Keith Boswell FAIA Technical Director _ SOM

I had the extreme pleasure of meeting and hearing Keith Boswell (FAIA Technical Director) talk from Skidmore, Owens, & Merrill, LLP at the recent Glass Association of North America (GANA) annual conference in California. Boswell is key partner of SOM, an amazing architecture, engineering, and visionary firm that creates amazing buildings all over the world.  Boswell is specialist in designing and executing technically complex building systems; creating highly sustainable, innovative techniques that integrate materials and technology in case-specific design solutions for custom building envelopes, elevator systems, and building systems. I was dazzled as he talked about creating innovative designs that demanded new ways of utilizing glass.

In his photo-heavy talk during lunch in San Diego last week, Boswell stated, “Architects like glass. They want to use more glass, and use it new and innovative ways. Not just for the sake of doing it.”

Boswell continued to express the sentiment that construction is coming back to North America. Yes, renovation is important. Yes, governmental is good. But also real, commercial construction is beginning again. All of what he said was music to this audience’s ears.

To illustrate SOM’s commitment to innovation,they developed a method for cold-bending on-site for one specific project. Insulated glass units as big as my office were manipulated up to 3 inches out of square to serve the design and function. Boswell’s team developed innovative curtain wall systems to help deflect heat and insulate the occupants. It was a wonderful slide show, and I wish I could show you everything. But just go to their website for a taste.

One such example is below:

SOM Jinao Tower Nanjing, China - Detail of innovative Double-Curtainwall

According to the SOM website, “This next-generation tower maximizes performance, efficiency, and occupant experience. Its faceted form is derived from the juxtaposition of the innovative double-skin façade and the external lateral bracing that wraps the tower from crown to base and defines the dimensions and folds of the building envelope.” At night it is especially stunning:

Jangho Group Curtain Walls - JinaoTower Nanjing, China

The willingness to explore new and different ways to push the capabilities of glass on a tremendous scale was so amazing to see. The New Beijing Poly Plaza for example was a marvel from a design aspect to be certain. I mean, just LOOK at it. Wow!

Beijing PolyPlaza SOM architects

But then, once you realize that they erected a glass cable net wall that was nearly 300 ft. tall,…an audible gasp was heard from the GANA audience. It is truly an engineering marvel in glass. For a terrific breakdown on the engineering aspects of this project, go to Steel Guru.

Beijing Poly Plaza Cable-Net Wall Detail

Another topic he addressed was that of  lobby renovations as a growing trend. Opening up the spaces with larger and larger expanses of glass to get more daylighting and large-scale art within is more and more important in urban environments. It is essential that I/G units get bigger and better, that testing data is up to the challenge, and that models – even full-scale mockups – are a part of the process extremely early on in the development of the project.

As Boswell said during the lunch talk, “Nothing beats a good ol’ fashioned mock up!” Which was made all the more charming with his subtle Southern drawl.

SOM Architects 350 Mission Tower San Francisco Lobby

Keith Boswell is the author of the forthcoming book, “Exterior Building Enclosures: Process and Composition for Innovative Skins“ to be released June 2013. After that brief but memorable talk in California, I’ve already pre-ordered my copy from Amazon.

Dreamwalls Glass Installation in Key Bank

Glass message boards are growing in popularity as more and more designers become familiar with them. Glass is non-ghosting, provides good contrast, is easy to clean of all types of markers (including permanent), and adds a higher end look for corporate environments. In this week’s earlier post, we wrote about our custom color capabilities and quality features, but today I want to speak about the artistic side of Dreamwalls Color Glass to add extra beauty and value to your message board.

