Colorful laminated glass is a prominent design feature in the Omaha VA Medical Center in Omaha, Neb. Designed by LEO A DALY, the project uses colorful bars as inspiration for the western elevation of the Ambulatory Care Center on the campus.

Omaha VA Medical Center, Ambulatory Care Center Photo credit: Tom Kessler

According to the architects, “a kaleidoscope of colored light throughout the main corridor evokes the colors awarded to military service members for acts of valor. That experience was created using a glass curtainwall with colored laminate along the western façade. A 50-by-235-foot curtainwall along the northern façade leads occupants to the main entry, expresses the windblown pattern of an American flag and reduces electric lighting loads on all three levels using healthy, natural daylight.”

Viracon fabricated the laminated glass using Eastman’s Vanceva interlayers. Architectural Wall Systems was the façade contractor, and McCarthy Building Companies was the contractor.

According to Eastman, “as many as a dozen Vanceva PVB interlayers were used in varying shades of red, plum, purple, light aqua, dark aqua, blue, Kelly green, dark green, yellow, harvest gold, and orange. The glass used for the project was 6-mm clear HS VE-2M #2 for the interior and exterior panes with 13.2-mm VTS Black Finish-Argon, 90% fill-black silicone, and 6-mm Clear HS with four layers of 0.015 Vanceva PVB interlayers.”

The project’s total surface area spans 9,000 square feet. It was recently named national Project of the Year and overall Best in Healthcare by Engineering News-Record.