Bird-Safe Buildings Act Closer to Law
The Bird-Safe Buildings Act was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on July 1. Learn what it means to glass fabricators—and how to optimize the use of bird-safe glass.
What Makes Glass Bird-Safe?
While glass is widely acknowledged as one of the most economical, versatile and beautiful building materials, millions of birds are killed each year flying into glass windows, curtainwalls and facades, according to the American Bird Conservancy. This has led to a surge in legislation for bird-safe building materials in the U.S. and around the world, including the Bird-Safe Buildings Act, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on July 1 and will soon be introduced in the U.S. Senate.
If passed, the law would require that public buildings being constructed, acquired or altered significantly by the General Services Administration (GSA) incorporate bird-safe building materials and design features.
While the GSA is the largest real estate holder in the U.S., these public building projects may only comprise a small percentage of a glass fabricator’s annual production. However, in recent years, Vitro Glass and our Vitro Certified™ Network customers have broadly witnessed architect and building owners’ interest in bird-safe glass intensify.
Expecting Acceleration
These recent legislative developments underscore what we suspected: bird-safe building design is more than just a trend. It will only gain in preference and find its way into local building codes, as bird-safe glass has widespread bipartisan political support.
Beyond GSA buildings, we are likely to see expansion of the requirement of bird-safe glass via codified regulation—especially in coastal regions and areas surrounding the Great Lakes, which account for over 50% of U.S. states and over 50% of Canadian provinces.
Meanwhile, the National Glass Association (NGA) will continue to lead an advocacy effort on bird-safe glazings over the next several years. The likely outcome of this effort is the acceleration of bird-safe glass legislation. Vitro’s Paul Bush, Vice President Quality, Technical Services & Government Affairs, is chairman of the NGA Advocacy Committee.
With our partner Walker Glass, Vitro Glass is well positioned to tackle this new era of ecologically conscious building design from a product perspective. Vitro Glass remains closely partnered with Walker Glass to offer a full selection of bird-safe glass solutions. In fact, AviProtek® E glass by Walker Glass, which combines bird-safe, acid-etched patterns and Solarban® solar control low-e coatings, recently received USGLASS magazine’s 2019 Green Award. Walker Glass also has introduced the industry’s first EPD dedicated to bird-safe glass—offering our architect customers yet another pathway to earn additional LEED® v4 credits through their glass selections.
Shortly after the passage of the Bird-Safe Buildings Act in the U.S. House, Walker Glass published a new video reviewing the significance of bird-safe glass legislation, the Bird-Safe Buildings Act and its implications, featuring world-renowned ornithologist and bird-safe building design authority, Dr. Daniel Klem:
What Would the Law Require?
If passed by the Senate, the Bird-Safe Buildings Act, which was first introduced to the House in January 2019 with backing from various organizations and major architectural firms, would require the following:
- At least 90% of the exposed façade material from ground level to 40 feet shall not be composed of glass or shall be composed of glass that employs a combination of bird-safe modifications.
- At least 60% of the exposed facade material above 40 feet shall meet a modified glass standard.
- There shall not be any transparent passageways or corners.
- All glass adjacent to atria or courtyards containing water features, plants and other materials attractive to birds shall meet the standard.
Fretting About Frits & Optimized Visual Marker Placement
While ceramic frit is a common solution to satisfy bird-safe glass requirements, acid-etched visual markers—such as those used in AviProtek® E bird-safe glass by Walker Glass—are generally a more effective solution when optimized for energy efficiency. By placing acid-etched visual markers on the first surface of an insulating glass unit (IGU), which is preferred to prevent bird collisions, a Solarban® solar control, low-e coating can be applied to the second surface—which is ideal from a solar control standpoint. Walker Glass also offers a 10-year warranty on its acid-etched products.
Ceramic frit is not optimized to be placed on the first surface of an IGU. When ceramic frit is placed on the first surface, the low-e coating must be placed on the third surface—which is not optimal for energy efficiency. Ceramic frit also typically offers only a 5-year warranty and can diminish visible light transmittance (VLT), impacting daylighting strategies.
As bird-safe building design expectations intensify and laws begin to take shape, Vitro Glass is standing by to support Vitro Certified™ Network members with the right products, partners and expertise to face this new era.
Additional information is available on Walker Glass’s website at www.walkerglass.com/resources/bird-safe-glass/.
For More Information
Vitro Glass will continue to provide updates on bird-safe glass legislation and how it might impact the regions you serve. If you want to learn more about the range of decorative bird-safe glass options available to you as a member of the Vitro Certified™ Network, please contact your Vitro Glass rep or visit the Vitro Glass and Walker Glass websites.
