program’s expert judges consider the joint efforts made by Vitro Glass and Walker Glass to equip the National Aviary with energy-efficient, bird-safe glass a top example of the exemplary work being done today in the fields of energy and environmental management.
Since 2015, Vitro Glass and Walker Glass have partnered to produce AviProtek® E with Solarban® glass, an energy-efficient, award-winning glass product that combines bird-friendly, acid-etched patterns by Walker Glass with high-performance solar control low-e coatings by Vitro.
The National Aviary has installed AviProtek® bird-safe glass in two locations: its Tropical Rainforest exhibit, which houses over 30 different species of birds and was renovated in 2018, and its new Garden Room event and meeting venue. In the Tropical Rainforest, full-surface Velour finish, which mutes natural element reflections on the surface of the glass to deter bird collisions, was applied to Starphire® glass by Vitro. The Garden Room features Solarban® 72 Acuity™ glass by Vitro with AviProtek® acid-etched markers by Walker Glass on the first surface.
The Environment + Energy Leader Awards wrote the following in recognition of the National Aviary’s bird-conscious construction: “The two projects illustrate how architects and building owners can unite the conservationist values with the practical considerations of designing, constructing and operating a beautiful, environmentally sustainable building.”
One judge said of the project’s bird-safe glass façade, “Who doesn’t cringe when a bird hits a window? Any product designed to reduce avian mortality has my vote.”
Another commented on the energy efficiency benefits of the project: “[AviProtek® E with Solarban® glass] has demonstrated energy performance data to back up its claims.”
The Environment + Energy Leader Awards is a program recognizing excellence in products and services that provide companies with energy and environmental benefits, and in projects implemented by companies that improved environmental or energy management and increased the bottom line.
“With a very experienced and critical judging panel and a strict set of judging criteria, entrants faced an extremely high bar to qualify for an award in 2021,” says Sarah Roberts, Environment + Energy Leader publisher.
For more information about Vitro’s partnership with Walker Glass, visit vitroglazings.com/WalkerPartners.
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