The architects of a new business/shopping centre on the outskirts of Pordenone, Italy were tasked with making the modern and elegant four-storey building energy-saving, ahead of legislation. As from 1 January 2008, for this particular climatic zone, new buildings have to comply with a maximum thermal transmittance value (U) of 2.4 W/m²K for the overall window or 1.9 W/m²K for the glass only centre pane Ug value. The client decided to implement an energy saving policy ahead of schedule in the hope of increasing the building’s value and reducing overheads.

Also, as the centre accommodates architects, law firms, paramedical services and shops on the ground floor, the architecture had to combine safety features with originality and innovation along with the urban traditional. With such a variety of users in the building, it is not uncommon for glass to be required to achieve several objectives at the same time to ensure the building meets the needs of all the occupants. Thanks to the wide Pilkington glass range it was possible to combine glass specifications to satisfy the design criteria.

How objectives were achieved:
● Low-emissivity double-glazing containing Pilkington Optitherm™ S3 in metal frames with a thermal break was installed to take the building beyond future performance requisites. Pilkington Optitherm™ S3 delivers a thermal transmittance of 1.4 W/m²K (value at centre) without using gas. This new generation, low-emissivity double-glazing, cuts losses of traditional double-glazing by half. As a consequence, the need for heating the building is reduced, creating an annual saving of around 40 kWh per square metre.
● Large feature aluminium-clad windows blend in with the surroundings, providing the low reflection needed to avoid impacting on the environment, while at the same time ensuring maximum natural light transmission.
● By using laminated safety products such as Pilkington Optilam™ and Pilkington Optilam™ Therm S3 (laminated low-e glass), the windows fulfilled the acoustic, the insulation and safety characteristics needed within a public building.