One Broadway in Cambridge stands prominently in the heart of Kendall Square. Seventeen stories of floor-to-ceiling windows are encased in this impressive cement and glass commercial structure.
THE PROBLEM
One of many buildings owned by M.I.T. and managed by Meredith & Grew, Inc., One Broadway’s appeal for tenants are the panoramic views of Boston and the Charles River. However, the views came with disconcerting drawbacks. With 42,000 square feet of window glass, the building suffered from indoor climate extremes fluctuating dramatically between hot and cold. In addition, the sun’s glare precipitated closed drapes and blinds, compromising the beautiful views and cluttering the appearance to passers by. “Tenants have been calling our office, complaining of temperature extremes and annoying glare.” John Sullivan, R.P.A., Meredith & Grew, Inc. kept abreast of calls. “One unhappy tenant is one too many for Meredith & Grew. I need a solu-tion that will keep my tenants comfortable while staying within the building owner’s strict budget.”
THE SOLUTION
Sullivan contacted American Window Film, Inc. After study-ing the building’s exposure to the sun and measuring the square footage of window space, Jim Maloof, American Window Film, Inc.’s Vice President/Sales, guided his client to the appropriate selection for their needs: 3MT” ScotchtintTM Plus All Season Film, LE35AMARL. This high performance film features wavelength selectivity, offering substantial summer and winter benefits while maintaining a lower level of reflec-tivity and good visible light transmission. It is ideally suited for customers con-cerned with balancing performance and aesthetics. This film offers 3M’s unique abrasion resistant coating for added dura-bility and its warm amber tint tremendously improves a building’s overall appearance. To demonstrate the film’s performance, Maloof provided an energy analysis report, a comprehensive evaluation of the build-ing’s potential for energy cost savings. He also had LE35AMARL installed on select windows. Temperatures were recorded over time and compared with that of unfilmed windows with equivalent exposure. The results were impressive. Temperature imbalances were significantly reduced, the potential savings on heating and cool-ing expense became obvious and the cost of installation was not only economical, it could pay for itself over time with the energy cost savings the film provides. With little interruption to business, all seventeen floors of window glass, were filmed in under twelve weeks. According to Jim Davey, Vice President of Operations, “The installation was pretty much unevent-ful…you could almost say boring…which is the way we like it. We’ve been installing window film since 1975 – long enough to assess and be prepared for virtually any situation. Our trained installers work quickly, efficiently and professionally.”
THE RESULTS
As the installation pro-gressed, complaints to Meredith &
Grew diminished. Tenants are now more comfortable, the
building owner is more than satisfied, and the property 
manager is freed up to handle other (hopefully less
stressful) phone calls.
The 3M DIFFERENCE
3M Company, an $18 billion diversified technology company, offers over 35 years of proven window film performance in all climates and conditions. Years of proven and innovative technologies, along with outstanding warranties, have positioned 3M as the leader in the window film industry.
Cambridge, MA • Summer 2004 42,000 Square Feet of LE35AMARL installed in less than 12 weeks
JSTOMER CERNS Temperature Imbalance and Glare Tenant Comfort
American Window Film, Inc. • 21 Cocasset St. • Foxboro, MA 02035 • 800.274.TINT • fax 508.543.4777 • www.americanwindowfilm.com
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