(This article first appeared in the October 2020 issue of Dealer E-News.) Miami-based Sea Cool Window Films is currently in the process of installing 3M™ Window Film throughout 2 Miami Central, which is part of the Miami Central mixed use development that also includes Virgin Miami Central Station, to ensure a greener workspace and a smaller carbon footprint for the life of one of Miami’s newest iconic buildings.

The 3M film is designed to help block heat, prevent glare and help stop fading furniture and floors. Already, the window film has made a difference in the temperature and glare for the businesses in the building, said Alberto Regalado, owner of Sea Cool Window Films. The film installation is one of the many enhancements made to ensure that 2 Miami Central is energy efficient.

The building is one of two new Class AA office buildings that are part of a mixed-use project that spans over six city blocks. The offices offer open rectangular floor plans, floor to ceiling windows with unobstructed views of Miami’s skyline, marketing leading amenities and direct access to local and multi-city mass transit.

Sea Cool Window Films is installing 3M™ Sun Control Window Film, Prestige 40 on the interior glass throughout each floor of the building. The window film provides high visible light transmission with 97 percent infrared rejection, providing energy savings and enhanced comfort. The low interior and exterior reflectivity ensure enhanced outside views. Meanwhile, the non-metalized film will not interfere with signals and technology.

An energy saving project like this demonstrates the larger commitment on behalf of the building’s owner and property management company to provide a greener working space and a smaller carbon footprint for the life of the building. Because of the film’s heat-blocking technology, the building’s HVAC system will not have to work as hard and will likely result in energy savings. Meanwhile, the film rejects 99.9 percent of UV rays (the primary cause of fading furniture and flooring) and a 55 percent glare reduction, which can assist with tenants’ eye comfort.

“This is a conscious decision by the owners to create a more sustainable, green working space in downtown Miami,” Regalado said. “The building A/C units will consume less power to keep the spaces cool and all interior furnishings will be protected from fading, effectively increasing usability and lifespan. Overall, this is a win-win for everyone.”

Both Regalado and Juan Carlos Acosta, Vice President of Sea Cool Window Films, spent two years working with building architects, and the building’s property management company, which later became Stiles Property Management, South Florida’s largest privately owned property management firm, prior to installing the film. Regalado said that projects of this size don’t always happen quickly and there were a lot of people involved in the decision-making process.

“The tenants who are there are already loving it,” Regalado said. However, he said, the COVID-19 pandemic has many working from home and so the offices are currently vacant. This is giving Sea Cool Window Films installers an opportunity to work without obstructing a tenant’s employee workflow. “When we finish, they’ll come back to an enhanced working environment,” Regalado said.

Regaldo said he is happy that his Miami-based company can provide a valuable service to the up-and-coming Virgin Miami Central complex. “It is an honor to be working on such an iconic building in downtown Miami,” Regalado said. “For years to come, the window film that we install is going to continuously make a difference for the tenants and visitors in that building.”

As a 3M™ Authorized Prestige Window Film Dealer, Sea Cool Window Films specializes in commercial, residential and marine installations. For more information about Sea Cool Window Films, visit www.sea-cool.com or call (954) 228-5210.