UNiTAB’s Head Office building in Brisbane had some issues to solve. UNiTAB wished to remove internal blinds from the building to take advantage of its spectacular views, but doing so would increase the heat load and create glare issues.
Other problems included:
- A higher heat load equalled increased electricity costs
- The air conditioning system would not have been able to keep up with high heat loads
- The sun shining on computers would create uncomfortable glare and prevent staff from being able to read their screens.
A leading Brisbane window film company, also a member of the Window Film Association of Australia and New Zealand (WFAANZ), was hired by UNiTAB to tint all the windows in the building to create a more comfortable, efficient and productive working environment for its staff.
A high heat rejecting solar control window film was selected for the project, with a glare reduction of 75%. Installation was staggered over many weeks, with the window film company working around UNiTAB’s peak operating times to ensure minimal disturbance to the business.
Ron Koks, Building Services Manager of UNiTAB, comments, “Tinting the windows was a simple, easy and cost effective option to solve the various issues. We win on all counts here after the film installation. The staff are happier and working more efficiently. Having the views has increased the staff amenity on the floors with the natural sunlight penetrating further into the floor area. We can utilise our office space like never before, energy costs for air conditioning are down and we never had to pursue the expensive option of installing additional air conditioning equipment.”
Following the installation of window film to the building’s hundreds of windows, UNiTAB reported the following results:
- Glare was reduced to a comfortable level
- The air conditioning system was able to comfortably keep up with the solar heat load and the additional heat load from extra staff and computers
- All the above was attained without increasing their energy usage from pre-film days.
The other major advantage was an aesthetic one. Prior to the installation, different blinds, curtains and window coverings were used on every floor, creating a disjointed, ugly and confused exterior.
After the film was applied, the external façade became uniform in appearance, giving the building a complete makeover.