Greenbuild Expo 2013 Booth #2820
Media contact:
Photos by:
Heather West, 612-724-8760, heather@heatherwestpr.com
R.A. Kennedy and Sons
University City Science Center expands “Eds and Meds hub,”
features Wausau’s INvision curtainwall and ClearStory sun
shades
Philadelphia’s new mixed-use tower on schedule for June 2014, on track for
LEED Silver
Wausau, Wis. (Nov. 2013) -- Wausau Window and Wall Systems’ curtainwall systems with vertical
sun shade blades are being installed by R.A. Kennedy and Sons on the University City Science
Center’s new mixed-use tower under construction at 3737 Market Street in Philadelphia. The building
intends to achieve LEED® Silver certification for environmental and energy efficient design, and is
expected to be completed in June 2014.
Designed by the internationally renowned architecture firm of Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects
(ZGF) in cooperation with UJMN Architects + Designers, the building is owned by the Science
Center and its joint venture partner, Wexford Science + Technology, LLC. Penn Presbyterian Medical
Center will be the anchor tenant in this 14-story facility.
General contractor INTECH Construction broke ground in September 2012 and is on schedule for
next summer’s grand opening. The 295,000-square-foot structure will contain outpatient medical
facilities, ground-floor retail, and office and laboratory space for start-up and growing companies. It
also serves as an integral part of the transit-oriented neighborhood taking shape in the city’s western
edge, adjacent to the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. Established in 1963, the
Science Center was the first, and remains the largest, urban research park in the United States
encompassing 17 acres.
Wausau’s curtainwall and sun shade products support the Science Center’s 3737 Market Street
project in reaching its on-time completion and in pursuing Silver certification through the U.S. Green
Building Council’s LEED Green Building Rating System for New Construction. These products
combine the benefits of natural light and outside views with recycled content, low-emitting materials
and energy optimization.
Pennsylvania-based glazing contractor R.A. Kennedy and Sons is installing 130,000 square feet
of Wausau’s aluminum-framed curtainwall systems. Of this total, the significant majority of the
building is enveloped in Wausau’s INvision™ 7250i-UW Series thermal unitized curtainwall.
The units typically are off-loaded at the project site using the main construction crane, then
erected by stacking individual panels vertically and horizontally, resulting in a four-way-stackjoint design.
R.A. Kennedy and Sons began the curtainwall installation at the second floor, moving upward, and
then finishing with the ground floor. “The largest frames are 5-foot-3-inches wide by 22-foot-10inches tall, weighing roughly 1,500 pounds,” says Al Batten, project manager at R.A. Kennedy and
Sons. “These are being installed on the East elevation, which abuts an existing building. This eastern
side goes from the fifth floor to the penthouse. At the penthouse mechanical screen area, some of the
units are 7-by-18-feet -- not as big, but 14 stories in the air.”
“Using INvision unitized curtainwall, handling for each unit is minimized, which decreases the
opportunity for a mishap and saves time overall. Installation time is a fraction of that necessary
for field-glazed systems,” explains Wausau’s health care market manager, Lisa May, LEED
Green Associate.
INvision unitized curtainwall systems’ interlocking frame design accommodates seismic, live
load and thermal building movements. For 3737 Market Street, the INvision 7250i-UW
curtainwall needed to be engineered with a custom horizontal unit stack at each level,
accommodating 1-inch of total vertical movement. For long-term durability, vertical movement - as well as horizontal movement -- is taken through gasketed slip joints, not through slippage of
glass within glazing pockets or extension or compression of sealant joints. This four-side
silicone structural-glazed system features 3-inch mullion sightlines and 6.25-inch frame depths
that incorporate polyamide thermal barriers, which contribute to a building’s thermal
performance, condensation resistance and energy efficiency.
May adds, “New Model Energy Codes are being adopted by local and state jurisdictions nationwide,
demanding improved curtainwall framing thermal performance. When glazed with spectrally
selective, low-emissivity insulating glass units and a thermal barrier, INvision systems meet the most
stringent of thermal requirements -- even in northern climate zones -- and help address sustainable
design goals for many buildings.”
A combination of Viracon glass types is used to facilitate 3737 Market Street’s daylighting and
energy efficiency objectives. In the vision areas, 1-inch, low-emissivity insulating VRE1-46 glass was
specified. In the spandrel areas, where the insulating glass conceals the structural columns and floors,
Viraspan™ factory-applied, fire-fused ceramic frit paint was applied in high-opacity white and in
medium gray.
