Douglas Burnham, principal of envelope Architecture + Design, located in Oakland, California, and Michael Cotton, project architect, were taken by the history of the old warehouse, the exterior of which blended perfectly with the eclectic mixture of other neighborhood warehouses, homes, and apartment buildings.

As Michael explained, “we discovered that the space was at one time a glass warehouse. One of the buildings still had glass stored in it, in a very simple, yet beautiful way. Vertical stacks of raw uncut glass.”

And that was the inspiration for an idea that became a reality and satisfied several design challenges for the new space. The old interior was too small – tight and noisy. The intense, frantic environment had to go.

Bendheim’s 1/2″ low-iron SatinTech® Low-Iron Etched glass was the ideal solution for the interior partitions. As Michael noted, “we felt that glass was potentially a good material to incorporate into the space, providing a sense of the refined skills of Matarozzi/Pelsinger Builders, a top notch contracting company proud of their craft. The low iron content makes the glass less green – an important consideration as you look at the edges. The 1/2″ thickness provides a sense of solidity and lets you appreciate the substance of the product. We also went with an unpolished edge on the glass. It’s hard to explain, but that edge treatment provides a sense of the material as more elemental – getting at the essence of glass as a refined but also a pure material, like the glass originally stored in the warehouse.”

“This was the first time we used Bendheim architectural glass, and we’ve been using them ever since. We were very pleased to find a solution that evokes the history of the building, performs very well as an acoustic barrier, and is aesthetically beautiful. The partitions refract light from the skylights above, and provide a striking contrast to the warm Hemlock wood and rugged exterior. Bendheim’s local California representative provided samples, and quickly relayed information, shortening the decision making process and paving a smooth road for implementation.”

The final challenge came with the installation. As Michael commented, “it was important to minimize gaps for sound isolation. Recessed aluminum channels were installed in the walls and central cabinet piece, and the glass was installed vertically and caulked into the channels (butt-glazed at corners). It was critical to keep a clean, level line across the tops of the glass partitions and that there be a minimum gap at the floor, but the refinished hemlock was uneven. Nickel shower enclosure brackets from C.R. Laurence were used, with custom-made metal shims under each bracket. Supreme Glass installed the glass once the brackets were in place.”

According to Rick Focke, Design Director for Interiors at HOK, “another challenge was to create a completely unique design for the complex, given that a sister building is located only fifty feet away. The goal for our team was to provide a new environment that enhances the workplace and is the only one of it’s kind – truly distinctive.”

Partner with the experts!
The design process has always been complicated. And this project wasn’t any different. Today’s construction projects demand speed and depend on the contributions of a reliable team. And partnering with Bendheim was a definite advantage.

As Steven Jayson, Vice President of S. A. Bendheim, points out “the company was founded in 1927 by our Grandparents, Sem and Margaret Bendheim, as an importer and distributor of specialty glass products. Today, we stock over a half a million square feet of clear textured glass – over 2500 different types! We understand the fundamental qualities of each and every glass, and know how to combine them to create the desired look and feel. We combine interlayers, textures, and colors to create entirely original effects, and strongly urge our customers to use us as a creative bank of knowledge, creating exactly the right product for the project.”

Bendheim simplifies the process, enhances creativity
As Kimberly Seigal-Rogan, Project Designer, notes “Bendheim’s staff was accessible, responded in a timely manner, and worked with us to find creative, practical solutions. The goal was to identify materials that fit with a wall system that accepted a standard glass size of approximately 1/4”, create the needed privacy, and also meet safety standards.

A visit to Bendheim’s New York showroom early in the design process helped us understand the full range of available glass colors and textures.” One of the sampled combinations provided just the right result – a more natural look, along with a real sense of quality and glass. “This streamlined the decision making process and we were able to develop the design based on what was realistic.”

Making a Mark
Bendheim’s SatinTech glass was laminated to machine antique glass (also referred to as drawn antique glass) in an assortment of colors, providing the ideal solution for the aesthetic and functional job specs. As Rick described, “it was critical that natural daylight flow into the far reaches of the office spaces. The machine antique product was a very good fit – a wide color palette and larger sheet sizes lent themselves to the interior partition design we had in mind.”

“When it comes to product knowledge and service, it’s very hard to beat Bendheim. We know that when Bendheim is involved, the job runs as it should.”