The US federal government owns and operates many mid-century modern buildings that are now, decades later, seeing their share of wear-and-tear. Meanwhile, occupants and users of these buildings are requiring both improved comfort and increased energy savings. These issues were specifically addressed in “Glazing Upgrades in Modernist Buildings,” Principal Angel Ayón’s September 13th presentation to a joint audience for the General Services Administration (GSA), which will also be presented to members of the Association for Preservation Technology (APT) in 2024.
Tailored to the series “Sustainable Repair and Retrofit of Historic Building Envelopes: Diagnosis, Options Analysis & Post Construction Evaluation,” Angel’s virtual presentation guided attendees through the process of repair and replacement of steel-framed glazing systems, conducted at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum from 2004 – 2008. This intervention was honored with numerous awards, and was published in the APT Bulletin in 2011, as well as the award-winning Reglazing Modernism ― Intervention Strategies For 20th Century Icons, published in 2019, co-authored by Angel.
Learning objectives for the class addressed overall approach, alterations of historic elements, analysis of existing building envelopes, testing, new advances in glass reflectivity and light transmittance, and envelope improvements prior to re-engineering of mechanical systems. Angel capped off his presentation with a “wishlist” of sorts to the glass and fenestration industry, which included high performance films, thermal insulating coatings, heated glass, historic glass manufacturing, warm edge technology, vacuum insulating glazing, heat tracing, and new thermal break materials and technologies.