PA Window Tint, Inc.

Scope Of Work

After several years of investigating various options and potential solutions to reduce heat gain and reflectivity, improve tenant comfort and cut down on energy use, Embarcadero Center property managers eventually zeroed in on window film. “We watched window film technology evolve over the years, to the point where we felt we were ready to bring it to our five Embarcadero office towers,” Murtagh says. “Our original goals for a window film installation centered on tenant comfort and energy savings. But, during our investigation, we realized there was another substantial benefit we hadn’t initially considered— a significant reduction in ultraviolet rays. This had the potential to also improve the health and safety of our tenants and reduce wear and tear on their furnishings. We quickly realized that installing window film would be a win-win for everyone.” The company interviewed several window film manufacturers and dealers, and extensively reviewed their technical

DESCRIPTION

Spanning five blocks in the heart of San Francisco’s prime commercial district, Embarcadero Center is one of the largest mixed-use complexes in the western United States. Offering four million square feet of office and retail space, the center encompasses five office towers, with three interconnected shopping levels in four of the towers.

PROBLEM

While Embarcadero Center’s five office towers gave tenants breathtaking panoramas of the city, tenants on the south, east and west sides of the buildings often needed to close heavy draperies over their vast windows to block the intense heat gain and glare when the sun was beating down during the day. “Many of our tenants chose the Embarcadero Center office towers because of the view space,” says Danny Murtagh, director of engineering for Boston Properties, which owns and manages the Embarcadero Center complex. “So naturally, they were not entirely satisfied when they had to cover their windows to stay comfortable on bright, sunny days.” In addition, maintaining a comfortable temperature throughout the five buildings during California’s sunny days was an ongoing—and expensive—challenge.