Photo: Mark Kempf Photography, courtesy of 3A Composites USA
The façades of Exo Reston apartment building change colors. Electrochromic glazing and metal panels with a finish that shifts appearance with viewing angles contribute to the effects.
Sacha Rosen, AIA, principal at R2L: Architects PLLC, says the glazing has four tint settings ranging from clear to darkening shades of blue. “The color of the overall design was generated by the smart glass, so the cladding color had to look good with the glass.”
Exo Reston is comprised of twin 16-story towers connected by a single-story link building with reception space, which is clad with electrochromic glazing. They house 530,000 square feet and 457 units.
Custom Walls and Windows Inc. fabricated and installed 150,000 square feet in 16,000 panels of 3A Composites USA Inc.’s 4-mm ALUCOBOND PLUS metal composite material (MCM) in Spectra Ocean. The Spectra Ocean finish causes the panels to appear as colors depending upon viewing angles.
Alex Bennefield, vice president at Custom Walls and Windows, says his company designed a three-piece panel system with the glass and MCM for easy installation, and special rigs were required for installers to move in and out of the balconies scattered on the façade. “We used a swing on every floor to support equipment for all of the trades,” he adds.
View Inc.’s View Dynamic Glass, an electrochromic glazing was used for the project. The electrochromic glazing is powered by photovoltaic arrays on the roofs. Property managers and residents control the glazing tints via an app for mobile devices.
