“SageGlass is a more eco-friendly alternative to conventional skylights and solar controls such as shades and blinds. It enabled us to maximize full use of our glass roof without compromising on energy efficiency and building space aesthetics.”
Let abundant natural light make your occupants happier and more productive. Give everyone a generous view of the outdoors. Make your building a shining example of both innovative design and sustainability. And watch your investment pay off.
Your building shows your commitment to maximizing the comfort and productivity of your occupants. SageGlass you can help you achieve award-winning design, LEED accreditation, and reduce your energy bill at the same time. The occupants of your building will benefit from daylighting and a connection to the outdoors all day long. With SageGlass you can now embrace the sun, not fight it. Preserve the view – one of your building’s greatest assets. Isn’t this one of the reasons you are designing your building with glass in the first place?
Gary Canaday, LEED AP
Manager of Campus Construction, Facilities Planning and Management, Ball State University
A Midwestern university nationally recognized for its commitment to sustainability and innovation in academics, student life and facilities.
Project:
Ball State University
DeHority Complex Residence Hall
Muncie, Indiana
Gary Canaday knew some of the campus buildings at Ball State University had a solar glare problem. But he didn’t grasp how bad the problem was until he saw students donning sunglasses to read inside. He wasn’t the only one who noticed. When the time came to renovate the DeHority Residence Hall for honor students, the architect, Schmidt and Associates of Indianapolis, suggested SageGlass as a replacement for the conventional glass. The Ball State project team and the Housing Department, once SageGlass was demonstrated, agreed to install it.
Canaday and the University’s housing team saw an opportunity to transform the hall into a welcoming, comfortable space where students could meet, give on-screen presentations and watch movies. Sun control of the skylights was critical to that effort.
Canaday and the architect originally considered using automated skylight shades. “But they would have been, frankly, quite ugly,” Canaday said. Apart from the aesthetics, mechanized shades would have also caused ongoing maintenance headaches, and would have blocked the room’s beautiful view of the sky.
He said SageGlass has been extremely effective in controlling the solar glare, fading and heat gain. “We can press a button whenever we need to darken the room on demand, or leave it in automatic mode in which light sensors automatically darken or lighten the room as needed,” he said.
Ball State has been a pioneer in sustainable building renovation for higher education institutions. It’s the first US campus that will be completely heated with geothermal energy, for example. Eco-friendly SageGlass in the DeHority Hall furthers this sustainability tradition. But while the University enjoys energy savings from reduced HVAC and artificial lighting loads, Canaday said SageGlass delivers even bigger benefits for the honor students who live there. “We needed to be able to darken the space on demand, but we didn’t want to cut off the connection to the outdoors. Daylighting and views improve our students’ performance, health and attitudes. SageGlass is the ultimate daylighting solution,” Canaday said. Dehority Hall is a LEED Silver Certified building.
