When the Ground Moves: Anchorage’s Earthquake and the New Role of Structural Electrically Heated Glass

November 29, 2025

During the recent earthquake, a new commercial building equipped with Reynaers’ ConceptWall 50 demonstrated the importance of high-performance curtain wall engineering in one of the world’s harshest climates. When that structural integrity is combined with electrically heated glass, the façade transcends its traditional role—it becomes part of the HVAC system itself.

During the design phase, our manufacturing team adjusted the glass composition to anticipate seismic and wind loads specific to Anchorage’s conditions. Electrically heated glazing achieves what conventional envelopes cannot: maintaining interior surface temperatures above the dew point, eliminating condensation even during seismic and thermal shock events, and ensuring stable radiant comfort precisely when it’s needed most.

In extreme environments—where subzero temperatures and shifting ground can coincide—thermal predictability is not a luxury; it’s essential to safety. Reynaers’ CW50 already excels in structural rigidity, air-water-seismic performance, and passive efficiency.

IQ Radiant Glass elevates that performance further, converting the façade into an active system that stabilizes interior climates, reduces HVAC loads, and establishes perimeter comfort zones that meet ASHRAE 55 thermal comfort standards with ease.

The recent Anchorage earthquake underscored a critical truth: structure, envelope, and comfort must collaborate when nature is unpredictable. Electrically heated glass bridges energy efficiency, human comfort, and resilient design—turning high-performance façades into adaptive systems ready for seismic, thermal, and environmental extremes.

The IQ Radiant Glass team—specialists in electrically heated glass manufacturing, metal framing, and installation—recently completed the custom glass wall system for the new museum being built beneath the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. That same precision and engineering discipline now serve projects like Anchorage, where resilience is not optional—it’s engineered into every pane..