SEEING IS BELIEVING

"Smart" glass enhances Epic II

Epic II has moved one step closer to completion with the installation of its glass façade. But the glass used for the 23-story tower in Deep Ellum isn’t your typical insulated glass. Instead, it’s an electrochromic glass, also known as smart glass or dynamic glass. Electrochromic glass is an electronically tintable glass used for windows, skylights, facades, and curtain walls. It preserves access to daylight and outdoor views while protecting occupants from glare and heat and reducing energy demand. Uber Technologies will occupy 450,000 square feet of Epic II with an expansion option of an additional floor for a total of 475,000 square feet. The tower will serve as a general hub and the Dallas headquarters for the company. Expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2022, Epic II is the second office tower in an eight-acre, mixed-use project known as Epic. Currently, only three companies in the U.S. manufacture electrochromic glass: View, Sage Glass, and Halio. View is the vendor of choice for Epic II, which was designed by Perkins+Will. View’s product is manufactured by coating the inside of the glass with thin layers of metal oxide that darken when a small amount of electricity is applied. The windows offer four levels of tint, and users can operate automatic control settings to manage light, glare, and energy use. The controls can also be integrated into an existing building automation system to monitor other comfort benchmarks such as humidity and interior lighting. Epic II isn’t the first KDC project to install electrochromic glass, according to Mike Rosamond, executive vice president of design & construction for KDC. Independent Financial’s new campus is encased in electrochromic glass, and Sammons Financial Group’s new HQ in West Des Moines, IA also employed EC glass technology. “We’ve had the opportunity to see the thermal performance, and we are realizing savings both upfront on the tonnage of HVAC equipment and on the back end with lower utility bills,” Rosamond says. View estimates that its windows reduce energy usage by 10% annually, while adding roughly 1% to the total cost of the building. So far, View windows have been installed in about 23 million square feet of buildings, and the company says it has commitments for new installations totaling 50 million square feet. Installing electrochromic glass requires extra training for glazers, but overall, it’s very much the same process as normal insulated glass, according to Rosamond. Even the weight and thickness of electrochromic glass is the same as normal insulated glass, allowing it to fit into the same aluminum pocket. But there is one significant difference: each pane of electrochromic glass is connected by a low voltage wire to the master control system for the entire building. Rosamond says this portion of the installation is handled by a tradesperson similar to an electrician. The visual impact of electrochromic glass is dramatic. “You actually see what the glass was meant to reveal with no glare,” Rosamond says.