Use of Low-E and bird-friendly glass in $456 million expansion project part of Wisconsin Center District’s commitment to sustainability

Most people don’t get excited about glass. But talk to Jim Longley about how the glass in the Baird Center expansion helps protect the environment and you’ll quickly learn glass is, “kind of cool.”

As the world struggles against climate change, it isn’t enough to construct a building that is just pleasing to the eye and functional for the users. It must also be built with a focus on sustainability. Especially something as important to the community as the Baird Center.

Longley and his team at Wisconsin-based Klein-Dickert Glass play a critical role in the Baird Center expansion project because their work helps minimize the building’s environmental impact. With about half of the façade made from glass, how it is manufactured and utilized are key components of the building’s sustainability.

While glass reduces the energy needed for lighting, the overall reduction in energy use can be minimal if the wrong glass is used.

“The more natural light that’s within the building the better feasibility, the better it is for energy efficiency,” Longley explained. “The problem with it though is the more light that comes in, the more heat that comes in, the more air conditioning that is required.”

This was a tradeoff that the Wisconsin Center District was unwilling to make in the Baird Center expansion. By using a triple-silver low-emissivity (Low-E) coated glass, the amount of ultraviolet and infrared light that can pass through it is dramatically decreased. The Low-E glass being used blocks up to ninety-five percent of the UV light that traditional glass lets in.

“That’s where the big sustainability comes in,” stated Longley. “You’re getting the best of both worlds. You’re getting the visible light that comes in. You’re the getting the energy efficiency along with it.”

Another environmental issue being addressed within the Baird Center project is bird fatalities. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, every year nearly one billion birds in the U.S. die crashing into the glass used in buildings and homes.

To ensure the Baird Center is not adding to this problem, bird-friendly glass on the Skywalk between the convention center and the Hyatt Regency Hotel and at other building locations within observed flight patterns is being used. This glass, known as bird-frit, is printed with an ink pattern made from ground-up glass. The pattern increases the glass’ visibility and prevents bird collisions.

Despite the increased cost of bird-friendly glass, the WCD leadership felt protecting birds and their habitats was an important investment towards a greener, more sustainable city for Milwaukeeans and our visitors.

The cool, environmentally-friendly glass is only part of the commitment to sustainability you will find within the expanded area of the Baird Center when it opens in 2024. With features like an energy-saving solar array and state-of-the-art ORCA food digester, the Baird Center expansion will set new sustainability standards in the convention and visitors industry.