Fire rated glass helps 'greenest building in North America' achieve LEED Platinum

Project Name: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters in San Francisco, CA
Architect: KMD Architects
General Contractor: Webcor Builders
Glazing Contractor: Progress Glass
Products used: SuperLite II-XL 120 in GPX Wall Framing and SuperLite II-XL 90 in HMTR Door Framing by SAFTI FIRST

SAFTI FIRST, leading USA-manufacturer of fire rated glass and framing systems, is proud to supply the fire rated glass and framing in the new San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters. 

Dubbed as the "greenest building in North America," this Class A LEED Platinum office building features a transparent, 2-hour fire rated stairwell, situated prominently near the main entrance. This enables abundant natural light to penetrate further into the building, as well as unobstructed views to the outside for all 14 floors.

“The architects wanted an open stairwell so that the natural light coming from the art installation and glass exterior could penetrate further into the building,” says Adam Bird, the project manager from Webcor. “However, since this was an exit enclosure, it also needed to be fire rated up to 2 hours.”

To meet the design, LEED, and fire rating requirements of the application, SAFTI FIRST supplied SuperLite II-XL 120 in GPX Wall Framing and SuperLite II-XL 90 in HMTR Door Framing, starting from the lobby all the way to the top-most floor. 

To meet the design, LEED and fire rating requirements of the application, SAFTI FIRST supplied SuperLite II-XL 120 in GPX Wall Framing and SuperLite II-XL 90 in HMTR Door Framing, starting from the lobby all the way to the top-most floor. The GPX frames, with their clean appearance and uniform, hard-edged sightlines, were supplied with a clear anodized finish to match all the non-rated systems in the building.

Since SAFTI FIRST’s products are manufactured in Merced, Calif., and within 500 miles of the job site, it was able to contribute to achieving LEED points for utilizing local materials.

The result is an elegant, transparent, and code-compliant stairwell that enhances the building’s overall design, maximizes daylight harvesting, and protects people and property for up to 2 hours.

Contact Info:
SAFTIFIRST Fire Rated Glazing Solutions
325 Newhall Street
San Francisco, CA 94124
Phone: 888.653.3333
Fax: 888.653.4444
Web: www.safti.com
Email: [email protected]