New Jersey Glass Building Wins Platinum LEED Certification

804 Carnegie Center West, the latest office building on the Carnegie Center Campus in Princeton, New Jersey, was recently awarded LEED® certification at the Platinum level — the highest level of distinction awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council.

J.E. Berkowitz (JEB) fabricated more than 46,000 square feet of glass for the facility. Jacobs Engineering Group designed the three-story, 130,000-square-foot office building to set a new architectural direction for future developments on the sprawling campus. John Jackson, senior associate at Jacobs, said his team’s intention was to create an ultra-green facility by pairing high-performance materials, such as glass, with cutting-edge technology.

“One of the primary design features of the project is a two-story space that was developed as an enhancement to the building’s core,” Jackson said. “Using a two-way, butt-glazed system, the area is expressed as a glass box that is visible from the highway. The glassy façade is intended to identify both the tenant and the activity going on within the building.

“With a large expanse of glazing facing almost due south, high-performance glass was required to insulate and limit solar heat gain, while not being overly tinted or reflective. In addition to the strict performance specification, the glass had to be sufficiently flat and free of distortion in order to achieve the desired aesthetic.”

For the project, JEB fabricated Winduo™ insulating glass units (IGUs) in multiple configurations, featuring Guardian Glass’ high-performance, low-e SunGuard® AG 50 coated glass for the building, and low-e SunGuard® Neutral 78/65 coated glass for the entrances. The IGUs also incorporated the JEB 3Seal® warm-edge spacer system, minimizing the units’ primary seal migration to provide straight sightlines, as well as maximizing their structural stability and thermal efficiency.

In addition, JEB provided nearly 9,000 square feet of Invisiwall® glass systems for the building’s interior, including precision-fabricated laminated clear glass partitions and doors.

Mike Nicklas, director of engineered glass systems for JEB, said, “The edge alignment of the interior laminated glass was critical since the monolithic glass partitions were connected with polycarbonate I-bar strips to provide a nearly seamless joint, enhancing the overall look.”

The highly efficient building also features 10,000 square feet of solar panels, rainwater and daylight harvesting systems, a green roof, two wind turbines, and more than 30 electric vehicle charging stations