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Dynamic glass is electronically tintable glazing that can reduce glare and solar heat while preserving airport views. In the airport projects described by Building Design + Construction on June 13, 2019, the featured system used an electrochromic coating: a small applied voltage changed the tint of a nano-layered surface. Controls could react to surrounding conditions and adjust windows by room zone.
That combination is attractive in terminals, where large daylight-facing façades must balance passenger comfort, views, cooling demand and architectural openness. The 2019 report identified installations or pilots at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). It did not establish a current airport installation directory, final project status, prices, payback periods or independent performance testing, so those project details should be treated as period reporting rather than a current inventory.
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What dynamic glass means in an airport terminal
Dynamic glass, also called smart glass, changes its optical state instead of remaining permanently clear or permanently shaded. In the system described in the 2019 airport report, an electrochromic coating is built into the glazing. Applying voltage changes the coating’s tint, allowing the building-control system to darken or lighten selected panes.
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Electrochromic operation
Electrochromic glazing uses a nano-layered coating whose optical state changes when voltage is applied. The building’s controls determine when that change occurs. The 2019 account describes automatic responses to surrounding conditions as well as room-zone control; it does not provide a universal response time, tint range or control protocol for every electrochromic product.
“Dynamic glass” is a category, not one mechanism
Not every product marketed as dynamic glass works electrochromically. The same article contrasts the featured system with thermochromic glass, which responds directly to sunlight and temperature. A specification should therefore name the mechanism, control architecture and integration requirements instead of assuming that all smart-glass products behave alike.
Why airports are early adopters
Airports have unusually large glazed spaces and long operating hours. Terminal designers want daylight and exterior views, but direct sun can produce glare at seating, gates, food outlets and circulation paths. Solar heat also increases the load on cooling equipment. A controllable façade offers a way to change the glass condition without closing blinds across a public area or sacrificing the visual character of a terminal.
Airport projects also concentrate many occupants in zones with different schedules and orientations. A gate hall may be busy while an adjacent concession is lightly occupied; east-facing glass can experience intense morning sun while north-facing glass behaves differently. Zone-based tinting lets the design team respond to those differences, provided the controls are coordinated with lighting, shading and mechanical systems.
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For the design team at SFO Terminal 1, SOM Design Director Mark Schwettmann said, "The dynamic glass in this building plays a huge part in achieving those goals." The surrounding statement connected those goals with improving human performance and experience while using as few resources, particularly energy, as possible. View Vice President of Industry Strategy Brandon Tinianov likewise said, "We can do large-format glass that’s critically important to airports." Both quotations are from the 2019 report and describe the projects and ambitions at that time.
Airport projects reported in 2019
| Airport or project | Dynamic-glass scope reported | Status or qualification in the 2019 account |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 1 remodel | 57,000 square feet of View dynamic glazing | The remodel was underway; completion was forecast for 2023. The article does not verify the eventual completion date or final installed scope. |
| Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Terminal A expansion | 20,000 square feet of dynamic glass | Gate walls were described as 40 feet tall by 50 feet wide. |
| Dallas Fort Worth International Airport pilot | Dynamic glass installed on the eastern façade of a restaurant near two gates | View reported a year-over-year restaurant-revenue increase; the article did not present a controlled study or prove causation. |
SFO Terminal 1
The report put the planned SFO Terminal 1 quantity at 57,000 square feet, making it a large-format application rather than a small demonstration window. At publication, the terminal remodel was still underway and was expected to finish in 2023. That was a 2019 forecast, not confirmation that the work finished on that schedule or that the final project retained the reported quantity.
Charlotte Douglas Terminal A
Charlotte Douglas’s Terminal A expansion was reported with 20,000 square feet of dynamic glass. The gate walls were described as 40 feet high and 50 feet wide, illustrating the scale of the transparent surfaces involved. Those dimensions describe the gate-wall condition in the article; they are not a general size specification for every airport installation.
DFW pilot and the restaurant anecdote
Tinianov said View participated in a DFW pilot in which a restaurant near two gates saw a 102% year-over-year revenue increase after dynamic glass was installed on its eastern façade. This is an attributed business anecdote, not an experimental result. Revenue can change for many reasons, including traffic, tenant operations, menu, pricing and broader airport conditions, and the article did not isolate the glazing’s effect.
