When designing the Principle Business Enterprises’ (PBE) manufacturing plant in Bowling Green, Ohio, architect Kate MacPherson and PBE owners Carol and Chuck Stocking conducted extensive research. They were on a quest for the best daylighting product on the market. After identifying Kingspan Light + Air | CPI Daylighting’s UniQuad translucent wall panel system, the Stocking’s traveled across the Midwest reviewing existing UniQuad installations. Ultimately, 4,480 sq. ft. of the wall system was incorporated into the new PBE headquarters.

“It was important to incorporate natural daylighting to make the manufacturing workplace healthier and reinforce PBE’s brand and their Tranquility product,” said MacPherson. As the manufacturer of incontinence care products, the company didn’t want passersby to be able to see into the building and onto the plant floor. Instead, they needed an opaque material like UniQuad’s polycarbonate to provide daylighting with visual privacy and without glare.

Building a Healthy Environment with UniQuad

It’s well known that daylight promotes health and sustainability, both for a building and its inhabitants. That’s exactly the impact MacPherson and Project Manager Jamie Deyel, MacPherson Architects, Toledo, hoped to achieve with the UniQuad wall system at PBE.

“The change was immediate; it impacted worker productivity and the overall happiness of workers in the space,” said Deyel. “Those in the older space open up the door to the new space to get some of the daylight. This practice started early on in construction and continues today.”

The 50,000 sq. ft. facility is always active, operating three shifts each day. Bringing natural, diffused light into the plant creates a soft glow on the plant floor and supplements the artificial lighting, ultimately helping workers see more clearly. “Because PBE operates around the clock, we felt it was important for workers to get exposure to the natural rhythm of nature,” said MacPherson. “In the areas where the desire was to get a beautiful flow of light, we used UniQuad in long spans to achieve a soft, tranquil glow for the workers.”

Direct2Fab Production and Installation Benefits

The Kingspan Light + Air | CPI Daylighting Direct2Fab expedited delivery program eliminates weeks of engineering and submittal time, delivering the system within a reduced time frame. Through this program, the UniQuad panels arrived on site in just eight weeks, enabling the plant’s exterior construction to conclude just before the cold, Ohio winter set in.

Matching the shape and size of the building’s exterior metal panels, the UniQuad panels help create a uniform look across the façade. “UniQuad is a self-supporting panel that can span long distances in an elegant way. The fact that it’s a sandwich wall with an interior reinforced aluminum adds to its elegant durability,” said MacPherson. “We felt that there was a lot of integrity to the system itself and it functions well as a building enclosure. Really simple, elegant and with a soft fenestration.”

PBE’s new manufacturing facility doubles as the company’s headquarters, featuring a wellness center, conference rooms and office space for PBE corporate employees. Varco Pruden Buildings recently named the facility their 2018 Hall of Fame Best of Warehouse Winner.

“We were excited to find a product like this and incorporate it into a building where it’s made a huge impact on the space, and one I think that can set an example for manufacturing production spaces in our region as to how natural daylighting can provide a positive impact on large-scale production workplaces,” said MacPherson.

To learn more about Varco-Pruden Buildings and its lineup of metal building systems, click here.