Thanks for downloading our digital show guide. This is where you’ll find all the information you need to make your visit to Top Glass 2023 as enjoyable and useful as possible.
I want to start by thanking you, our guest, for your continuing support and patronage. Because of the great response from Canada’s architectural glass community, we’ve been able to bring Top Glass to you for nine years now. Trade events only work when people take time out of their busy days to attend. We’ve worked hard to provide an educational and networking opportunity that rewards your time investment, and you’ve responded by turning Top Glass into Canada’s largest and most established glass industry event. So thanks for that and please accept our promise to keep delivering content that is worth your while for years to come.
Of course, it’s the vendors and sponsors that make all this possible and keep it a free event. So please join me in thanking them as you move about the show floor. I think a special thing about Top Glass is you know the vendors you meet here are committed to serving the Canadian market. There are places you can go to meet more supplier representatives, but there’s nowhere else where every single one of them has a strong focus and presence in Canada. Is that important? Well, if you were waiting for glass deliveries in the last couple years, you might think that it is.
I feel like I say this every year but our educational lineup this time is really off the charts. Matthew Firestone and Andrew Crosby’s presentation is so indepth you are going to leave feeling like you are prepared
to build the Eaton Centre skylight yourself. I truly have never seen a project review that is so generous with the principal’s engineering information. Claudio Sacilotto is a very accomplished engineer and my columnist in Glass Canada. He’s tackling the next big issue we will all deal with in energy-efficient construction: embodied carbon. Luc Paquet’s presentation will dovetail nicely with that, as he’s addressing wood curtainwall and the potential it has to answer many of the embodied carbon challenges. Finally, Heather Sakai will talk about something that really matters: how it looks. Amid all the (justified) conversation about energy efficiency, we thought a back-to-basics refresher on how to achieve the right look with glass would be welcome. Each and every one of these presenters has generously donated their time and expertise to help you, so please take a seat and be ready to ask questions!
Because of you, our loyal suppliers and our expert presenters, Top Glass has become a regular part of Canada’s architectural glass community. Thanks again for visiting and see you at Top Glass for many years to come.
Patrick Flannery Editor, Glass Canada
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE SCHEDULE AT
9:00 AM – SHOW OPENS
10:00 AM - FULL CIRCLE: The promise of wood glazed facades for tomorrow’s energy-efficient buildings
Presenter: Luc Paquet, Architectural Representative at Unicel Architectural Corp.
New technology and engineering are intersecting with a new understanding of the carbon footprint of building materials to create an opportunity for perhaps the oldest building material of all: wood. Luc Paquet of Unicel, developers of a Passive House-certified timber curtainwall product, shares what they have learned about constructing glazed facades out of wood that previously could only be executed in aluminum. His presentation goes inside the design, engineering and installation of the modular product, with looks at actual project cases and the science behind it all.
11:00 AM – NETWORKING BREAK
11:15 AM - BUT HOW DOES IT LOOK?: Principles of colour, reflectivity and transmittance in architectural glass
Presenter: Heather Sakai, Guardian Glass
Time to get back to basics with a discussion of the esthetics of glass and how façade designers can achieve the look and visual performance they want with today’s glazing technology. But this isn’t your dad’s glass colour discussion – innovations like large format glazing, advanced low-E coatings and PVB lamination translate to cost efficiency, energy savings, safety and noise reduction, making things possible we wouldn’t have contemplated before. Class is in session with Guardian’s architectural design manager for the Toronto area, Heather Sakai. Heather will go over the science around glass visual performance and offer some inspiring studies of great looks achieved.
12:15PM – LUNCH BREAK
1:00PM – OGMA AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
Join the Ontario Glass and Metal Association in celebrating our industry’s amazing achievements with its Awards for Excellence. The Awards for Excellence are annual awards that recognize excellence in the design and execution of a building that incorporates the use of architectural glass and metal. One award is presented in each category, Design and Execution. Any member of the OGMA in good standing may submit as many nominations as they wish. Projects nominated will be reviewed by a panel of judges consisting of one OGMA director and two practicing architects.
1:30PM- SKYLIGHT GEEK OUT:
A DEEP DIVE INTO REFURBISHING
THE EATON CENTRE’S GALLERIA GLASS ROOF
Speakers: Andrew Crosby, RJC, Matthew Firestone, Zeidler Architecture The galleria skylight roof at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre is on of the most iconic and familiar pieces of structural glazing in Canada. Built in 1977, it now requires a complete replacement to address 50 years of wear-and-tear and bring it up to modern standards for energy performance and maintenance. The design and operational challenges of executing this high-profile project over an operating retail space are daunting, but Zeidler Architecture and RJC Engineers have tackled them with a number of truly remarkable technical innovations. Perhaps more remarkable is the level of detail and expertise our presenters, Andrew Crosby and Matthew Firestone, bring to this comprehensive study of every aspect of the skylight’s design and installation. Big panels to reduce the number of cross-members? Check. Thermally broken patch fittings? Check. New pressure caps to avoid wet glazing? Check. Invisible button system? Check. Heat sinks to prevent condensation? Check. Glass nerds, get ready for a level of glazing engineering discussion that will have you on the edge of your seats.
