Located in Daytona Beach, Fl., Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is the world’s largest university dedicated to aviation, aerospace and STEM fields. Founded in 1926, it has become one of the most prestigious institutions for aviation and aerospace technology, offering students hands-on experience in these fields. The university is known for its state-of-the-art resources, which include flight training centers, research labs and partnerships with major aerospace companies.
In 2022, Hyatt Brown, Brown & Brown Chairman, and his wife, Cici Brown, announced that they would be donating $25 million to support the expansion of Embry-Riddle’s research park. This contribution doubles the size of the research park, adding a 65,000-square-foot facility called the Cici and Hyatt Brown Center for Aerospace Technology, as well as two 20,000-square-foot aircraft hangers. As the single largest gift since Embry-Riddle’s founding, this remarkable donation will play a key role in the growth and development of the institution and the broader Daytona Beach and Florida communities.
For this expansion, Pulp Studio fabricated three different IGU glass types, creating the vibrant pops of color seen throughout the building’s façade. A key element of this design is the interlayer, which, despite being thinner than a dollar bill, produces stunning visual effects such as color shifts, rainbow effects and metallic finishes.
“Achieving a rainbow effect in architectural glass is often a challenge because the process can be temperamental,” says Kirk Johnson, CEO of Pulp Studio. “The appearance of the effect is highly sensitive to factors like lighting and viewing angles. Typically, most dichroic glass is vacuumed directly onto the surface. However, in this case, Pulp Studio laminated the dichroic layer between two pieces of glass. This method provides more design flexibility, but it requires precise control of the temperature, bell curve and PSI during the lamination process.”
This design features a combination of: 1/4″ Low Iron Tempered glass, 1/2″ Black Tecnoform Spacers, 9/16″ Annealed Laminated glass, 5/16″ #614LI on the #1 surface with a Dichroic Interlayer, 3/16″ Low Iron, 1/4″ D2G LI Satin Etch Frit Line Pattern on the #2 surface, 1/4″ #456 Tempered glass on the #3 surface, 7/16″ Annealed Laminated glass, 3/16″ Low Iron with a Dichroic Interlayer and another 3/16″ Low Iron layer for a sophisticated and high-performance glass composition.
The Embry-Riddle project exemplifies Pulp Studio’s dedication to designing stunning spaces that bring together communities and the educational institutions they serve. Past projects include multiple public schools in New York City, the UCLA Ackerman Union Building and North Stafford High School in Stafford, Va.
Project Title: Cici and Hyatt Brown Center for Aerospace Technology at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Architect: ikon.5
Customer: West Tampa Glass
Photo Credit: West Tampa Glass
About Pulp Studio
Founded in 1996, Pulp Studio passionately advocates for the creative use of glass as a building element. From the beginning, the brand’s defining mission is to fill the void in the market for innovative uses of glass in interior and façade projects. Pulp Studio combines technical prowess with design sensibility; creating products that reside at the intersection of fashion and function.
Pulp Studio employs craftspeople, artists, scientists, and inventors who view working with glass as an artistic endeavor – their medium being glass. The company’s capabilities include bending, hand-color coating, laser etching, glass carving, screen print imaging, drilling, notching, and a patented system for uniformly illuminating panels using high-intensity LEDs. Every project is another opportunity for Pulp Studio to further enrich the idea of “custom” by delivering products that are superior in design and functionality. One of the company’s insulated glass products, Ombra™ achieves a solar heat gain coefficient superior to that of other insulated glass units, dramatically reducing climate control requirements and providing significant energy savings over the life of a building.
Working in collaboration with architects and design studios, Pulp Studio’s products have been used in numerous high-profile projects including: Moynihan Station, New York, N.Y., the Space Needle in Seattle, W.A., David Geffen Hall at the Lincoln Center in New York, N.Y., the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, C.A., Wilshire Grand in downtown Los Angeles, C.A. and the Gores Group Headquarters in Beverly Hills, C.A. www.pulpstudio.com