After completion in August of 2022, Thirty75 Tech in California’s Santa Clara Valley has been racking up accolades and major architectural awards for its design and animated façade.

Designed by architects Paul Tang and Courtenay Bauer of Verse Design Los Angeles, the project is situated along a busy freeway against a backdrop of Silicon Valley office buildings. The six-story building contains nearly 246,000 square feet of office space.

A primary design focus was on energy efficiency, with features that reduced sun glare and heat gain. Since more than half of the building’s envelope has southern and western solar exposure, a sunshade system - with vertical louvers that are strategically rotated to fixed angles - was devised. The louver system was designed with parametric software to reach maximum energy efficiency (validated by interactive energy modeling), to elevate the façade’s aesthetics and conceal a maintenance catwalk.

There are 24 unitized panel variations strategically repeated to achieve a randomized aesthetic and energy performance efficiency. Each panel contains seven different louver units (with some exceptions at the corners), held together by a 4” x 6” x 3/8” aluminum angle frame which is then attached to the catwalk. The complete louver system uses 46,331 linear feet of extruded aluminum with 17,133 linear feet of aluminum angle framing.

Initially, terracotta was considered for the airfoil-shaped louvers, but extruded aluminum was ultimately chosen due to substantial weight reduction, durability, ease of transport and installation, and future maintenance, making it the more sustainable option. The availability of a wider array of finishes and colors to enhance the design narrative also played a significant role in the decision.

After an intense color selection process, Verse chose a metallic champagne in PPG Duranar® liquid coating, which meets FGIA/AAMA 2605 performance specifications. The color features mica flakes that shift color with changing light, viewing angles and louver rotation.

The team also specified the same champagne color for the curtain wall to marry the two systems for an integrated design approach - a metallic gray for the interior curtain wall and a charcoal/zombie black for the maintenance catwalk. The palette blends both cool and warm colors.

“While the exterior features only one color, the iridescent effect of the mica pigments looks like multiple hues for a cohesive, yet dynamic and dramatic look,” explained Bauer.

For the champagne color, Bonnell Aluminum was the applicator for the louvers while Hydro Extrusions was the coatings applicator for the curtain wall. Both are members of PPG’s Certified Applicator™ Program, an exclusive group of extrusion coaters whose processes are audited by PPG.

“Each louver has a smooth arc that gives a nice gradient effect across the surface when the sunlight hits it, plus the louvers rotate at different angles,” explained Bauer. “The metallic pigments, coupled with a very thoughtful louver design, helped to add some mystery to the exterior.”

To date, Thirty75 Tech has received more than 20 architectural awards from organizations located across the U.S., England, Switzerland, Poland, Canada, UAE and China. One of the awards is the Best Overall Winner in the Metal Construction Association’s 2023 Design Awards competition. PPG is a member of the association. In a unanimous decision, the judges named Thirty75 as Best Overall Project due to its sleek and modern aesthetic, energy efficiency, impact on the surrounding community and innovative use of metal.

Others involved in the project included: construction - Truebeck Construction, and metal installers - AGA/AGS and Viking Steel.

Photography by Tim Griffith.

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