2:30PM - NETWORKING BREAK
2:45PM - THE PRIORITY BLENDER: The impact on embodied carbon on how we think about climate-friendly glazing
Presenter: Claudio Sacilotto, Sunview Patio Doors
For at least 20 years, the emphasis for environmentally conscious building envelope designers has been reduction in operational carbon emissions by making facades airtight and more insulating. After years of investment in R&D, the glass industry has the technical capability to meet government goals for net zero construction. But now focus is shifting to the impact of carbon emissions created by the manufacture, fabrication, installation, maintenance and disposal of building components, and soon government codes will call for measures of these “embodied carbon” contributors to climate change. Novatech engineer and Glass Canada columnist, Claudio Sacilotto, will explain how embodied carbon changes the calculation for what constitutes “climate-friendly” glazing, and the trade-offs designers will need to balance when specifying the high-performance designs of the future.
4:00PM – SHOW CLOSES
Studio, Patio Door Ceraprint, Hilton Westbury
HEAR FROM THE EXPERTS
ANDREW CROSBY Principal at RJC Engineers
FROM THE EXPERTS
Session: Skylight Geek Out: A deep dive into refurbishing the Eaton Centre’s Galleria glass roof
Andrew has approached facade engineering with a passion. He has been involved with numerous projects engineering glass, steel, cable and aluminum structures throughout Canada and the U.S. With a speciality in structural glass design, Andrew strives to push the structural glass industry further. He has worked on a wide range of complex glass structures including glass bridges, skylights, stairs, fin walls, cable net wall and innovative feature elements. His portfolio includes the glass observation boxes (the Ledge) at the Sears Tower in Chicago; Calgary Eaton Centre’s barrel vault skylight and glass bridge; and Glacier Skywalk in Jasper National Park.
Session: The Priority Blender: The impact on embodied carbon on how we think about climate-friendly glazing
Claudio Sacilotto is a professional engineer with over 16 years’ experience working in testing, design, R&D and fabrication of commercial glazing components at Intertek and Novatech Patio Doors. He runs Novatech’s R&D facility and gets to play with 3D printers and build test apparatus all day. He’s a member of the CSA A119 Technical Committee on Performance Standards for Windows, a CSA group representative in the Joint Document Management Group and sits on Fenestration Canada’s Technical Services Committee. In a moment of weakness he recently agreed to write Glass Canada’s technical column, The Engineer.
MATTHEW FIRESTONE
Architectural Intern at Zeidler Architectural
Session: Skylight Geek Out: A deep dive into refurbishing the Eaton Centre’s Galleria glass roof
Matthew Firestone has been an architectural intern at Zeidler Architectural for three years and was heavily involved in the Toronto Eaton Center skylight project. Matthew has a diverse background having graduated with degrees in Biology, Environmental Design and Architecture. With over eight years of experience, he brings familiarity working across a broad range of industry sectors including healthcare, sports and recreation, residential and commercial properties. Matthew is an exceptional designer with a proficiency in architectural visualization tools. His interests in digital fabrication, generative design, woodworking and metal fabrication lend well to the precision of his work and technical sensibilities.
Session: But How Does It Look?: Principles of colour, reflectivity and transmittance in architectural glass
Heather Sakai is the Ontario Territory Sales Manager & Architectural Design Manager for Guardian Glass. In her current roles she works directly with a network of Guardian SunGuard certified fabricators providing sales and technical support. She also works directly with design professionals to assist with project review and provide guidance on glass and glazing selections for commercial project work to ensure building envelope enclosures meet all aesthetic and performance requirements. She has worked with Guardian Glass for 7 years and is passionate about all things glass.
THANK YOU SPONSORS THANK YOU SPONSORS
“We are looking forward to having a face-to-face interaction with so many of our Canadian value chain partners as it’s been a long time since we’ve had this opportunity due to the pandemic lockdowns”.
Session: FULL CIRCLE: The promise of wood glazed facades for tomorrow’s energy-efficient buildings
Luc Paquet is the eastern Canada Architectural Representative for Unicel Architectural Corp., manufacturer of Vision Control®, timber and aluminum curtain walls and skylight solutions, based in Longueuil, QC. He brings over 25 years in sales, 13 years as an architectural representative and 10 years with Unicel Architectural to the topic.
“We love engaging with industry leaders to ensure our product is always providing a solution to tomorrow’s needs. We look forward to seeing my friends and family in the industry, which are also our customers! Top Glass is a perfect fit for our company because there are not enough shops measuring digitally in the glass industry. We would like to change the conversation regarding digital measuring.”
“Novatech and its division Laurier Architectural are thrilled to announce their participation in the upcoming Top Glass 2023 show. As a leading manufacturer of doors and glass products, we are proud to showcase our innovative products and meet with glazing contractors, architects, building engineers, and other industry professionals. We look forward to sharing our latest advancements in technology and design, forging new partnerships with the professionals in the industry. See you at Top Glass 2023!”
“Events like Top Glass are critically important, providing an opportunity to meet with our partners in Canada and share information on new products and procedures. Top Glass is also a fabulous way to connect with colleagues and gain insights into specific needs and trends which are occurring in Canada. “
CLAUDIO SACILOTTO Director of Engineering, Novatech Patio Doors
