Talia Vinograd
CPI Daylighting Inc.
CPI Daylighting pioneered the use of polycarbonate translucent panel systems for architectural use two decades ago, and has followed up by driving daylighting innovation…
Tell us about yourself, your company, your product.
CPI Daylighting pioneered the use of polycarbonate translucent panel systems for architectural use two decades ago, and has followed up by driving daylighting innovation with specialized architectural products. CPI can be your sole source for Daylighting, ranging from translucent polycarbonate panels to Intelligent Daylighting; from skylights and wall lights to canopies and walkway covers; from raw materials to design, manufacturing and installation.
CPI offers a full complement of custom and standard systems for a variety of applications, with options for color, style, configurations, light transmission levels, insulation, thermal performance, hurricane endurance and fire resistance. CPI can deliver a complete daylighting solution to enhance any architectural design. We are proud to have been a leader in green construction projects, and are now thrilled that the rest of the world is recognizing the importance of requiring sustainability in any way it can be provided. My role is in Market Research and Business Development, whereby I continually search for the best ways to reach the current and future markets.
What is the role of your materials and products in the development of today’s leading architectural ideas?
CPI is devoted to leading the translucent daylighting industry with cutting edge architectural daylighting technology. Most importantly, CPI doesn’t simply manufacture daylighting products, CPI designs and manufactures daylighting solutions. We pride ourselves in providing a service; CPI’s commitment to meeting customer requirements with an unwavering resolve for excellence in sustainable design has resulted in an expanding leadership position in the translucent daylighting industry.
The role of our products is varied depending on the architect’s particular goal; however the importance of daylighting universally across projects cannot be stressed enough. In schools, for example, enhanced daylighting is associated with higher performance rates. In this case, our products provide not just a vessel by which light can be transmitted, but an experience and heightened achievement. We also offer blast resistant products, which play an essential role in DoD projects. Daylighting design is essential and must be integrated into a variety of projects, and we work with the design community to find the best way to help them achieve their goals with high-performance products that do not simply meet the specification, but also give tremendous added value.
What are the latest innovative developments that you are working on and what products do we have to look forward to and expect in 2011 and beyond?
Our newest innovation is our IntelaSun® Controlled Daylighting Systems. Unlike any other product on the market, this system uses intelligent SolaBlade® within glazing panels to gauge the sun’s position, and then dynamically manage the desired sunlight, solar heat gain and sun-shading inside the space. Light transmittance levels can be set and will adjust either automatically or manually. In this way, one can control light transmission, solar heat gain, and glare. This system fosters a comfortable and productive environment all year long, provides tremendous energy savings, and gives architects design flexibility.
Explain how your product was used in and contributed to the success of a specific project?
We recently used our IntelaSun® system to provide a solution for Lockheed Martin Missile and Space Building 157. Their existing opal white glass skylights brought excessive glare into sensitive work spaces as the sun moves during the day. To fix their problem, CPI replaced 20,000 square feet of glass skylights with our dynamic intelligent controlled daylighting and sun-shading system. The skylights were divided into 16 zones for optimal control of solar glare into sensitive work spaces and to manage heat gain. 75% of the ambient lighting is now provided by daylight, and the building uses half the energy consumption of a comparable standard building. Lockheed Martin Missile Space Building 157 was praised as a textbook example of daylighting.
Have you seen your product most frequently used on a specific building type?
Our products are used in a variety of applications, most frequently as canopies, skylights, walkways, curtain-wall systems, across a wide spectrum of market sectors. In particular, CPI has been used in schools, medical facilities, military and government projects, athletic facilities, office buildings, retail buildings, cultural and community gathering places, parking garages, transportation buildings, and hotels.
Please supply any additional thoughts that would help promote and explain your product or material.
CPI Daylighting manufactures high-performance products that can be customized according to your needs. Just a sample of our projects include the Olympics, Pennsylvania National Guard, JFK Airport, Walmart, Boeing, the Colts, Boston University, UPMC Medical Center, the Chicago Transit Authority, the Hyatt hotels, and many, many more.