Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma blew out tens of thousands of windows, exposing downtown Miami’s Brickell Avenue corridor to devastating winds and flooding rains in 2005. Two million square feet of new Miami Class A office space came online in 2010, and developers have taken steps to assure building and occupant security from the certainty of future storms. The new development at 1450 Brickell is leading the way as the strongest glass facade of any commercial building in the nation.
Floor-to-ceiling glass providing expansive views of downtown Miami — including the Biscayne Bay to the East — is a nice building feature, but only if the security and comfort of the occupant is assured. While Miami-Dade County requires that glass in the first 30´ of a building be large-missile impact-resistant, the entire 35-story curtainwall system on this technologically advanced building is designed for large-missile impact.
“After enduring the most rigorous set of window testing ever conducted in the United States, I can say with confidence that 1450 Brickell’s curtainwall system will set a new standard for building strength,” says Enclos senior project manager Troy Johnson. “In a city as susceptible to catastrophic wind speeds as Miami, the advantages of 1450 Brickell’s curtainwall technology may mean the difference between security and vulnerability for building occupants.”
Typical curtainwall units on levels 10 and above measure 13.5´ tall by 5´ wide, while typical ground level wall systems incorporate twin span units measuring 18´8˝ tall by 5´ wide.
Security is not the only advancement provided by this progressive curtainwall design. 1450 Brickell is Miami’s first office tower to have earned LEED Gold pre-certification from the U.S. Green Building Council and has since become LEED Gold certified.
Enclos has played a leadership role in facade building security since the firm conducted the first ever full-scale testing of curtainwall blast-resistance for the Las Vegas Federal Courthouse. Now a decade later, Enclos has built many more blast-resistant facades, including half a dozen additional federal buildings and the strongest missile-impact resistant curtainwall system developed in the nation. From our sustained R&D efforts, the firm continues to lead the way in providing high-performance facades, many of which are showcased on LEED certified buildings such as 1450 Brickell.