VANCOUVER
Glass & Cladding / Architectural Metal
Custom break shapes, engineering collaboration on fabricability, back pans & flashings, ISO 9001 quality control
Highly complex architectural design with narrow dimensions and an unfamiliar insulation type
Joint engineering review between GMP and Desa Glass to adjust designs for fabrication before production
Every part fit correctly on install, requiring zero rework and zero delays, on a two-year project
OVERVIEW
Desa Glass was contracted to fabricate and install a detailed curtain wall system at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The architect's vision called for an intricate façade, and Desa Glass turned to GMP — their back pan and flashing supplier of over ten years — to help turn that vision into buildable parts.
CHALLENGE
The UBC design called for an unusually high number of break shapes and architectural fins, with narrow dimensions that left little room for error. It also specified a type of insulation Desa Glass's project manager had never worked with before.
With that many custom slices and one-off geometries in a single façade, a single miscut part could throw off an entire section of curtain wall. With the project running close to two years, a fabrication error caught late could mean significant rework and schedule risk.
SOLUTION
Desa Glass sent GMP its drawings and design, and GMP's team came back with direct, technical input rather than simply quoting the job as drawn. When a piece was too large to fabricate as specified, GMP proposed size adjustments.
Where a flashing needed backing or an added weld to hold its shape, GMP flagged it before it reached the shop floor. This process repeated across the many unique shapes in the design, with GMP effectively acting as a second set of engineering eyes on a project neither team had a template for.
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Custom break shapes and architectural fin fabrication: Engineered to hold precise, narrow tolerances across dozens of unique panel geometries
Pre-production design review: GMP's team flagged and resolved fabricability issues (sizing, backing, welds) before parts were cut
ISO 9001-certified quality control: Consistent execution across a two-year build with no rework
Outcome
Every piece fit properly on the finished curtain wall, and the project closed out without the phone calls, budget hits, or schedule slips that come with mismatched parts.
The architect and client were extremely satisfied with the final façade.
