Glass for Green Buildings

Glass for green buildings once again makes it presence felt, as the shimmering double-glazed facade of Euro Tower looks over the city from its 18 floors and a surface of 18000 sq.m.Completed in 2012, Euro Tower is a class A office building.It is designed by leading architect Dorin Stefan with the support of Chapman Taylor architects (UK). By using glass for green buildings, the architects have ensured energy savings by as much as 30% when compared to a standard A-class building.

Saint-Gobain Glass at Euro Tower – Bucharest, Romania - Via Saint-Gobain Glass India Flickr Photostream

Euro Tower is strategically located at the junction of Barbu Vacarescu Street and Lacul Tei Boulevard and just yards away from the Metro, tram and bus. Hence it is easily accessible to and from all parts of the city. It is a mere five minutes’ drive from Victoriei Square and within easy reach from the Otopeni airport.

In line with the pre-requisites of the international Green Building certification system, the Euro Tower has rooftops covered with trees and a large green area on the ground floor is open to the general public. Besides the aesthetic appeal, the green cover helps to reduce heat absorption, thereby encouraging resource savings. Moreover, the use of glass for green buildings has helped to create work areas that not just offers a sweeping view of the city but also maximizes the inflow of natural light.

Via Saint-Gobain Glass India Flickr Photostream

Saint-Gobain’s range of comfort glass for green buildings has been extensively used across Euro Tower. The products chosen were SGG COOL-LITE SKN 165 II and SGG COOL-LITE ST 150. SGG COOL-LITE SKN 165 is a solar control glass which blocks up to 66% of solar heat by reflecting it to the outside. It can be used in residential or commercial buildings alike, either for façades or overhead glazing. SGG COOL-LITE ST150 is a solar control glass that can be toughened and curved, and can therefore be used for a wide range of architectural solutions.

The manufacturing process and type of materials with which the glass is coated ensure excellent durability and resistance during handling. These qualities enable this coated glass to be processed while still retaining its aesthetic and technical benefits. Due to the unique properties of the coatings that allow the light through while reducing the solar heat, the SGG COOL-LITE series make for the perfect glass for green buildings.

The Euro Tower, with its interesting facade, is a landmark not just in terms of visual beauty but more importantly, for its milestone of being the first Green building in the region. It is a testimony to the fact that glass for green buildings will continue to set the trend and create new benchmarks for a greener planet.