orth America is home to the Saint Gobain Corporate headquarters, where hundreds of employees work for the forward-thinking manufacturing company. As one of the largest building materials companies, these luxury offices were opened after the companies milestone 350^th anniversary.

The building maximises the use of glass, contrasting the surrounding, more traditional architecture by incorporating floor-to-ceiling glass on some of the upper floors. Although North America is known for its colder climate, the sun shines on the building for a large part of the day, providing occupants with natural light for enhances functionality and productivity.

Although natural light is an extremely desirable attribute to modern offices, solar glare or solar gain can cause issues due to overheating or undesirable glare on screens which can interfere with employees’ productivity levels. For this reason, electrochromic glass was specified for the large elevations of south-facing glazing.

The electrochromic glass creates a blue, almost reflective surface on the exterior façade, acting almost as a reflection of the blue skies in the warmer months. Inside the offices, minimal interior design allows the glass to be the primary design feature, maximising the light and views by following an uncluttered approach.

A technical glass solution was the perfect choice for the luxury offices, as curtains or blinds would have altered the interior design scheme. The electrochromic glass works by turning from clear to a blue tint, offering the occupants a form of solar shading that does not block the light transmission or views that other methods would.

The building now benefits from enhanced functionality as well as elegant design, creating the perfect solution for this worldwide company.