On the Safe Side

Who wouldn’t want to realize a 1,000% benefit?

Of course, in the building industry, there have always been budget concerns and constraints. You can put up a block wall and meet the fire- and impact-ratings that are needed for hurricane zones … but there’s potential for a far greater gain.

In a word, multifunctionality.

I’m not just talking about the benefits of all-in-one fire- and impact-rated systems solutions, or getting your fire-rated glass with integral blinds. In today’s real estate market, where aesthetics drive up the square-foot value of buildings for lease or sale, fire- and impact-rated glazing and framing increases value beyond that $10-for-$1-return.

Then there’s the qualitative benefits, the ones that are harder to measure by our industry’s standards.

When designers introduce daylighting into a space, the psychological benefits are undeniable. Office workers enjoy 10-25% better mental function and memory. Call center employees process calls 6-12% faster. Hospital stays are shorter. Students achieve higher test scores and learn 20-26% faster. Retail establishments sell more (up to 40%!).

So it’s not just about aesthetics. It’s about productivity improvement, learning improvement. It’s a quantifiable increase in resale or lease value. It’s not just a life safety issue, it’s a quality-of-life issue. When you add those benefits to real estate values as well as the savings reported by NIBS, it’s hard to defend that block wall, isn’t it?

We all know how easy it is to scope-out safety glazing. While there are many ways to meet the I-Codes that don’t involve fire- and impact-rated systems, the benefits of daylighting and multifunctionality (not to mention thermal control, design benefits, added safety and more) that go along with them add value beyond dollars and cents.