Vitro renews collaboration with US National Aviary to enhance bird habitats

08/13/2024 | Print view

The National Aviary’s Wetlands Habitat. - © Jim Cunningham — © Jim Cunningham

The National Aviary’s Wetlands Habitat.

Vitro Architectural Glass continues its long-standing partnership with the US National Aviary in Pittsburgh, supplying advanced glass solutions that enhance energy efficiency, aesthetics, and bird safety. This collaboration highlights Vitro's commitment to sustainability and education, as well as its deep roots in Western Pennsylvania.

Vitro Architectural Glass, the largest glass manufacturer in North America, has recently announced a continued collaboration with the National Aviary. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the US, the Aviary is the only independent indoor non-profit zoo in the United States dedicated exclusively to birds.

Vitro has been a valued partner of the Aviary for many years, generously donating glass that maximizes energy performance, views and bird safety for the Aviary’s Tropical Rainforest, Garden Room and Wetlands habitats. Vitro also sponsors the Aviary’s Birdly full-body flight simulator, a virtual reality experience that lets visitors experience soaring like a bird. In addition, Vitro has been a dedicated supporter of the Aviary’s school programs and field trips, which benefit Pittsburgh-area students.

Deep roots in Pennsylvania

Vitro’s roots run deep in Western Pennsylvania, as its architectural glass business (formerly PPG Glass) was founded in Pittsburgh in 1883 and its world-renowned glass research and development centre is still headquartered there. Many ground-breaking advancements in low emissivity (low-e) and low-iron glass performance have been made at this location and are on display throughout the National Aviary.

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Introduced in 1990, Starphire Ultra-Clear low-iron glass by Vitro is one of the world’s clearest, most transparent float glass products, transmitting 91 percent of visible light in a standard ¼-inch (6 millimeters) thick lite. Starphire Ultra-Clear glass greatly enhances aesthetics and offers pristine views of the Aviary’s renovated Tropical Rainforest and Wetlands habitats.

LEED-certified low-iron coatings

The National Aviary’s Garden Room is a LEED Gold-certified venue featuring Solarban 72 Acuity glass, a triple-silver, low-e coating on a specially engineered low-iron glass substrate. Together, they provide an exceptional blend of environmental performance and clarity for the state-of-the-art, 9,000-square-foot event space.

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All three areas also feature AviProtek bird-friendly glass by Walker Glass, a Vitro partner, which increases visibility to birds to help prevent collisions. The Tropical Rainforest features AviProtek glass with a velour finish, while the Garden Room and Wetlands incorporate AviProtek glass with acid-etched patterns.