There are many different features in a glass message boards that can help you create the exact look – and function – desired for a corporate look, and Dreamwalls Color Glass has created the “gold standard” in message boards for these environments. Below are 4 different ways that Dreamwalls Color Glass can make the dry erase board of your design dreams:

1. Tempering
2. Magnetization
3. Cut outs
4. Graphics

Dreamwalls Tempered Glass Breakage Pattern

TEMPERING: Tempered glass is annealed (untempered) glass that has been processed by a controlled thermal process to increase its strength in comparison to annealed glass. Tempered glass is generally 4-6x stronger than annealed glass, and creates the characteristic breaking pattern you see above, as well as a greater resistance to high heat temperatures. Tempered glass must be fabricated fully with all holes, edging, and shaping done prior to tempering because of the internal stress, so measure carefully, because there is no trimming “in the field”. When tempered glass is broken, it crumbles into granular chunks, instead of jagged shards. These nuggets of glass are less likely to cause injury, so some people refer to it as “safety glass”.

Tempered glass is often used in glass shower enclosures, glass doors and tables, backsplashes, shower walls, and other architectural applications. However, it is often recommended for “pass through” applications where the back of the glass is not fully supported – like message boards with standoffs used, or where the glass may come in contact with extreme changes in temperature. (Glass trivets are made of tempered glass, and they can usually stand the direct heat of pots that are up to 400-450˚ F.)

MAGNETIZATION: Many offices are now opting for magnetic glass message boards for an additional function to the writing surface. Calling the boards themselves “magnetic” is a bit of a misnomer, since the glass itself is not actually magnetized. A steel plate is adhered to the back of the glass using a special adhesive that will not harm the paint layers, and magnets are used on the front side which pull “through” the glass to the steel. It’s important to note that the addition of the steel plate creates a much heavier product, often increasing the weight of the overall glass message board by 3x – so when you’re looking at hanging mechanisms, that is definitely a consideration. Dreamwalls Color Glass magnetized message boards may just be the solution you’ve needed to add the utmost flexibility to the office.

Dreamwalls Magnetized Message Board with Cut Outs

CUT OUTS: Drilled holes for standoff mounting, unique patterns cut out of the glass, or cutting the glass board itself into a unique shape, can add some amazing options to a Dreamwalls Color Glass glass marker board. Working from .dxf files, we can waterjet any design out of the glass. Watch a good video about our waterjet cutting capabilities here.

Dreamwalls Color Glass Signage

GRAPHICS: We can also add graphics on the reverse side of the glass. By using our painting system we can selectively paint different areas in different colors (or leave them clear) so that you add logos, text, borders, or other designs to the message boards. These designs won’t chip or wash off because they’re on the back side and protected. The shine and sparkle add a professional look to any graphic. Just think of the possibilities!

With these unique capabilities, almost anything can be achieved for a unique marker board that is a cut above the competition. A Dreamwalls Color Glass message board will make any office stand out from the competition.

For more information about Dreamwalls Color Glass Message Boards and our other decorative glass options, please call 800-334-7267 or visit www.dreamwallscolorglass.com

Glass is easy to clean, durable, and long-lasting; so it is easy to see why more and more offices have been getting creative with back painted glass; especially by using it as message boards in reception, eating, conference, and creative areas.

Dreamwalls Color Glass was many years in development while we created the perfect paint formula for excellent coverage, adherence, and durability. Glass is a very non-porous substrate that is difficult to get paints to adhere to properly long-term, so we used our 50 years of experience in making mirrors towards developing a product that is the highest quality available.

We achieved the longevity, durability, and purity of Dreamwalls Color Glass through 3 unique characteristics:

• Using Low Iron Substrate
• Heat Curing
• Dual-Coating

LOW IRON SUBSTRATE: In all back-painted glass, the paint is applied to the back side of the glass, so the viewer has to look through the glass to perceive the color. If the glass has a greenish cast, it can alter the color to the viewing eye. When that happens, reds become neutralized, whites become aqua, yellows become greenish and all pastels become a bit “off”.

Each piece of Dreamwalls Color Glass is created using low-iron glass which doesn’t have the greenish tint of regular glass. So the color you specify is the color you get. Every time.

