Banco Bolivariano Financial Group Sustainable Building, hand in hand with SentryGlas® ionoplast interlayer

The design of the building and its façade reduces solar energy gain, which precludes excessive use of air conditioning, while SentryGlas® improved the natural lighting, removing the need to turn the lights on inside the building. Photos: Fairis

SentryGlas® glass was also used on a 14m (approx. 46 ft) walkway that forms the entrance to the building. The walkway comprises three tempered glass panels with 1.52 mm (60 mil) SentryGlas® interlayers. Photos: Fairis

Serving its customers for more than 30 years, Banco Bolivariano is one of the most important banks in Ecuador. Its new branch office at Guayaquil is not only at the forefront of new urban projects, but its sustainable design also highlights that the bank treats the environment as importantly as it treats its customers.

In 2010 a project commenced that resulted in a modern and sustainable bank building that optimizes natural resources and minimizes environmental impact. Much of this light optimization can be put down to the use of SentryGlas® ionoplast interlayer in the laminated architectural glass panels used for the building's façade.

The Architect in charge of the project was Rodolfo Rendón, former Minister of Environment for Ecuador and current President of the Ecuadorian Sustainable Building Council (CEES). Rendón is widely acknowledge for his green building designs.

Estructuras de Aluminio S.A. Estrusa with broad experience in structures, responsible for the design and implementation together with Fairis, supplier of laminated glass, tempered and insulated, were the responsible companies for creating the large-area glass façade and part of the roof of the branch office. The challenge was to keep the inside cool even with an average annual outdoor temperature between 20 °C (68 °F) and 27 °C (80,6 °F).

It was decided to use a solution based on laminated insulating glass with SentryGlas®, a high-strength interlayer that allows architects to create safer railings, windows, floors and even hurricane-resistant façades. The idea was to have most of the building covered in glass with open spaces, while minimizing energy use.

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