UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens reached out to us, to look at the tropical house and recommend some improvements. The structure was an old Ickes Braun Greenhouse, and it was glazed with glass and since 1971 the Botanical Gardens applied “liquid shade” – a latex white paint, to cut down on solar gain and help keep the house cool. A safety review raised concerns about the spray shade run-off, the application/removal means and methods of the spray shade, along with the slipping and broken glass; therefore, the garden approached Prospiant’s Maintenance & Renovation Division for options.

We recommended replacing the glazing (the glass) and the glazing system (the aluminum bars that hold the glass to the structure). We recommended replacing the glass with our TECHLITE system which holds 16mm acrylic panels.

Once on site, Project Manager Ryan Dempsey, suggested a couple of different options. The original design included a clear panel at the bottom half of the vertical walls, but the customer was concerned about the optics of potential algae (as seen in the image above) and the significant amount of x-bracing, so they went with light white acrylic on all surfaces (see image below).

Part of the job included lowering the sidewall vents from the eave height to the plant level. The TECHLITE system allows for larger vent areas for more passive cooling capacity. Originally, they had a rigid shade system on the roof, which received large fixed screening. To utilize this system, the gardens crew would have to climb onto the roof to install these additional rigid shade screens. By using the light white acrylic, we eliminated the need for any annual shade application & removal, but also reduced their solar gain, annual maintenance and improved the passive cooling capabilities.

Dempsey said, “The greenhouse installation crew was new to this technology, and it went as smooth as a project can go.” There was a seismic component that had to be included – for all UC Berkeley properties there’s a push to seismically reinforce all buildings. This was one of the first renovation projects to incorporate such seismic upgrades. The x-bracing inside the structure help support the building in the event of an earthquake.

The team began work at the beginning of the pandemic, so they had to manage social distancing, wear masks at all times, and be aware of constant changes to local requirements. In addition, they had to maneuver the 20’ long acrylic panels and extruded material through narrow pathways within the botanical gardens without damaging plants.

Dempsey commented, “Removing glass panels and replacing them with the TECHLITE glazing system is one of our specialties, and we’ve done it quite often, very successfully!”

Structure Purpose

Education Botanical Garden