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Why an Architect with 40 Years Experience Says “We’re Going to Keep Using Them Again and Again”
When you’ve been an architect for over 40 years, you’ve seen every daylighting product on the market. You know what works, what doesn’t, and what’s worth specifying again. So when Dale Archibald of Archibald & Fraser Architects says “we’re going to keep using them again and again” about SoleraWall®, that’s not hype—it’s the verdict of four decades of experience.
Dale Archibald has an accomplished roster of projects under his belt. When long-time client Protocase Ltd., a high-tech manufacturing firm, approached him with a project that would nearly double the size of one of their production buildings, they had two goals: improve workspace quality for employees (with daylight as a key element) and stay within a manufacturing budget.
Archibald saw that he could achieve both goals by incorporating Advanced Glazings Ltd.’s proprietary SoleraWall® panels into Protocase’s expansion.
A Decade of Solera® Experience Set High Expectations
“We’ve been using Solera® for over a decade in schools, libraries and more, so I had big expectations for SoleraWall®,” shares Archibald. With 10+ years of specifying Solera® translucent glazing for overhead applications, he knew the performance characteristics and durability of Advanced Glazings’ products. But this was the first time SoleraWall® would be used—a new application of the technology for vertical wall installations.
The question wasn’t whether the daylighting performance would be good—Archibald already knew that from a decade of Solera® projects. The question was: would SoleraWall® integrate seamlessly with metal sandwich panels in a manufacturing building?
✓ SoleraWall®: Three to Four Times More Efficient Than Windows
SoleraWall® is a self-supporting, insulated glass daylighting system that offers beautiful diffused light, controls heat transfer and glare, and provides up to R-18 insulation values. The panels are installed directly onto the primary structure of a building and don’t require secondary support, resulting in lower installation costs and faster build times.
For this project: A total of 150 SoleraWall® panels (8′ x 3′) were used, integrating seamlessly with metal sandwich panels on the lower half of the building.
Performance comparison: “You get a wall panel that is translucent, diffuses the light and offers R-18 value, which is three to four times more efficient than double or triple grade windows,” says Archibald.
Custom Glass Corners for Seamless Integration
One of the challenges in this project was ensuring a continuous transition around the building. “The team at Advanced Glazings Ltd. are really inventive,” says Archibald. “They provided unique solutions, like custom made glass corners, to ensure we had a continuous transition around the building.”
This kind of problem-solving—creating custom glass corners to maintain design continuity—demonstrates the difference between a product manufacturer and a solutions partner. It’s the kind of collaboration that makes architects want to specify a product again.
The Architect’s Verdict: Clean Visual, Calming Light, Lower Cost
After 40 years of practice, Archibald evaluates daylighting solutions on three criteria: exterior aesthetics, interior experience, and value. SoleraWall® delivered on all three:
🏆 The Three-Part Verdict
1. Exterior Aesthetics: “From the exterior, you have a clean visual” that integrates seamlessly with metal panels.
2. Interior Experience: “When you walk inside, the purity of the light offers a calming work environment that needs very little artificial light.”
3. Value: “SoleraWall® is less expensive than conventional curtainwall, so the client was thrilled.”
The Takeaway: When Experience Speaks, Listen
In architecture, repeat business is the ultimate validation. When an architect with 40 years of experience and a decade of using your products says “we’re going to keep using them again and again,” that’s not a testimonial—it’s a professional verdict based on performance, integration, client satisfaction, and value.
Dale Archibald’s experience with SoleraWall® at Protocase proves three things:
1. Track Record Matters: A decade of Solera® experience in schools and libraries gave him confidence to pilot SoleraWall® in a manufacturing building.
2. Integration is Critical: Seamless integration with metal sandwich panels and custom glass corners made the installation straightforward and the result “really slick.”
3. Performance + Value = Repeat Business: When you deliver R-18 insulation (3-4x more efficient than windows), calming light, clean aesthetics, and lower cost than curtainwall, architects specify you again.