Attractive and functional fire-resistant glass for hospitals and clinics    

Fire-resistant glazing plays a key role in the design of healthcare facilities such as hospitals and clinics thanks to its dual benefits of passive fire protection coupled with the daylight giving beauty of glass. Under normal conditions, fire-resistant glazing's primary role is to deliver plenty of natural light and excellent transparency while creating a pleasant environment and feeling of connection and spaciousness indoors. In the event of a fire however, only one thing counts, functionality. In a healthcare setting, such as a hospital, vulnerable patients, who often only have limited mobility, must be evacuated in their beds through wide and safe escape and rescue routes. At the AZ Groeninge hospital in Kortrijk, Belgium, a total of 2,000 m2 of floor-to-ceiling Pyrobel fire-resistant safety glazing has been installed in frameless all-glass partition walls and fire compartments. This super-clear and highly transparent product – using AGC Glass Europe's Clearvision low-iron float glass – delivers maximum natural light. A contemporary barcode design has been printed on the glass walls throughout the building to ensure the glazed walls are clearly visible to visitors and staff – despite being otherwise nearly invisible due to their incredible transparency.  

Comprising of five blocks, each surrounding a central courtyard, and situated on an expansive park-like site covering 144,000 m2, the AZ Groeninge hospital in Kortrijk, Belgium has a clean, transparent yet also very homely look. Its designers were convinced that abundant natural light and an immediate connection to the green natural environment just outside the facility were important factors in counteracting the feeling of anonymous clinicality and creating a pleasant atmosphere for employees, patients and visitors. The entire facility is modular. Each building is self-sufficient and in permanent contact with the surrounding natural environment thanks to the expansive glass facades. Some 2,000 m2 of Pyrobel fire-resistant glass was also installed to ensure a high level of safety inside the building in case of fire. Not only is this product fire-resistant on both sides, it also delivers superb acoustic insulation (EN 12758), reliable integrity and thermal insulation (up to class EI120) and excellent impact resistance (EN 12600). In terms of functionality, the aim was to achieve excellent passive fire resistance in order to reliably protect people and property from fire, smoke and heat. If a fire breaks out, the glazing limits the damage to the building, protects escape and rescue routes and maintains the stability of structural elements – all while extending the time available to deploy an appropriate response. Since natural light and transparency are essential to a hospital under normal conditions, the building designers opted for Vision Line thanks to its superb transparency and the fact that it can be installed in all-glass walls without unsightly mullions. The individual glass panes are butt-jointed with a narrow, fire-resistant silicone joint, and feature intumescent interlayers that automatically expand in case of fire to form a rigid and protective heat shield. The result is a beautiful all-glass wall that  enhances interior spaces with natural daylight. It is also easier to clean since there are no awkward corners or edges. Vision Line can even be used to form glass-to-glass-corners. Additionally to Pyrobel products, AGC’s Pyrobel-T solutions are available in large sizes of up to 450 cm. Pyrobel-T offers excellent light transmission and a perfectly neutral colour as its base glass is AGC low-iron Clearvision. 

Superb sustainability 

Pyrobel Vision Line is the perfect choice for sustainable buildings as it is Cradle to Cradle Silver certified, facilitating the environmental certification of buildings under DGNB, LEED, BREEAM and WELL. In fact, it even achieved gold certification in the Material Reutilisation, Renewable Energy and Carbon Management, Water Stewardship and Social Fairness categories. To more effectively protect resources and ensure a safe and secure future, AGC supports the sustainable dismantling of buildings and the development of true re-use and recycling systems for materials.