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Empirehouse partnered with Greiner Construction and Tanek Architects as the Architectural Glass and Metal Contractor for the 1919 University Corporate Facility renovation project located along the St. Paul light rail system. Replacing the once concrete and punched window facade is a huge curtainwall that brings in lots of natural daylight—plus a fresh modern look. In addition to the curtainwall is a new south entrance, interior vestibule, and glass handrail system.

Scope of Work: 

• Replacement of punched windows
• Curtainwall Installation
• 154 Glass Units
• Storefront Entrances
• 125 Lineal feet of interior glass handrail
• Approximately 7,000 Sf of Glass

The ten-story office tower balances the flanking twelve-story hotel and is connected by decorative glass “Jewel Box” on the building’s exterior. The view of these two connected structures provides the customers and clients of the MOA an amazing image as they enter from the busy I-494 freeway system. The striking office tower features the penthouse and stair areas cladded with approximately 13,000 total square feet of a four-sided structural silicone glazed aluminum pressure-wall framing system, glazed with a high-performance low ‘e’ coating with a stainless steel warm-edge spacer. The fourth through ninth floors have 25,000 square feet of ribbon curtainwall system glazed with matching glass. The accompanying spandrel glass was provided with the ceramic spandrel frit on the #3 surface, offering a subtle banding effect around the perimeter floors of the building. All aluminum framing was painted with a 3 coat custom fluoropolymer finish.

Scope:

• Curtainwall
• spandrel glass 
• four-sided structural glazed aluminum pressure-wall framing system

The Upsher Smith Laboratories project was an addition to a facility that was constructed many years ago. Empirehouse was tasked to provide materials to match the new construction with the original building. Over the years, the glass and aluminum systems used in the original construction had been discontinued. Empirehouse overcame these procurement issues through our long-standing relationships with premier aluminum and glass suppliers. After independent research and engineering modifications with today’s glass and aluminum systems, Empirehouse reached a desired appearance within the construction budget.

Scope Of Work:

Exterior project scope:

• Over 14,000 square feet of exterior glazing systems involving various glazing components
• Custom engineered faceted and monumental four-sided structural silicone glazed curtainwall systems act as prominent features on the west and south facades and mimic the original main entrance wall system
• Simple thermal aluminum ribbon window systems follow the perimeter of the three-level structure
• Standard captured aluminum pressure-wall systems vertically separate the façade elements throughout the office and warehouse space
• A custom monumental lean-to skylight application that extends 150-lineal feet across the common space roof which includes an integrated vertical louvered return wall to accommodate exhaust management

Interior glazing scope:

• Heavy-tempered monolithic wall systems with custom-polished aluminum flat-stock trim
• Multiple fire-rated aluminum door and framing systems installed at the existing separation wall
• Decorative glass throughout the executive level office: magnetic glass marker-boards, a low-voltage controlled electrically switchable translucent glass partition, and custom molded or etched art glass