Armorcoat® Is Natural Selection
For National Geographic Society.
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Benefits Experienced: Greatly increased safety; GSA compliance; Significantly reduced solar load; Reduced energy usage; More comfortable interior climate; Elimination of glare

Armorcoat Is Natural Selection For National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society campus in Washington, D.C., is home to all things anthropological. Inside of its stately walls are the society's popular museum, magazine and book publishing offices, archives, television production studios and administrative offices.  Of course, along with the construction of these capacious buildings came challenges for property management. When Richard Neil, chief engineer for the expansive three buildings, conducted an evaluation of energy usage in 2001, it was determined that they needed to immediately reduce their solar load. After successfully addressing that problem, two years later, when GSA recommended that all buildings within the D.C. area provide a measure of blast mitigation for their windows, Society engineers turned to a familiar vendor to assist with their problem.

Frank and Patrick Clugston of Eastern Metallizing, Inc., initially analyzed the building for energy related problems. Having been Solar Gard window film dealers for over 30 years, they knew how effective the films would be in fixing Neil's building issues. They suggested the installation of 12,500 square feet of Solar Gard Solar Bronze 20 and Stainless Steel 35 on the upper floors of the building. Then, when approached for help with broken-glass related safety for the campus two years later, they solved the problem with 4,786 square feet of Armorcoat 4 Mil Clear on the interior lobby windows and 4,415 square feet of Armorcoat 4 Mil on the cafeteria. The end result was all that the property engineers had hoped for.

The initial installation of the Solar Gard films in 2001 immediately provided a cooler climate and increased energy efficiency; the solar load was significantly reduced and the displays received increased protection from ultraviolet radiation and solar heat-related damage. Next, in 2003, the Armorcoat installation provided an incredible safety measure that all the Society's employees were thankful for. The durable, resilient Armorcoat film ensured that there was a strong safety measure in place in the event that a nearby terrorist event or even direct attack resulted in their windows shattering. The Society's employees now have a much stronger sense of security, and the campus engineers are pleased with their improved energy efficiency. Eastern Metallizing, Solar Gard and Armorcoat were the perfect formula for success!

Armorcoat Goes To Work For
The Department of Labor.

Benefits Experienced: The building is a much safer place for employees and visitors. Since broken glass can result even from an explosion several hundred feet away, the facility’s windows are protected with a durable, resilient retrofit product that effectively reduces the possibility of injury and damage from broken glass. As an added bonus, Armorcoat films reject almost 100 percent of harmful ultraviolet radiation, so the buildings interior has increased protection from fading. On top of that, since the installation was quick and non-evasive, the employees were able to operate as usual. Armorcoat and Eastern Metallizing delivered excellent safety to the U.S. Department of Labor.

After 9/11, property and security managers in Washington, D.C. found themselves presented with a daunting task – to vastly increase safety measures in some of the oldest and most historically prominent buildings in the nation. As Gary Taylor, physical security specialist for the U.S. Department of Labor, found, one of the main concerns was broken glass. If an explosion or blast were to shatter the many expansive windows in his building, the extent of the damage would be devastating. With thousands of square feet of glass encompassing the building, he needed to quickly find a product that would mitigate such possible damage. After conducting on-line research and weighing several options, he decided that Armorcoat from Bekaert Specialty Films was his answer.

Already installed on a number of government buildings, Armorcoat provides the exact kind of increased safety from broken glass that he was looking for. He called upon Armorcoat dealer Patrick Clugston of Eastern Metallizing, Inc. for the installation. Patrick and Gary decided on Armorcoat 4 Mil Clear for the atrium and display areas, and 78 Mil Clear for the top floor, home to offices of many of the U.S. Senate. As one of Bekaert Specialty Films' original dealers, Patrick and his crew performed the installation quickly, professionally, and without interruption to their daily operations. The result was ideal for Mr. Taylor.

With the Armorcoat in place, the building is a much safer place for employees and visitors. Since broken glass can result even from an explosion several hundred feet away, the facility's windows are protected with a durable, resilient retrofit product that effectively reduces the possibility of injury and damage from broken glass. As an added bonus, Armorcoat films reject almost 100 percent of harmful ultraviolet radiation, so the buildings interior has increased protection from fading. On top of that, since the installation was quick and non-evasive, the employees were able to operate as usual. Armorcoat and Eastern Metallizing delivered excellent safety to the U.S. Department of Labor.