Further contributing to project’s green goals, the ClearStory™ sun shade blades are engineered as an
integral part of the curtainwall systems. Sun shades provide shading from direct sunlight, glare
protection and daylight redirection, and help to reduce HVAC peak loads with corresponding
reductions in mechanical equipment capacity and carbon footprint.
“These are not your traditional, horizontal sun shades,” notes Batten. “Rather, these are custom, 9inch-deep, vertically installed, angular covers. They are key elements in the building’s aesthetic on
the South and West elevations.”
To ensure the proper integration of sun shades and curtainwall, Wausau developed 3-D printed “rapid
prototypes” from CAD data. “The opposite of traditional, subtractive manufacturing, which produces
objects by cutting material away, 3-D printing is an additive process, where the printer extrudes and
deposits molten thermoplastic in layers to build the part from the bottom up,” explains Wausau’s
educational market manager, Steve Gille.
3-D printing is “big advantage that Wausau can offer,” says Batten. “The 3-D printing was extremely
helpful as the project has many custom profiles. Typically, these are seen and approved using 2-D
shop drawings. Utilizing 3-D printing allowed Wausau to print a visual sample showing the new
profiles along with the existing profiles. This allowed the architect, owner and construction manager
to see what the final assembly will look like before any material was actually produced.”
Once approved, Wausau began the manufacturing process using recycled aluminum. Supporting the
project’s sustainability goals, the curtainwalls’ aluminum framing and sun shade blades contain
recycled content averaging 70% or greater. These are fabricated in Wausau’s LEED-Silver certified
manufacturing center to ensure the desired performance, and are backed with a standard limited
warranty of up to 10 years.
Contributing to the systems’ durability, Linetec is finishing all of the aluminum framing and sun
shades in a PPG Duranar® Sunstorm™ Silver three-coat paint. As a 70% polyvinylidene fluoride
(PVDF) resin-based coating, this finish meets American Architectural Manufacturers Association’s
AAMA-2605 -- the most stringent, exterior, architectural specification. PVDF finishes exhibit
outstanding resistance to humidity, color change, chalk, gloss loss and chemicals.
As an environmentally conscious finisher, Linetec safely captures and destroys the VOCs present in
liquid solvent-based paints at the factory before arrival on the building site. Wausau’s finished
products comply with indoor environmental quality credits for low-emitting materials with respect to
LEED criteria.
The silver colored, aluminum and glass curtainwall maintains the architectural vernacular of the
surrounding buildings, complemented by the granite stone veneer that will clad 3737 Market Street’s
ground floor. Familiar with the neighborhood’s aesthetic and the development, ZGF and UJMN have
partnered on several projects in Philadelphia’s University City district.
At 180,000 people, Philadelphia has the third largest residential population among Central Business
Districts in the U.S. The area is flush with academic researchers, healthcare institutions and life
science and technology companies. According to the Science Center’s 2013 annual review, $9.4
billion in annual regional economic output is generated by its graduate and resident organizations.
Eight thousand people work on the Science Center’s campus every day and the 93 graduate
companies that are located in the greater Philadelphia region employ 15,000 people.
The new 3737 Market Street tower will be the 15th building in the research park and part of its more
than 2 million square feet of laboratory and office space. The new construction also marks a dramatic
expansion of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC), adding more than 150,000 square feet of
state-of-the-art outpatient surgery, treatment and rehabilitation facilities, including nearly 110 exam
rooms, six outpatient operating rooms and an outpatient radiology center. Good Shepherd Penn
Partners will occupy an additional floor and a half in the building. A restaurant and shops will lease
approximately 6,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor.
The Science Center and Wexford Science + Technology will control the remaining square footage in
the building for other uses related to the Science Center’s mission of supporting tech-based
innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development in the region. Along with emboldening the
Science Center’s mission and pursuing LEED Silver certification, 3737 Market Street addresses
additional community-driven aspirations.
The University City district has a Sustainability Steering Committee to coordinate efforts guided by
Mayor Michael A. Nutter’s Greenworks Philadelphia agenda to become the greenest city in America.
