Element Biosciences Headquarters – Glass Fins

Comprising 2,052 individual pieces totaling 16,800 linear feet (or about 3.2 miles!), custom-created glass fins serve as a passive design element for this 5-story, 175,000 square foot Class A Life Science facility located on the redeveloped SD Tech by Alexandria campus. Vertical fins suspended from the building’s curtain wall wrap in regular intervals around the entire façade and are strategically placed to help the building maintain the ample natural daylight it receives while also cutting down on heat gain and glare. Each fin incorporates 1″-thick laminated glass with a baked-on ceramic coating that is further sandwiched between an additional layer of laminated glass. Etched onto the ceramic coating across all fins is a custom design that emulates the protein  transcribed by the FOXP2 gene, the first gene linked to language, celebrating the potential of DNA sequencing tools to empower scientific research and unlock similar new discoveries. The pattern is graphically transposed across the building to filter out direct daylight. Eight non-repeating patterns were created to create movement and display dynamic shadows visible from interior spaces. A polished detail that surpasses typical energy standards, these fins are a great example of where creativity and artistic expression meet science and sustainable architecture.