Providing Natural Light in a Bow Truss Building
Challenge
“Bow trusses are a complex system that cannot be built today,” said Matt Nardella, AIA LEED at Moss Design. “So the challenge was finding and installing a skylight system that could work between the bays where the trusses already existed without modifying them at all.”
Furthermore, an active railway runs right in front of the building, so creating a construction site outside was not a possibility.
Solution
For the main atrium of the CoLaborartory, the architects decided on 51 VMS modules for the Step Longlight configuration. The VMS Step Longlight includes multiple rows of skylight modules connected to create a large glass roof, making it suitable for extra-large roof openings. It’s also available in both fixed and operable, ventilating modules.
The renovation also included replacing old skylights original to the building and unsalvageable due to graffiti. The team opted for two, 50-foot VMS Ridgelight structural systems, each with 24 skylight modules.
Due to its prefabricated design, the VELUX Modular Skylight system eliminates the need for on-site glazing and can be installed quickly.
“It took just a few days for the bulk of it,” said Koster. “It goes in quickly. It’s not easy to get a crane due to the train, and VELUX provided us a way to work with small equipment to get the panels on the roof.”
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