Fiat House, Fort Lee, NJ.
Fiat House, a newly renovated office building, transformed into a contemporary residential building located in a highly demanding urban environment near George Washington Bridge; a bridge that connects New Jersey to New York City. The project location presented significant challenges related to noise, privacy, and daylighting, requiring a façade solution that could reconcile seemingly opposing performance goals.
Press Glass collaborated closely with Guardian Glass and the design team to fabricate high-performance insulated glass units that deliver acoustic comfort, occupant privacy, and generous daylighting for residents living in the building beside the major thoroughfare while maintaining a refined architectural appearance.
Glass Type: 35,000 square feet of IGUs
1 5/8″ IGU
3/8″ (10mm) Guardian SunGuard SNR43HT Clear #2, Fully Tempered, Heat Soak Test (HST), Polish Edges
23/32″ (18.21mm) Warm Edge Spacer
9/16″ Lami (1/4″ (6mm) Guardian Crystal Gray, Fully Tempered, Heat Soak Test (HST) / 0.030″ (0.76mm) Saflex Acoustic PVB / 0.030″ (0.76mm) Saflex Clear PVB / 1/4″ (6mm) Clear, Fully Tempered, Heat Soak Test (HST))
Special Processes: Four-side offsets, heat soak testing
Architect: HAAK
DESGIN INTENT AND ARCHITECTURAL VISION
From the outset, glass was a defining material for Fiat House. Guardian Glass was engaged early in the design process to assist the architect with glass selection that could respond to the site’s noise exposure, neighboring buildings, and nighttime privacy concerns with it being a high rise bordering a busy road. Brett Ashley, Press Glass President remarked about the complicated nature of the glass make ups for the job, “We make the complex possible.”
“Because of the building’s proximity to the George Washington Bridge and surrounding properties, we knew privacy, especially at night, was going to be a major driver,” said Danielle Tyson, Commercial Sales Development Leader with Guardian Glass. “The challenge was achieving that without compromising daylight or making the façade feel heavy or dark.”
To achieve the desired performance, the design team selected clear glass with a reflective coating on surface #2, combined with a laminated inboard consisting of both clear and tinted glass. This configuration helped create nighttime privacy while maintaining clarity and brightness during the day.
Tyson continues, “The architect was trying to achieve a façade with both day and nighttime privacy. While reflective low-e coatings offer daytime privacy, once it becomes dark outside and the interior lights are turned on, they no longer offer that privacy. To improve the privacy for residential tenants during evening hours, I worked with the architect on incorporating Guardian’s Crystal Gray tinted glass to one of the lites of the inboard, laminated composition. This was something we worked to achieve since the architect was concerned that too much tinted glass could reduce the visible light transmission to an undesirable level”
GLASS & FAÇADE STRATEGY
The building’s location drove many of the technical decisions. Heavy traffic volumes and constant activity around the site made acoustic performance a priority.
Now it was up to Press Glass Inc to fabricate quality glass that met the seemingly opposing needs of the building occupants. Press Glass created laminated glass with an acoustic PVB interlayer, utilizing a build-up of 10mm (3/8”) / 6mm (1/4”) / 6mm (1/4”) glass thicknesses. The varying thicknesses helped disrupt sound transmission while supporting structural and aesthetic requirements.
KEY GLAZING CHARACTERISTICS
- Laminated glass with acoustic PVB interlayer
- Multi-thickness glass makeups for enhanced sound attenuation
- Reflective coating on surface #2 (Guardian SunGuard SNR43)
- Guardian CrystalGray tint on inboard to help create nighttime privacy
- High-performance low-E coatings to support thermal efficiency
- Four-Sided offsets – for occupant convenience to operate tilt open windows
CONCLUSION
The success of Fiat House relied heavily on close coordination between Press Glass Inc. and the Glazier Pioneer Windows Mfg throughout fabrication and delivery.
“This was a project where alignment mattered,” said Brandon Breeding, National Accounts Manager at Press Glass. “We worked very closely with Guardian to ensure the coatings, lamination, and fabrication details all came together exactly as intended.”
Schedule was another critical factor. Guardian expedited glass production to support the project timeline, while Press Glass Inc. maintained strict schedules and quality control during fabrication. “Communication was key,” Breeding added. “Guardian was very responsive, and both teams were focused on making sure the customer and installer were fully supported.”
This collaborative approach helped ensure smooth installation and a finished façade that met both aesthetic and performance expectations.
Outside of the acoustic and lighting considerations, this job also required four-sided offset IGUs. These units present a fabrication challenge that Press Glass Inc. is well trained to navigate. The fabrication methods for successfully building these units requires acute consistency, reliability, and adherence quality standards.
Glass offsets are a specialized fabrication that require both technical expertise and skilled craftsmanship. “Press Glass is one of, if not the only, fabricator in the US who can offer four-sided offsets”, says Breeding. “The reason they can be a challenge is because at the end, the fabrication process steps away from automation where the glass craftsmen must manually finish the units by applying the secondary sealant.” This manual process requires proper training and execution with intention, precision, and consistent quality.
RECOGNITION & RESULTS
Fiat House was awarded a Merit Award from the New Jersey American Institute of Architects (AIA), recognizing the project’s successful integration of design excellence and technical performance.
The building stands as a strong example of how thoughtful glass selection, advanced fabrication, and close collaboration can overcome the challenges of dense urban sites.
TAKEAWAY
Fiat House highlights Press Glass’s expertise in fabricating complex, high-performance glass solutions that support demanding architectural visions. Through close collaboration with Guardian Glass and the project team, Press Glass delivered a façade that is quiet, bright, private, and visually compelling, proving that performance and design do not have to be mutually exclusive.
