The Spectrum building: combining aesthetics and energy efficiency in its glass

By Editorial Staff - 7 December 2022
AGC Glass Europe has participated in the project

A contemporary, innovative façade made of glass and steel reaches from the base to the top of the new Spectrum building, making the project a model of both style and energy efficiency. Designed by Jaspers-Eyers Architects, this mixed-use complex in the heart of Brussels adds a touch of both elegance and innovation to the area through its striking façade.

The combination of cutting-edge energy technologies and high selectivity glass, which simultaneously maximizes the amount of natural light inside and minimizes its impact through efficient solar control, means that the building embodies the principles of sustainable architecture and its long-term impact on an urban area. These and other construction solutions helped the building achieve the “Excellent” rating under the BREEAM certification scheme, this also involving reduced costs in terms of maintenance, management, and temperature control. The BREEAM scheme takes into account a range of factors, including management, water, materials, energy, waste, transport, and pollution.

The decision to use the Stopray range by AGC Glass Europe for the façade of this eleven-story building was a key part of achieving certification, with one of the most significant features of the products being their ability to control how much heat enters the building during summer and how much stays inside it during the winter.

Like a glass diamond

Spectrum, Jaspers-Eyers Architects

The project used Stopray Vision-50 glass, whose double silver coating combines a neutral aesthetic with solar control and thermal insulation. The result is that all energy efficiency targets were met. The glass provided reduced light transmission of 50%, reduced reflection, and high solar protection (a factor of 28%), as well as thermal insulation properties, thanks to its Ug coefficient of 1.0 W/m²K. The Stopray range, either double or triple glazing, is also available in heat-bent versions to ensure greater architectural design freedom.

>>> Read an extract from an article dedicated to the Marea residential complex in Lebanon, published in THE PLAN 140, for which AGC Glass Europe supplied glass balustrades, sliding doors, and windows.

For more information: www.agc-glass.eu

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