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Cummins Technology Center features world’s largest faceted wall-made possible by VS1TM

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Innovation Glass India Pvt. Ltd. announced the recent completion of the Cummins Technology Center in Pune, India, which broke ground in 2013. The new technical campus was designed by Venkatraman Associates. Cummins, which has technical centers in 30 countries around the world, designs and manufactures diesel and other alternative fuel engines. The company’s forward-thinking and innovative work is manifested in the stunning architecture of the new campus, which features the world’s largest faceted wall—made possible by VS1.

VS1 is a patented curtain wall system that uses a blade shaped mullion and cast aluminium fittings to support insulating or monolithic glass. This simple kit of parts offers users an unprecedented level of flexibility while eliminating transoms and fitting hardware from daylight openings. After an international bidding process, It was selected over conventional solutions as the system of choice for the Cummins façades.

Alternative approaches would have used a more costly steel and drilled-glass approach. The feature façade of the Cummins Technology Center is a 120,000 sq. ft VS1 wall. Its proprietary radial fittings make possible the complicated geometry of faceted façades at unprecedented value. The folded texture of the façade is accomplished with up to 70-foot VS1 mullions featuring multiple mitered bends with concealed splice plates. Other systems would have required horizontal members, but VS1 managed the extremely complex façade geometry without them. The typical detail at the transitions is a 25mm butt joint visually communicating true “folds” in the glass.

VS1 also accommodates multiple cladding panel types incorporated into the same façade, the CTC façade features a pattern of laminated “terracotta” glass, clear glass, and ceramic tile panels. VS1 canopies protrude from the façades to shelter the entryways. The mullions, which support panels of glass with a frit to prevent solar gain, are on the top of the canopy, creating a flush surface to those entering. The new center’s 2,000 employees enter the building through allglass VS1 vestibules, which are a unique feature of VS1 lobby façade installations. 3/4″ aluminum portal plates frame out sliding and swing doors. Roof plate frames above the vestibule connect to internal vestibule wall portals to create a minimalist “glass cube” aesthetic.

Within the building, spine-like VS1 “green” skylights draw natural light into several inner courtyards. Standard VS1 mullions support IGUs with a dot frit to decrease solar gain. The one-way mullion framing visually eliminates 50% of the metal normally associated with a skylight, resulting in a much more transparent solution. It allows the installation of “flat” glass skylights with slopes of only 1/8″ per ppt (3mm per 30mm).

For more information on the product, visit www.innovationglass.com