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Energy, solar and cooling claims: what was actually reported
View supplied performance claims quoted by Building Design + Construction in 2019. They are useful as figures to investigate during design, but they should not be treated as independently validated benchmarks or as guaranteed results for a new terminal.
| Claim reported in 2019 | Attribution and limitation |
|---|---|
| 18% annual reduction in building energy consumption and costs | Claimed by View, as reported in the article; no independent validation was established. |
| More than 90% of solar radiation blocked | Claimed by View, as reported in the article; the applicable glazing configuration and test conditions were not supplied. |
| 23% reduction in peak cooling loads | Claimed by View, as reported in the article; no independent project measurement was provided. |
| About 20% of View’s project portfolio was airports | Company information reported in the article, describing the portfolio at that time rather than a current market share. |
These numbers cannot be transferred directly from one building to another. Savings depend on orientation, window-to-wall ratio, climate, internal heat gains, lighting controls, HVAC sizing, operating schedules and the control sequence. A terminal that already has effective exterior shading may see a different result from a highly exposed concourse with little fixed shading.
Is dynamic glass worth the upfront cost?
The 2019 article identified upfront cost as a principal barrier. It supplied no installed price, payback period or project-level lifecycle-cost analysis. That means a credible decision requires a project-specific model rather than a universal return-on-investment claim.
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Model the whole façade and mechanical system
Ask the design team to model the glazing, solar exposure, lighting controls and HVAC together. If dynamic glass reduces peak solar gains, the mechanical engineer can examine whether smaller cooling equipment is feasible. Any potential HVAC downsizing should be documented as a design option, not assumed as an automatic saving.
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Separate capital, operating and replacement costs
Compare the installed cost of the dynamic assembly with the selected alternative, then add controls, commissioning, maintenance and eventual replacement assumptions. Include energy and demand charges using the airport’s actual tariffs and operating schedule. Because the source provides no prices, a supplier quotation and an independent cost plan are essential.
Test more than one control sequence
A model should examine automatic solar response, zone schedules, manual overrides and failure states. A darkened pane can reduce glare but may also increase reliance on electric lighting if the lighting system is not coordinated. The preferred sequence should define who can override the system, how overrides expire and what happens when sensors or communications fail.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Dynamic versus thermochromic glazing
The 2019 article’s comparison is primarily about control method:
| Characteristic | Electrochromic system described in the article | Thermochromic glass described in the article |
|---|---|---|
| What changes the tint | Applied voltage to a nano-layered coating | Sunlight and temperature acting directly on the material |
| Building-system integration | Can respond to surrounding conditions and be controlled by room zones | The article does not describe zone controls or a comparable integration system. |
| Procurement question | Specify controls, zoning, façade size and commissioning requirements | Verify the material’s solar- and temperature-response behavior for the project climate. |
This is not a product ranking. The source does not provide comparative specifications, installed costs, maintenance data or independent tests across suppliers. A real procurement comparison should add those items for the exact products under consideration.
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How an airport team should evaluate a dynamic-glass proposal
- Define the problem by zone. Map glare complaints, seating areas, gate lines of sight, concession spaces and solar exposure by orientation and season.
- Set measurable goals. Establish acceptable glare, daylight, cooling-load and energy targets before selecting a tinting system. Record whether the target is a modeled estimate or a measured operating requirement.
- Confirm the glass and coating assembly. Require the supplier to identify the electrochromic layers, pane build-up, optical states, control hardware and warranty terms. Do not use a generic “smart glass” description in the specification.
- Coordinate controls. Show how tint commands interact with building automation, lighting, HVAC, security and emergency procedures. Define zone boundaries, sensor locations, manual overrides and loss-of-power behavior.
- Check façade constructability. Review module dimensions, mullions, wiring paths, access for replacement and interfaces with the curtain-wall or storefront system. Large-format capability matters in airports, but the actual module sizes must fit the structural and transportation plan.
- Commission and measure. Require functional testing in clear, intermediate and dark states; verify each zone, sensor and override; and establish a post-occupancy plan for glare, temperature, energy and maintenance data.
What the 2019 evidence does—and does not—show
The article shows that major U.S. airport projects were specifying or piloting dynamic glazing in 2019, with particularly large quantities at SFO and Charlotte Douglas. It also records the design rationale: managing daylight and solar exposure while pursuing passenger comfort and lower resource use.
It does not establish how many airports currently use dynamic glass, whether the reported projects were completed exactly as forecast, what owners paid, how quickly investments paid back, or whether View’s percentage claims hold across climates and terminal types. It also contains no airport-authority quotation or peer-reviewed controlled performance study. Those gaps matter when an owner moves from an appealing concept to a contract requirement.
For a current project, treat the 2019 airport examples as precedents to investigate, not as guarantees. Request current technical data, project references, independent modeling assumptions and a measurement-and-verification plan. The strongest business case will connect a defined comfort or solar-control problem to a verified control sequence and a lifecycle cost that the airport can audit.
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