Granite Westchase II

This 14-story commercial office building is wrapped in a 100% glass curtain wall featuring eight different types of glass.

Acknowledging how critical limiting water intrusion is in a 110 mph wind zone, the installation specifications were such that any visible water infiltration was unacceptable and would not pass performance tests—a requirement that surpasses industry standards. Together with the installer and manufacturer, Hoar Construction created and implemented a quality control checklist for each individual piece of glass. Each of the 7,100 windows was inspected to document that it was installed exactly as specified, from the preparation of the frame prior to glazing to the post-glaze installation of the permanent wedge gaskets. A written quality report for each pane of glass was completed and approved by Hoar’s superintendent. Third-party testing completed the QC process. And the plan worked; when Hurricane Ike hit Houston, not one pane of glass leaked.