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A vast two-story glass entry lobby, glass-walled courtyards and copious daylighting make the El Camino Health Behavioral Health Services Taube Pavilion in Mountain View, California look more like an upscale resort than a medical facility.

Designed by the San Francisco-based architecture firm WRNS Studio, anodized aluminum standing-seam panels and vast expanses of Solarban® 70 solar control, low-e glass from Vitro Architectural Glass deliver a high-performance building enclosure with ample daylighting and views.

“Solarban® glass offers a good balance of low emissivity combined with a crisp, clean aesthetic appeal without compromising the transmission of visible light,” explained WRNS Studio Partner Tim Morshead AIA, LEED AP.

In a standard 1-inch insulating glass unit (IGU) with clear glass, the triple-silver-coated low-e glass delivers a visible light transmittance (VLT) of 64 percent and a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.27, with a transparent, color-neutral appearance.

Designed in an L-shape, the architecture enabled the hospital to provide continuous service during construction and, more importantly, created three internal and one external courtyard to deliver direct views and natural light, and to provide a comfortable gathering area for group sessions and patient-family visits. Designed with seating, communal tables and water features, patients can enjoy fresh air unaccompanied, while in protective view of staff.

For the different glazing needs throughout the 55,000 square-foot facility, WRNS specified a Solarban® 70 glass in a variety of configurations, including clear insulated, obscured insulated, spandrel and laminated glasses, then enhanced their solar control performance with integral blinds. In addition to contributing to building’s overall building energy performance and helping it to achieve a LEED Gold rating, WRNS valued Solarban® 70 glass for its ability to accommodate multiple glazing types through a single manufacturer.

The laminated safety and polycarbonate glazing assemblies helped meet the security needs and patient safety. “Triple glazing also contributed to the reduction of street noise for a peaceful interior acoustical environment,” added Morshead.

Fabricated by Glassfab Tempering Services Inc., Tracy, California, the welcoming, modern glass building replaces the outdated 1961 El Camino Health psychiatric building.

For more information about Solarban® 70 glass and the rest of Vitro Glass’s full line of architectural glasses, visit or call 1-855-VTRO-GLS (887-6457).