Idaho’s tallest building showcases Tubelite’s curtainwall and entrances

Date: 10 September 2014

Rising above Boise’s skyline to become the tallest in Idaho, Eighth and Main prominently features Tubelite Inc.’s 400 Series curtainwall and entrances plus Wausau Window and Wall Systems’ INvision™ Series unitized curtainwall and ClearStory™ sun shades.

The $76 million, 18-story mixed-use building opened Feb. 15, 2014, and is pursing Silver certification through the U.S.Green Building Council’s LEED® rating system.

The project’s architect of record, CTA Architects Engineers, not only designed the superstructure, but also occupies the 8th floor. On the 9th floor are Babcock Design Group’s offices, the architectural firm that served as the design architect for the overall project and the building envelope.

Built on a vacant lot known as the “Boise Hole,” the project erased an infamous eyesore from the city’s downtown. Constructing more than 390,000 square feet of Class A office, retail and restaurant space, it has brought new tenants and business to Boise’s downtown.

Building owner The Gardner Company, a full service real estate company, prides itself on partnering with companies that implement the highest of standards. This includes designing and constructing to LEED criteria, minimizing impact on the environment. To realize The Gardner Company’s vision, CTA collaborated with Babcock Design Group, general contractor Engineered Structures Inc. (ESI), plus other key building team members to create a cost-effective, durable and energy-efficient building.

ESI broke ground on the project in July 2012. By Spring 2013, Tubelite’s curtainwall and entrances started arriving at Eighth and Main’s job site. D&A Glass Company, Inc. installed Tubelite’s systems on the first two floors. Above these, D&A installed 72,000 square feet of Wausau’s unitized curtainwall, custom canopies and other finishing details.

Supporting the project’s energy-efficient and environmental attributes, Viracon’s high-performance insulating, laminated glass was used throughout the curtainwall, storefront and entrance systems. In addition to the curtainwall and sun shades, Wausau provided zero sightline vents, custom interior stools, and other aluminum-framed architectural building products.

Both Wausau’s and Tubelite’s aluminum extrusions from secondary billet contain at least 70% total recycled content. Linetec painted all of the aluminum framing in a 70% PVDF finish. This high-performance architectural coating meets the most stringent, exterior, architectural specification, American Architectural Manufacturers Association’s AAMA-2605. As an environmentally responsible finisher, Linetec safely captures and destroys the liquid paint’s volatile organic compounds (VOC) content before the finished material arrives at the job site.

At Eighth and Main’s grand opening ceremony on Feb. 15, 2014, Boise’s mayor David H. Bieter praised the building as the “crown jewel” of the city’s downtown. Current tenants include: Zions Bank, Holland & Hart, Parsons Behle & Latimer, A10 Capitol, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Flatbread Pizza Company, On the Fly Deli and Zenergy Health Club.

Anchor tenant Zions Bank hosted a free community grand opening that included family activities, local food trucks and a rock concert. Scott Anderson, president and CEO of Zions Bank, noted, “We believe that this epic celebration is fitting as we close the books on ‘the Hole’ and pay tribute to the beautiful new building that’s taken its place as the tallest in Idaho.”

Eighth and Main, 800 W. Main St., Boise, Idaho 83702

* Owner: Gardner Company; Boise, Idaho; http://www.gardnercompany.net

* Architect of Record: CTA Architects Engineers; Boise, Idaho; http://ctagroup.com

* Design Architect – building envelope: Babcock Design Group; Boise, Idaho, and Salt Lake City; http://www.babcockdesign.com

* General Contractor: Engineered Structures Inc. (ESI); Meridian, Idaho; http://www.esiconstruction.com

* Glazing contractor: D&A Glass Company, Inc.; Boise, Idaho; http://www.daglass.net

* Glazing systems – curtainwall manufacturer: Wausau Window and Wall Systems, INvision Series curtainwall and ClearStory sun shades; Wausau, Wisconsin; http://www.wausauwindow.com

* Glazing systems – entrances manufacturer: Tubelite Inc., entrance systems and 400 Series curtainwall; Walker, Michigan; http://www.tubeliteinc.com

* Glazing systems – glass: Viracon; Owatonna, Minnesota; http://www.viracon.com

* Glazing systems – finisher: Linetec, Wausau, Wisconsin; http://www.linetec.com

* Photographer: Marc Walters Photography

* Video: TreJuice Films, Trevor Atkinson, http://vimeo.com/77342437