text.skipToContent text.skipToNavigation
MULTIFAMILY

One Museum Square

Los Angeles, CA

The architect’s vision for 295 balcony railings required a new design approach for the luxurious One Museum Square residential tower. One that created efficient collaboration between developer, designer, installer, and manufacturer.

Architect

MVE + Partners

Glazing Contractor

Rountree Glass Co.

One Museum Square presented an array of logistical challenges because of its expansive scale coupled with its location in the bustling Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles. The glazing contractor, Rountree Glass, wanted to minimize installation time and labor costs. The CRL design team partnered with them to create a custom prefabricated glass railing solution. Because this was a new innovation in glass railings, field testing was conducted and Rountree worked with the Department of Building and Safety to obtain approval for an alternate material which is now published in the Los Angeles Research Reports (LARR).

The CRL Unitized Glass Railing System presents a new and more efficient way of fabricating and installing glass railings – in this case, eight floors at a time. Base shoe units were dry-glazed in CRL manufacturing facilities and shipped to the jobsite, ready to install. The installation was as easy as setting the prefabricated glass railing panels into core-drilled holes and securing the cap rail to the glass, which made for a safe and clean jobsite with fewer hazards.

Rountree Glass saved over $400K in labor costs and installed the system approximately 40% faster than standard glass railings. The end result is a railing system that has longer spans of glass with no splices, minimal vertical lines, and a precision fit. Additionally, the prefabrication process of unitized glass railings resulted in:

  • Fast delivery speed
  • Aesthetic consistency
  • Improved on-the-job safety
  • No onsite material waste from the railings

  

  

Rountree Glass also called on CRL for additional product solutions for other aspects of the building, including glass entrances, Blumcraft panic devices, shower door hardware, sliding door systems, and glass windscreen systems for the rooftop area.

The project highlights the value of integrated project delivery (IPD) between the manufacturer, developer, and glazing contractor. The teams collaborated at the onset to produce a highly efficient unitized railing system. Working in conjunction and with regular jobsite visits, the parties landed on a prefabricated system that saved time, money, and material. Despite initial hesitation from installers regarding logistics, CRL designed and implemented what is now the company’s Unitized Glass Railing System to meet One Museum Square’s specific needs.

Gene Foreman, Project Supervisor at Rountree Glass noted: “The way the unitized railings are packaged and transported on A-frames simplifies unloading and installation. They’re easy to set, which saves us a ton of time. I hope I never have to install glass railings the old way again.” The project was honored at the 2021 Los Angeles Business Journal Commercial Real Estate Awards as a silver winner in the Multifamily category for its design excellence.

  

Testimonials

Joe Irvine, VP of Construction
J.H. Snyder Co.  

“Speed was of the essence to keep with our construction schedule and the Unitized Railing System delivered. It moved things along quickly and also looks great.”

“Because of the careful coordination between parties, the railings scope was on budget. I look forward to using the unitized railing formula in future projects.”

Mark Davidson, Site Architect
J.H. Snyder Co.

“The Unitized Glass Railing System offers precision lines and clean spans of glass that improve the overall aesthetics of the building.”

“Glass railing prefabrication produces longer glass spans with no splices or vertical lines. This monolithic look really enhances views.”

Additional Case Studies

MULTIFAMILY

The Rheingold

At seven stories tall, 500 units, and occupying 489,000 square feet of real estate, The Rheingold is one of the most expansive multi-family developments in Brooklyn to date.

Read more 
GOVERNMENT

United States Courthouse, Los Angeles

The new United States Courthouse in Los Angeles is a 10-story, 633,000-square-foot facility containing 24 courtrooms and 32 justice chambers.

Read more