Who says a message board can only be white? As long as there is good contrast for ease of viewing, a dry erase message board can be any pale tint. If one uses the wet-erase markers, that are available in stronger colors, you can use nearly ANY color imaginable to write on the glass.

We made the choice very early on in development to use low-iron glass so that colors specified are the colors you get regardless of the application. What’s more, all Dreamwalls Color Glass colors are matched using a color photospectrometer which ensures that the color is accurate within 1 delta point. This greatly reduces the effect known as “metamerism failure” under different lighting conditions.

HEAT CURING: Each piece of Dreamwalls Color Glass is heat cured in our specially designed ovens – not air-dried – immediately after coating. This means the product is produced faster without the danger of contaminants or finger-print marks while drying. Your product is produced without the need for it to lie around for days drying, making space and job run size unlimited.

DUAL COATING: Because of our experience in putting durable and beautiful coatings on glass, Dreamwalls Color Glass is a coated glass that dries very hard, won’t chip or flake, and provides the opacity necessary for professional installations.

After the color coat is applied to a piece of Dreamwalls Color Glass, the glass is coated again, using our patented coating (which we also use on all our mirrors) to protect the color paint layer during fabrication, shipping, and installation. What’s more, this additional coat creates a product that is 100% opaque to prevent adhesives from showing through. [*a full list of recommended adhesives can be found on our website.]

For more information about Dreamwalls Color Glass Message Boards and our other decorative glass options, please call 800-334-7267 or visit www.dreamwallscolorglass.com

We are so lucky to have great customers who enjoy Dreamwalls Color Glass. We take pride in the ease of installation, quality fabrication, and consistent color-match capabilities that Dreamwalls’ proprietary technology can provide to professional glaziers and contractors. There have been several stand-out projects this year: Vintage Shutters, Park Avenue Designs, and Salem Distributing all created interesting projects this year.

But the top prize for 2012 Dreamwalls Color Glass Installation of the Year goes to: Allliance Glazing Technologies

To be the winner, we at Dreamwalls look for projects that stand out for their complexity in application, creative use of our Dreamwalls Color Glass product, and professional installation. This year’s winning project stood out on all fronts. The backlighting effects, the marker channel, the sheer size of the marker boards, as well as the fun use of blue in the bathrooms,…all of these made this project a winner. Thanks to Alliance Glazing Technologies, for creating a data center that has it all: brilliant color in Dreamwalls Color Glass, LED backlighting for added effect, True White Dreamwalls Color Glass for high contrast message board, and with lovely lines to top it all. Congratulations to everyone involved in this project!

View the slideshow of the entire project here:

Dreamwalls Color Glass Ornaments 2012

Our local visitor’s center (which is a LEED gold certified building) wanted to feature a tree covered with ornaments inspired by the local economy. We created our contribution using Dreamwalls Backpainted Glass in unique shapes cut to perfection with our waterjet cutter.

The Northwest NC Visitor’s Center is located off of Highway 421East in Wilkes County. It features an impressive array of green technology systems – with a real time snapshot on the website to see them in action! It offers visitors to the area information on Wilkes and the surrounding counties, including: Yadkin, Watauga, Surry, Iredell, Caldwell, Avery, Ashe, Alleghany, and Alexander counties. It is managed by the Wilkes Chamber of Commerce, and features the work of area craftspeople and artists on a rotating basis. A big “thank you” to June Hege for inviting us to participate in the festivities.

How about a GLASS truck? That’s right. Our crazy buddies at Bear Glass decided to give us free reign to design a van they’ll be driving around NYC to promote Dreamwalls Color Glass. Why yes, they are pretty awesome in that way. So here are some photos of the final product from Bear:

Bear Glass Van - nice cemetery in the background!

Bear Glass Van 2 - and the purple side is my favorite, too!

