Vitro Architectural Glass announces integration of Construct tool with FenestraPro façade design platform
Once glazing data is exported from the Construct tool, FenestraPro can embed the glass configuration’s attributes into any Autodesk Revit model.
FenestraPro is used by global design firms, such as AECOM, which specified Solarban® 70 (formerly Solarban® 70XL) glass by Vitro Glass at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Arlington, VA. Photography by Ron Solomon.
PITTSBURGH, August 13, 2020 – Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) announced that its Construct tool now functionally integrates with leading façade design platform FenestraPro. The Vitro Construct tool simplifies the process of configuring, comparing and specifying Vitro Glass and even competitive glass products. It can be accessed without a login at construct.vitroglazings.com.
The new functionality allows design professionals to export custom Vitro Glass glazing configuration data from Construct to the FenestraPro platform. Once the glazing data is exported, FenestraPro can embed the glass configuration’s specifications and attributes—such as U-value, solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) and visible light transmittance (VLT)—into any Autodesk Revit model to provide key performance data, including thermal performance, passive solar heat gain and natural daylight.
"This is a game-changer for FenestraPro users and Vitro Glass specifiers,” says David Palmer, founder and chief executive officer, FenestraPro. “Leveraging significant advancements in Vitro Glass’s product range to enhance and improve the environmental performance of buildings, FenestraPro provides the tools to bridge the gap between the glazing product and how it performs on the building itself.”
FenestraPro is an industry-leading tool that guides building designers in the creation and specification of energy-efficient façades. Used by global design firms, such as AECOM, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), Page/, tvsdesign and ten of Engineering News-Record’s top 30 global “Green Building Design Firms,” FenestraPro’s enhanced technology allows designers and specifiers to evaluate the impact of their glass selections on building energy efficiency within BIM workflows, from early in the design process through late-stage specification. Users also can easily evaluate how their custom glazing configurations will contribute to their project’s Architecture 2030 and LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) objectives.
Currently, over 200 unique Vitro Glass product configurations are integrated with the FenestraPro platform.
“Glass has a tremendous influence on the energy used in buildings,” adds Nathan McKenna, manager, marketing and innovation, Vitro Architectural Glass. “This underscores the importance of glass selection in the façade design and optimization process. Integrating Construct with FenestraPro allows specifiers to better evaluate the impact of glass configurations thermal and solar performance, as well as daylighting.”
The Vitro Construct tool, introduced in 2013, also has the ability to generate three-part specifications in the standard Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) format while utilizing data from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) International Glazing Database (IGDB)—North America’s largest, most accurate and most trusted repository of glass-product performance data—all without a login.
To learn more about FenestraPro, including a product overview, visit www.fenestrapro.com. To learn more about products from Vitro Architectural Glass, visit www.vitroglazings.com or call 1-855-VTRO-GLS (887-6457).
About Vitro Architectural Glass
Vitro Architectural Glass, part of Vitro, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: VITROA), is the largest glass producer in the Western Hemisphere, manufacturing a range of industry-leading, energy-efficient, high-performance products such as Solarban®, Sungate® and Starphire Ultra-Clear® glasses. Committed to continually raising the industry standard for sustainability, Vitro was the first U.S. glass manufacturer to have its complete collection of architectural glass products earn Cradle to Cradle Certified® status and the first North American manufacturer to publish third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for flat glass and processed glass products. Additionally, as of April 2024, all Vitro architectural glass products meet the Top 20% Low Embodied Carbon (LEC) material Global Warming Potential (GWP) threshold the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) established pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and related guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Vitro operates seven glass production facilities across North America, four residential glass fabrication plants in Canada and one of the world’s largest glass research and development facilities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit VitroGlazings.com.
Media Contact:
Robert J. Struble
Vitro Architectural Glass
412-820-8138
rstruble@vitro.com
www.vitroglazings.com