Brilliant Views

The Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, Virginia, is a good example of how electronically tintable dynamic glass is a great sun control solution for buildings with windows that people can’t easily reach. As part of a major expansion and renovation, the church installed dynamic glass to provide a simple, maintenance-free way to naturally illuminate and shade the interior of the project’s centerpiece: a 58-foot-high, 7,800-square-foot multi-use atrium used as a gathering space, theatre and conference hall, as well as a video-fed overflow venue for worship services. The dynamic glass is installed in the atrium’s upper story with six rows of hard-to-reach clerestory windows.

Why the need for advanced sun controls? Because the atrium is a hub of activity. It provides a place for connection, where people can gather for conversation. It also hosts performances, concerts, movies and conferences, while the perimeter area is the site of ministry promotions. Precise lighting control is critical to the success of these various church functions.

Since the atrium’s clerestory windows are nearly inaccessible at up to 58 feet from the floor, the church selected dynamic glass because it provides better light control, lightening and darkening at the push of a button without anyone needing to access the windows. According to project manager Ron Urice, the church considered using mechanized shades or blinds, but these options would have been impractical and more costly. “Blinds wouldn’t have fit in well, while mechanized shades would have required rigging, expensive maintenance, and blocked out all of the sun,” he said. “SageGlass was cost competitive with these traditional sun controls, while offering the promise of fewer maintenance requirements.”

While the room-dimming qualities of dynamic glass are what the church’s building committee sought during early design-phase meetings, the panel also wanted to optimize natural daylight in the building as much as possible to keep electrical lighting costs down. “We expect building maintenance costs to be lower because we’ll use less electricity to light the space, and there is no need to replace or repair shades and blinds,” Urice said.