Exterior view of building overlooking Lake Carolyn
Main lobby of financial services company where smart windows provide views on all sides.
Main lobby of financial services company. Window wall with smart windows spans multiple floors.
The high-tech connections library provides a collaborative, alternate work space where employees can enjoy unobstructed views.
Image of pedestrian walkway on The Las Colinas campus.
Owner
A U.S. financial services company
Architect
Corgan
Product
SageGlass Harmony® with Bright Silver
Completed
Expected 2025
Project Size
17,280 m²
Photos
Corgan

The Challenge

A top ten U.S. financial services company is planning its first net-positive campus in Las Colinas, Texas. The project is targeted for LEED Platinum certification, and the campus—featuring two ten-story office buildings—will produce more energy than it uses.

To achieve this ambitious sustainability goal, the financial services company and its partners needed an innovative solution for reducing the load on the campus’s HVAC systems while still prioritizing employee comfort and wellness.

 

 

The Solution

The client ultimately selected SageGlass Harmony smart windows, which automatically tint on a gradient in response to the sun. The dynamic glass allows for glare and temperature control—keeping offices cool and comfortable—while letting in plenty of natural light and views of the outdoors.

At completion, this project will have the largest dynamic glass installation in North America, with 17,000 m² of smart windows. The light-filled buildings will offer plenty of outdoor views without sacrificing employees’ comfort or the company’s sustainability goals.

The 80,000 m² campus, which is situated near biking trails, Lake Carolyn, and golf courses, will also feature wellness rooms, a cycling studio, and a food hall. The project team wanted to create seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces and to offer unobstructed views from the windows, without the need for blinds or shades (which interfere with aesthetics and are hard to keep clean).

As early adopters of smart window technology, we have seen the benefits it brings to occupants with more natural light and less heat, while preserving the exterior views without a heavy glare. These attributes, along with the advances in smart windows, led us to select SageGlass for this project.
Kurt Peterson
KDC, Executive Vice President of Design and Construction

 

The Benefits

SageGlass Harmony smart windows tint on a gradient, which means interior color rendering and visibility aren’t sacrificed to manage excess light. Gradient tinting allows for more daylight harvesting while reducing glare, which is especially important on the southern facade of this office during winter months. Smart windows will  offer a way to manage daylight, letting in light and heat when needed, and keeping out excess solar radiation, meaning the buildings’ HVAC systems won’t be working overtime.

The dynamic glass will be an important part of the financial services company’s sustainability goals, part of a comprehensive strategy that also includes site planning, solar panels, regionally sourced materials, and other elements.

“As early adopters of smart window technology, we have seen the benefits it brings to occupants with more natural light and less heat, while preserving the exterior views without a heavy glare,” said Kurt Petersen, KDC’s executive vice president of design and construction. “These attributes, along with the advances in smart windows, led us to select SageGlass for this project.”

“Now more than ever, employers are looking to redefine the office experience and reimagine the role of the workspace,” said Mike Lane, SageGlass Vice President of Sales. “SageGlass Harmony was in the unique position to both deliver an elevated employee experience and advance this project’s ambitious sustainability goals by improving the energy efficiency of the space.”

In addition to keeping offices cool and comfortable and reducing the buildings’ heating and cooling needs, the SageGlass smart windows are covered with a vibrant coating, Bright Silver, which adds reflectivity, making the building appear brighter from the outside, in contrast to previous generations of coatings that darken a building’s exterior.