Durable Fiberglass Windows Achieve Ambitious Student Housing Goals

Opened in August 2020, Kahlert Village is the newest residential community on the University of Utah’s campus. The project encourages students to deepen their engagement through themed community wings including health and wellness, technology initiatives, community engagement and first-year honors.

Kahlert Village has been designed for LEED Platinum and is one of the largest residential campus projects in the nation to seek that level of certification. The building plan is a hub and spoke configuration with three five-story wings. With 595 rooms spread across the three large towers, the Village is home to approximately 1,200 first-year students. The residence halls feature single, double and triple bedrooms in both cluster and suite-style configurations. Kahlert Village also includes a full-service dining facility and a variety of classroom and study spaces available for students.

Before any of this came to fruition, extensive planning and preparation were needed to ensure a smooth start-to-finish process. With multiple moving parts and a challenging timeline, this massive project required turnkey project management and expert installation. Working with MHTN Architects and Okland Construction, Pella helped get the job done right.

With thousands of students moving in and out of these buildings year after year, it’s essential that the windows are designed and tested for a lifetime of everyday use. When deciding on a window material, the Pella representative recommended fiberglass. Pella’s fiberglass is the strongest material for windows, engineered for lasting durability.⁹ Resisting dents, bends and breaks, fiberglass windows have virtually no expansion and contraction to help improve energy efficiency, reduce the risk for seal failure and provide dependable operation. Our proprietary material will never rot or corrode and is naturally resistant to water and bugs. It also resists chipping, chalking and fading — so the University never needs to paint or refinish the windows. These beneficial features all help save money on maintenance and energy in the long run, making these windows an economical investment for the University.

For the University of Utah, this investment hinged on attracting students to these residence halls. Empty buildings would cause a significant financial dilemma for the school. The architects aimed to create a space that felt unique, innovative and stylish. Sleek black windows help further the modern style. Thin profiles and grille-less windows make the glass feel more expansive and the rooms feel larger. The cutting-edge design of Kahlert Village is one of the primary elements that sets it apart and attracts new students to the University.

While selecting windows wasn’t a tough decision, tight timelines did present a challenge. The University aimed to complete the entire project before students started the new semester. With residents scheduled to move in August, it was essential that the project be completed fully and on time, without issues requiring project delays or callbacks. A concise timeline required turnkey installation, clear communication and complete dependence on the expertise of the Pella team. Skilled installers completed this multi-story project without a hitch. Hundreds of windows were properly installed with time to spare before school was in session.

From start to finish, the Pella team worked tirelessly to select and install windows despite an ambitious timeline. Local project management allowed for deliveries based on the project schedule, helping avoid costly delays. It also included on-site support like field measurements, testing and quality inspections. The team communicated with the architect, builder and University throughout the entire process, making this project flow smoothly and clearing unexpected obstacles along the way. With on-time completion for the start of school, students were able to move in as planned and begin enjoying the new residence halls.