Green in Greensburg

Approximately 100 miles west of Wichita, Greensburg, Kan., has made environmental sustainability its rebuilding goal after an F5-caliber tornado devastated the entire county seat. Residents during the past year have begun the daunting task of reconstruction from scratch. A community Art Center has been constructed using reclaimed wood, along with a protective glass wall using Tintex (green) Vitro glass that surrounds the entire structure.

“The Tintex glass provides much-needed UV protection and defers heat load on the building,” explains Boyd Johnson from Studio 804, Inc., designers of the community center. “The precision of the glass juxtaposed next to the historical reclaimed wood also looks fabulous—the subtle green glass tint nicely mutes the sheathing for a more contemporary look.”

On May 4, 2007, the twister blasted Greensburg, killing 11 people in the town of 1,400 and flattening most of its buildings and homes. Civic leaders and environmentalists vowed to utilize the disaster as the first-ever opportunity to re-engineer an entire town with a green initiative. Government leaders resolved to construct public buildings to meet stringent Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System (LEED) standards for energy-efficient design.

The 3/8-inch (10-mm) thick Tintex glass allowed designers to create a unique aesthetic outer layer for the Art Center, while providing the desired performance characteristics needed for energy savings and ultraviolet protection of the exterior. It was important to protect the wood finished exterior, as it was created using reclaimed materials from the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant, a local decommissioned military storage facility destroyed in the tornado.

Studio 804, Inc., a design/build program at the University of Kansas consisting of graduate architecture students and led by Dan Rockhill, JL Constant distinguished professor of architecture, completed the overall building design. “Our goal was to utilize and protect the reclaimed lumber,” says Rockhill. “It provides energy savings and represents an important part of the community history and a visual reminder of hope and renewed spirit for a town reshaping its future.”

The Tintex glass was produced by Vitro America’s parent company, Vitro, at the Mexicali, Mexico facility, and fabricated by Vitro America in Dallas.

CLICK HERE for more information on Tintex glass.

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