Bear Glass Van 3 - Bear Glass really will do ANYTHING

But I need better pictures than these above. So, I will send you a limited edition Dreamwalls Color Glass necklace if you send me a picture of our van out and about in the NYC area.  The first 10 folks to send good picts to me mmarxen@mac.com will get a necklace. So keep your eyes peeled. I’ll send you an extra necklace to share if you can include a picture of the graphic on the roof! (No, Bear Glass employees can’t take advantage of this offer,….well, maybe a few)

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh - Glass "Welcome" sign

Healthcare design. It’s a strange concept when you think about it. Design isn’t going to magically heal anyone through its beauty. However, if you’ve ever had to spend extended periods of time in a hospital as a patient, or as a family member of a patient, you realize when a healthcare environment is poorly designed. Uncomfortable furniture, poor layout, irritating colors, and impractical materials only will make a difficult situation feel much more difficult.

Healthcare design is really about creating a calm, comforting space for healing. That includes making it beautiful for loved ones to appreciate in the long days spent there, making the spaces easy to clean and care for by staff for hygienic purposes, and for making communication clear and friendly. Back-painted glass used for signage in these environments can be extremely helpful in achieving these goals.

Dreamwalls Color Glass:Wellness Sign

Patient information boards are key pieces of communication placed in each and every room for the staff to know more about the patient, for the patient to know more about the staff on duty, and for helping personalize conversation by all parties involved. This dry-erase board is best served when created out of back-painted glass.

Clarus Glassboards - Patient Board

A back-painted glass sign of this nature can be used to protect the surface from ghosting, which is key to patient privacy.  It can be customized with graphics from the back-side which means it is entirely permanent. And glass can be fully sanitized using alcohol or other cleansers. What’s more, the colors can be fully customized to match that of the hospital room or other color-coded system.

Peter Pepper Products Patient Message Center

It’s really about creating a healing environment. And, that includes friendly, clear communication to facilitate the healing process. Such a simple solution, and I’m always overjoyed to see products that are relevant to this design philosophy by using back-painted glass.

Houzz built an idea book over a year ago that has stuck with me. In it, Beth Dotolo, a designer from Seattle, Washington, showed some of the pros, cons, and maintenance of marble; specifically, lighter marble. Click here to read it in its entirety. And it shows exactly why Dreamwalls Marble Glass might be the right product for your application.

One of her points is paraphrased below:

What is your personality? Are you the type of careful homeowner who picks up after yourself after each use in the kitchen? Or are you a busy on-the-go homeowner, where a kitchen counter wouldn’t get wiped down until the next morning?

Acid from substances such as red wine, marinara sauce, blueberries and even lemons can tarnish the look of the marble if left to sit overnight. And many times the marble will not stain instantly. It is still a natural material and stains can soak into the surface.

So if you like dinner parties where you don’t want to chase guests with coasters,….if you have a big family that likes to serve themselves buffet style,…if you’re sometimes just forgetful and leave the lasagna out (or is that just me?),…then Dreamwalls Marble Glass might be the perfect solution to incorporate into your kitchen design.

I love a good video. I’m a visual learner, so it’s one of the best ways I learn new software, crafts, or dance moves (we’ll save that for a future post). But videos are also a great way to see product ideas without having to click through a slide show or scroll down a page. Just click, sit back, and enjoy,….Dreamwalls Color Glass Countertops:

Or view it on our YouTube page by clicking HERE.

This is our newest office addition in our North Wilkesboro, NC headquarters. We used Dreamwalls Color Glass and Dreamwalls Acid Etched Glass to create cubicles and office dividers in a soothing sage green that plays well with the orange tones of the cherry furniture and flooring.  Wouldn’t you agree that every office needs a full whiteboard? In Dreamwalls Color Glass True White, it looks great even when it’s blank,….but they never stay blank for long!

This shot was taken before the matching outlets and switchplates were put on, but notice how the glass on the divider walls matches the paint on the drywall perfectly.

I have to include a shot after everyone has settled in. I had to be sneaky in taking this photo of our amazing inside sales associate, Rebecca. She recently celebrated her 25th year with us, so if you’ve done business with us, you’ve likely spoken to her. She certainly deserves this shiny new office space!