Case Study: Metrotower III

The LIGHTWALL 3100LS withstands extreme wind loads atop Metrotower III

Project: Metrotower III

Location: Burnaby, BC

Architect: Stantec Architecture

System: LIGHTWALL 3100LS

Stantec Architecture was hired to design a series of office buildings for Ivanhoe Cambridge CDP – three towers located in the heart of Burnaby, British Columbia’s metro center. The towers would be comprised of over 616,000 square feet, 28-30 stories high offering panoramic views of the city. Stantec Architecture designed the third structure, Metrotower III, to be a LEED Platinum Certified building.

Given the massive square footage of the buildings, a substantial amount of room to store maintenance equipment was needed, and the roof of Metrotower III became the designated storage location. To hide the utility area, Stantec Architecture designed an enclosure to complement Metrotower’s glass facades - an element that could be backlit or facelit to accent the stately edifice. That’s where EXTECH’s LIGHTWALL 3100LS came into play.

The challenge was, not only did the enclosure need to meet the design intent and help contribute to LEED certification, it needed to withstand extreme wind load conditions. At 29 stories high and in close proximity to the Georgia Strait, the enclosure would be subjected to demanding weather. Other translucent materials were considered for the project, but the LIGHTWALL 3100LS (with its patented structural 2-piece clamping mullion) was the only system designed to accommodate the extremely high wind loads. EXTECH took every precaution to ensure that the system was engineered to successfully meet Stantec Architecture’s aesthetic and performance criteria.

The architect was ultimately pleased with the outcome. "Architecturally, I was very happy with the end result,” says Terrance Wong, lead architect on the Metrotower III project. “It is as I had hoped, as it glitters and captures the sunlight. A beautiful feature at the top of the building rather than an opaque box."

 

If you would like to find out more about this project or the LIGHTWALL 3100LS, we're more than happy to chat! Please contact us for more information.