DULUTH, MN (KDAL) – Since birds often are unable to see transparent or reflective glass and end up crashing into windows, Essentia Health is using special glass designed to avoid bird strikes.
The glass in the new 15 story Essentia hospital tower and 8 story Clinic tower includes a ceramic layer with patterns that break up the reflectivity and make it more visible to birds.
Some of the first “fritted” 17 foot tall glass panels are now being installed in the Clinic tower.
The bird friendly glass is manufactured in Owatonna, Minnesota and has 31 different patterns unique to the Vision Northland project.
Since Duluth serves as a popular bird migration route, the concern was to make the new structure as safe for the birds as possible.
As the construction continues, much of the clinic tower is now enclosed in a shrink wrap to protect workers from the harsh weather.
Comments