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Top Glass Ten coming next week

Top Glass, Canada’s show for the architectural glazing industry, goes down for the 10th time  April 29 and 30 at the International Centre in Mississauga, Ont. The in-person conferences happen on April 30 in the lecture theatre adjacent to the exhibit hall. Admission and parking are free. The conference sessions are recognized for continuing education credits by most professional associations and attendees receive certificates of attendance to confirm their participation.

Here’s what you’ll find at Top Glass Ten.

April 29 Plant Tours
On April 29, the day before the regular show program, over 100 Top Glass attendees will tour the nearby facilities of major fabricators to see glass, facade and custom entrance fabrication up close. Registration for these tours filled up fast and is now closed.

Meet the Fabricators Panel

Andrew Dolphin, general manager at BVGlazing Systems

Adam Franklin, CEO of Saand

Ray Wakefield, technical services director, Trulite

We’re going to talk about Canada’s glass industry with four people who know it best. Executives from four of Canada’s fabricators of glazed building facades will take the stage at Top Glass to tackle industry issues, share their insights into the trends that will shape the future, and take your questions about how the products you specify are made. It’s a peek behind the curtain guaranteed to boost your understanding of the architectural glass world.

For the Birds: Bird-friendly glazing design and trends
Amy Roberts, FGIA director of Canadian and technical operations

Many anti-collision measures aimed at preventing bird impacts are being utilized by designers and installers. Architecturally, they range from shutters to shades and netting to mesh screens. But what is even more exciting are the innovations in bird-friendly glazing itself. In this session, Amy Roberts, FGIA director of Canadian and technical glass operations, will address key topics related to bird-friendly glass including design considerations and trends for specifiers; the connection between energy requirements and bird-friendly requirements; the challenges of fabricating bird-friendly glazing; and what’s next for bird-friendly glass.

Cross-Country Codes and Standards Roundup
Terry Adamson, Fenestration Canada technical director

From his perch atop Fenestration Canada’s technical services department, Terry Adamson has the advance scoop on upcoming changes to the codes, standards, regulations and laws that govern how we build glazed facades. In this presentation, he gives us an overview of the main regulations controlling the energy performance of Part 3 building envelopes in the various jurisdictions across the country and notes recent changes and coming updates. He will also note where shifting regulations are likely to change how facades need to be designed to meet code in the future.

Jennifer Davis

WZMH Recladding Guide: New envelopes for existing buildings on the path to net zero

Nicola Casciato, Design Principal, WZMH

Jennifer Davis, Architect, WZMH

Recladding older towers can make them more energy efficient, more comfortable, and more visually appealing. This approach can counteract the ‘flight to quality’ trend among tenants who many vacate older buildings in favor of newer ones that are amenity-rich and sustainable. Revitalizing older towers is a WZMH Architects core competency. Over the past several decades, we have developed and implemented a wide range of recladding options that dramatically improve not only tenant attraction and retention but also energy performance.

Nicola Casciato

The WZMH Recladding Guide outlines the ‘what, why and how’ of recladding and introduces WZMH’s suite of proven and customizable recladding solutions. We will present multiple case studies of completed commercial recladdings. Steps in the design process include analyzing the existing conditions, selecting appropriate systems, and detailing with the knowledge of construction means and methods for occupied buildings.

Looking toward the future, recladding is integral to achieving Net Zero for existing buildings. Not only does an existing building represent significant ‘sunk carbon’ compared to new construction, but a building’s systems can only be electrified if the envelope has excellent thermal performance. Based on in-progress ‘net zero deep retrofits’, WZMH will give insights into how architects, engineers and building owners can collaborate to realize ambitious sustainability goals.

OGMA Awards of Excellence

The Ontario Glass and Metal Association will present their 2024 Awards of Excellence to two outstanding members of Ontario’s architectural glass community. The Award for Design recognizes great concepts and esthetics in façade construction, and the Award for Execution recognizes a remarkable achievement in manufacturing, delivering and installing a major glazing project. •