The architect for a new government building in the Netherlands didn’t consider the occupants’ use of a space when he installed a large skylight.
The Province of Utrecht solved the sun glare and heat gain problems that hindered legislative business by installing dynamic glass from Sage.
The Provincial House was designed by architect Peter Vermeulen and officially opened in June 2012 as the new center of the Province’s democracy. Council members convene inside a hall called the Commission Room, which is crowned by a round skylight to bathe the space with natural light. But the glare caused by the out-of-reach skylight made it difficult for council members to use the space for audio-visual presentations, which was one of the primary functions of the room.
The Provincial House installed SageGlass underneath the existing skylight to solve the problem. SageGlass is electronically tintable dynamic glass that can darken or clear to maximize daylight and outdoor views in buildings while controlling the sun’s rays. Thirty-two SageGlass skylights provide four zones of sun control that can be tinted and cleared on-demand with the push of a button.
In addition to the sun glare control, SageGlass also offers the Provincial House energy efficiency benefits by controlling solar heat gain that can build up over the day, reducing the building’s HVAC needs. Installing SageGlass as a retrofit solution enabled the Provincial House to use the space both as a conference room and a multi-function venue for presentations and videos any time of the day.