These goals include:
 Assisting businesses with energy efficiency improvements that reduce consumption and
save money;
 Hosting workshops for businesses and residents, and providing training for local youth
and adults;
 Increasing recycling, composting the leaves that are collected each fall, and making
compost and mulch available to community gardens;
 Sponsoring a new Farmers Market and promoting access to local healthy food;
 Improving use of area parks, including more than 33,000 square feet of concrete
repurposed for social spaces;
 Promoting transit use and making University City more walkable by installing new
pedestrian lights and bump-outs; and
 Creating green streets by constructing rain gardens, greening traffic islands, planting trees
and installing sidewalk planters.
The Science Center also has partnered with the City of Philadelphia’s “ReStore Philadelphia
Corridors” program, and with neighboring landlords and property owners to revitalize the Market
Street streetscape, enhance its infrastructure and increase safety.
“Our mission is to create a community of innovators and entrepreneurs,” said Stephen S. Tang, Ph.D.,
MBA, the Science Center’s president and CEO. “Over time the shape of those innovation
communities has changed. They are no longer just places to work.”
He added, “Penn Presbyterian’s expansion onto the Science Center campus strengthens University
City’s unparalleled reputation as an Eds and Meds hub. We are delighted that we’ll be celebrating the
Science Center’s 50th anniversary in 2013 with construction cranes on our campus. It sends a positive
message about the economic recovery, job creation and the desirability of University City as an
innovation center.”
“This expansion will provide PPMC faculty and staff with the infrastructure necessary to better serve
the Powelton Avenue, West Philadelphia, and even the Greater Philadelphia communities,” noted
Michele Volpe, CEO of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. “Since PPMC was founded in 1871, it has
proved to be a leader in providing top-quality patient care. Our new building will only further
reinforce our commitments to excellence, our patients and our community.”
“We are very excited to continue our partnership with the Science Center with the development of
3737 Market,” echoed James R. Berens, chairman of Wexford Science + Technology. “The project,
as a mix of clinical, research and office uses, is a perfect match to the Science Center’s mission and
Wexford’s capabilities -- and is a great opportunity to cultivate University City and Philadelphia’s
innovation cluster.”
At the Association of University Research Parks’ awards ceremony in September 2013, Wexford
Science + Technology was presented with a “Leadership Award” for its “outstanding contribution
to the success and total community impact of multiple university research and technology parks.”
The University City Science Center also was honored as the 2013 “Developing the Culture of
Innovation Award” for “50 years helping entrepreneurs to invent the future by providing both the
physical space and the key resources needed to help commercialize new technologies throughout the
Greater Philadelphia region.”
**
University City Science Center, 3737 Market St., Philadelphia
Owner – joint venture: University City Science Center; Philadelphia;
https://www.sciencecenter.org
and Wexford Science + Technology; Baltimore; http://wexfordscitech.com
Architect:
Zimmer Gunsul Frasca (ZGF) Architects; https://www.zgf.com
Associate architect:
UJMN Architects + Designers; Philadelphia; http://www.ujmn.com
General contractor:
INTECH Construction; Philadelphia; http://www.intechconstruction.com
Glazing contractor:
R.A. Kennedy and Sons, Inc.; Aston, Pa.
Glazing systems – manufacturer: Wausau Window and Wall Systems, 7250i-UW Series thermal
unitized curtainwall, 10250 Series structural silicone glazed curtainwall,
ClearStory sun shades; Wausau, Wis.; http://www.wausauwindow.com
Glazing systems – glass: Viracon; Owatonna, Minn.; http://www.viracon.com
Glazing systems – finisher: Linetec, Wausau, Wis.; http://www.linetec.com
Photographer:
R.A. Kennedy and Sons
Nationally recognized for its innovative expertise, Wausau Window and Wall Systems is an industry leader in
engineering window and curtainwall systems for commercial and institutional construction applications. For
more than 55 years, Wausau has worked closely with architects, building owners and contractors to realize
their vision for aesthetic beauty, sustainability and lasting value, while striving to maintain the highest level of
customer service, communication and overall satisfaction. Wausau is a part of Apogee Enterprises, Inc., a
publicly held, U.S. corporation.
Wausau and its staff are members of the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), the
American Institute of Architects (AIA), the APPA – Leadership in Educational Facilities, the Construction
Specifications Institute (CSI), Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), Glass Association of North America
(GANA), the National Fenestration Ratings Council (NFRC) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
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