2000 L Street

The goal for this project was to create a highly transparent and unique façade. Traditionally, maximum transparency is often achieved with low-iron, corner clamped glass supported by vertically spanning cables. By turning the cables 90º to span horizontally and using long rectangular panels, Novum was able to construct an incredibly transparent and distinctive wall that “reads” horizontally. This introduced engineering challenges in how to support the dead load of the glass and how to brace the cables, particularly at the corner. The dead load of the glass is supported by stainless steel tension rods, precisely engineered to handle both the weight and eccentricity of the glazing, while the cables are braced by stainless steel “wind needles” that transfer the load to vertical elements held back from the wall. At the corner, Novum designed an elegant custom truss to handle the forces created by the highly tensioned cables turning the corner.