Bird-Friendly Glass: Three Project Types You Haven’t Thought About

Recent legislative initiatives have helped bring bird-friendly design to the forefront of innovative façade architecture and fabrication. Numerous bills have passed on city and state levels throughout the U.S.—from New York to California. Just last year, Congress introduced the bipartisan Bird-Safe Buildings Act, establishing nationwide guidelines for federal buildings.

A number of building types present ideal opportunities for bird-friendly design, none more than sports stadia. In 2016, the U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings football team, opened to great acclaim for its beautiful and innovative glass façade. At the same time, it was heavily criticized for its choice of clear glass, rather than the bird-friendly glass many had advocated for. To a great degree, the stadium’s celebrated all-glass enclosure—and the controversy it stirred among avian experts and lovers—has inadvertently done much to promote the cause of bird-friendly design.