Quick-install method supports design vision for employee-friendly building
Architects for a $157 million downtown redevelopment in Central Indiana specified our problem-solving TurnKey™ Glass Wall Cladding system for the project’s anchor building, adding elegance to an open interior.
Designed by Browning Day of Indianapolis, a new corporate headquarters for First Internet Bank opened in the city of Fishers, Ind., in May 2022. Framing the elevators of the six-story structure, our gently etched grey mirrored glass creates a soft backdrop for some of the more dramatic features in the open central space, including the grand staircase connecting the four uppermost levels. As described by Madison Rief, Designer and Fitwel Ambassador at Browning Day: “It was a contemporary solution that allowed us to highlight the elevators without stealing the drama from the feature stair and two-story feature wall.”
The use of our TurnKey™ system to attach the glass cladding sped installation along. This simple rail-based concept allows glass panels to be locked into place with one-inch clips that turn like a key. Installation crews need only their basic tools, and no special training is required.
The work at First Internet Bank was completed by Architectural Glass & Metal of Indianapolis. AGM’s Marc Fickle noted that installation was up to 20-25% faster with TurnKey (versus conventional J-channel and mastic). The TurnKey system is also more forgiving than other installation methods, allowing easy adjustments to compensate for uneven walls.
Panels mounted with TurnKey can also be easily demounted in the event of a redesign, or if access to an area behind the glass is required. TurnKey hardware is available in any RAL color, allowing designers to downplay or highlight these elements as desired. The clips installed in First Internet Bank were powder coated in RAL-7043 Traffic Grey, to match the custom grey etched and laminated mirror. Browning Day’s Rief expressed satisfaction with the outcome: “It was a perfect solution, and we just loved the look of it.”
In keeping with its history as the first state-chartered, FDIC-insured institution to operate entirely online, First Internet Bank took a reflective and deliberate approach to the purpose and nature of its brick-and-mortar office space. Features designed to promote employee wellness include a private amenity terrace and ready access to the nearby Nickle Plate Trail, fostering a connection with nature. The sleek and modern design of the building’s workspaces provides flexibility for collaboration, with a nod to the industrial past in the form of exposed concrete and open ceilings.
Said Elieh, Vice President of Sales and Product Innovation at Bendheim, noted: “We’re proud to be associated with this forward-looking project, and with the dynamism of growing cities like Fishers. The beauty of our TurnKey system is that it’s now far easier for architects and designers to include gorgeous interior glass in their plans.”