Paul La Vigne | |
More than 20 jurisdictions across the country now require bird-friendly design for new construction or renovated buildings including New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The proposed Federal Bird Safe Buildings Act could expand these requirements nationwide.
We frequently work with architects who face the challenge of balancing bird safety requirements and physical security needs. We've recently expanded our capabilities to include ORNILUX® Mikado bird-friendly glass for all-glass ballistic barrier systems.
Where Bird-Safe Glass Is Required
Bird collisions occur when birds fail to recognize glass as a barrier, often because of reflections from the sky or trees. Most bird deaths from building collisions happen at lower elevation levels, typically below 75 feet, where exterior surfaces reflect more of the ground and surrounding vegetation.
According to the American Bird Conservancy's review of existing legislation, jurisdictions nationwide are taking more aggressive approaches to protect birds from window collisions. For instance:
- Washington, D.C. requires bird friendly materials with threat factors of 30 or less up to 100 feet for commercial buildings and multi-unit housing. Threat factor measures the percentage of birds that fly toward the glass within a controlled tunnel test. The higher the threat factor, the more dangerous the glass.
- New York City's Local Law 15 requires 90% bird-friendly glass in the first 75 feet for all new buildings
- General Services Administration P100 Facilities Standards require threat factors of 30 or less for federal buildings owned by the GSA.
- Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota have adopted bird-friendly building design standards for state-owned facilities
- Portland, Maine requires new or renovated buildings use bird-friendly materials on the first 75 feet
- Toronto mandates 85% of glass up to 12 meters be bird-safe for most commercial, institutional, and residential developments
The list of ordinances across North America continues to grow beyond this list, with other jurisdictions addressing their own proposed policies.
How Bird-Friendly Building Design Works
Bird-friendly design aims to make glass surfaces visible to birds while remaining nearly invisible to humans. This approach addresses the fundamental issue: birds see the world differently than we do, and they aren't equipped to handle the maze of reflective windows in multi-story buildings.
The most effective bird-friendly materials use visual markers or pattern elements that birds can detect as a barrier. When specifying bird-friendly building design, architects encounter two primary compliance pathways:
Performance Path
This requires bird-friendly materials to be tested for effectiveness using live bird test subjects in controlled environments. Products must meet a maximum allowable threat factor based on testing results. Threat factor is measured on a scale of 1-100, with 100 representing the highest risk to birds.
Prescriptive Path
This path uses specific design guidelines established by organizations like the American Bird Conservancy. Prescriptive requirements typically include opaque patterns, continuous solid lines with specific spacing requirements, or geometric shapes meeting minimum size and spacing criteria.
The American Bird Conservancy defines materials with a threat factor below 30 as effective for protecting birds from glass collisions.
Integrating Bird-Friendly Design With Security and Aesthetics
Many building projects require bird-friendly building design in areas that also need protection from bullets, particularly on lower floors facing public streets or high-traffic pedestrian zones. This is increasingly common in government buildings, corporate headquarters, financial institutions, and courthouses.
ORNILUX® Mikado bird friendly glass uses a UV coating that resembles a spiderweb pattern, making glass visible to birds while remaining nearly invisible to humans. This coating achieves a threat factor of 25, meeting compliance requirements for major cities while also being tested to the UL 752 Standards for Bullet-Resisting Equipment.
This coating can be applied to all-glass barrier systems, including those with low-e coatings and insulated glass.
Design Considerations for Bird-Friendly Buildings
When incorporating bird-friendly building design into your projects, several factors beyond basic compliance merit consideration:
Building Type, Location and Height
Most bird collisions occur below 75 feet, so many standards specify bird-friendly materials requirements at or below that point. For most buildings, that's the first six or seven floors. Consider glass awnings, guardrails, and any transparent glass that protrudes from the building. Highly reflective angles, large uninterrupted panes, and unframed corners can elevate threat factors.
Energy Efficiency and Natural Lighting
Bird-friendly building design can support broader sustainability goals. Consider emissivity, light transmission, and reflectivity when specifying bird friendly materials. Confirm that additional glazing treatments won't disrupt energy performance or compromise natural lighting in interior spaces.
Durability and Maintenance
Verify warranty terms, proper care and cleaning requirements, and average lifespan of bird-friendly materials. Some treatments like window film are less resistant to harsh cleaning solvents and may not last as long. They also aren't tested to withstand bullets, limiting their applicability in high-security environments.
Migration Patterns and Seasonal Considerations
Bird mortality peaks during migration seasons in spring and fall when billions of birds are moving through urban areas. While bird-friendly building design provides year-round protection, understanding migration patterns can help you take steps that further reduce bird deaths, such as reducing artificial lighting at night.
Partner With Bird-Friendly Building Design Experts
At Total Security Solutions, we've spent more than 20 years engineering custom barrier systems that balance compliance, protection, and design. Our expansion into bird-friendly glass reflects our commitment to helping architects and building owners solve complex challenges without compromising on any project requirements.
Whether you're planning new construction or a renovation, we can help you comply with local requirements while maintaining the security and aesthetic standards your project needs.
Contact our team to learn more about integrating bird-safe glass with your security and design requirements.
