News
Guardian releases white paper on benefits of building with glass

Oct. 3, 2013 – 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.

Oct. 3, 2013 – 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 of commercial glass marketing. “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, 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.

Related links

guardian.com

umich.edu