From Billet to Building – Part 2: Float Glass

The construction of high-performance building envelopes is a multi-step process, starting with raw materials such as aluminum billets and glass silica, and results in prefabricated curtainwall unit assemblies that hang from the building structure, most often the floor slabs. This process requires a network of material vendors, processors, fabricators and installers to coordinate diligently. In the five-part video series From Billet to Building, the Advanced Technology Studio of Enclos will animate each step, culminating in several installation strategies.

Part 1: Part Manufacture and Fabrication

Part 2: Float Glass

  • Raw materials heated to a molten state
  • Molten glass floats atop a bath of molten tin before proceeding down the float line

Part 3: Insulated Glass Unit
Part 4: Curtainwall Assembly
Part 5: Curtainwall Installation