Auburn Hills, Mich. – The use of glass as a building material positively impacts learning, healing, productivity and well-being, according to a white paper published by Guardian Industries and the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. The findings highlight the significant influence daylighting and outside views have on employees, workers, students, consumers and patients.
“The Benefits of Glass: A Literature Review on the Qualitative Benefit of Glass on Building Occupants” is a compilation of research on the occupational, physical, psychological, economic and social benefits related to daylighting and outside views, as well as other non-energy-related benefits of exterior glass.
“An important goal for sustainable buildings is not only the ability to save energy and preserve our natural resources, but also the ability to design and build healthy, productive environments,” said Chris Dolan, director, Commercial Glass Marketing, Guardian Industries. “Having an extensive qualitative analysis of these studies encourages those of us in the glass industry, the architectural and design community and building owners and managers to have a conversation about all the benefits of glass as a building material.”
“The Benefits of Glass” looks at evidence of improved learning and test scores, reduced hospital stays and increased patient comfort, and reduced absenteeism among the variety of positive impacts of glass on workers, patients, students and consumers. Authors Kathy Velikov, AIA, Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Michigan and Julie Janiski, Senior Sustainability Consultant and Project Leader at Buro Happold Consulting Engineers, focused on commonly cited literature to identify consistently proven research outcomes and opportunities for further analysis.
The body of literature encompasses recent research on the following topics: the image of glass used physically and symbolically; the importance of and preference for daylight and views; the attempts to quantify improvements in both human productivity and health as a result of both natural daylight and views. The majority of research investigated – peer-reviewed articles, industry-specific books, government-sponsored resource websites and a number of earlier literature reviews completed on similar topics – dates from 1999 onward and identifies both the state of current knowledge in this area, as well as gaps and opportunities for further work.
Guardian has made this literature review available on www.sunguardglass.com. Guardian SunGuard advanced architectural glass products includes low-E coatings, advanced glazings and tints for commercial applications that offer a range of visible light transmissions for improved daylighting, excellent solar control and a wide variety of colors and performance levels. SunGuard products provide innovative, leading solutions for appearance, economics and energy efficiency, and are available through an international network of Guardian certified Select Fabricators. For more information, visit www.sunguardglass.com.
About Guardian Industries Corp.:
Guardian is a diversified global manufacturing company headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with leading positions in float glass, fabricated glass products, fiberglass insulation and other building materials for commercial, residential and automotive applications. Its automotive trim group, SRG Global Inc., is one of the world’s largest suppliers of advanced, high value coatings on plastics. Through its Science & Technology Center, Guardian is at the forefront of innovation including development of high performance glass coatings and other advanced products. Guardian, its subsidiaries and affiliates employ 18,000 people and operate facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Visit www.guardian.com.
SunGuard is a registered trademark of Guardian Industries Corp.
