Pilkington Pyrostop® adds new element to SSOE renovation

16 March 2009
As part of its 60th anniversary celebration, renowned architectural firm SSOE, Inc. decided to renovate its headquarters building in Toledo, Ohio. The architects discovered that Pilkington Pyrostop glass could add a new element to the renovation.

SSOE is an international design firm and is ranked 8th among the nation's largest engineering and architecture firms. When it came to renovating its own facility, SSOE was looking for an alternative to an old railing and fire shutter on its third floor overlooking an atrium.

SSOE was looking for a new solution, and Bret Penrod, general manager of the Pilkington Fire Protection Group in North America had one. The fire shutter was installed when the building was built was found to be installed backwards and therefore inoperable. Bret suggested they replace the shutter with Pilkington Pyrostop to provide continuous passive fire protection.

Pilkington Pyrostop provides a physically robust clear fire protection shield in combination with the high quality through-vision and natural lighting typical of normal glazing. For this project, the Pilkington Pyrostop solution provided SSOE with a rating of 60 minutes of fire resistance.

Along with its fire resistance properties, the glass allows more natural light to enter the SSOE building. The Pilkington Pyrostop glass, installed with a special fire-rated frame, opened up the space and provided a place where the architects and engineers can take advantage of more natural light from the large opening.