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Kalwall Translucent Daylighting Systems In The News
Kalwall is used in a multitude of new projects throughout the
world, and many times Kalwall technology and projects are covered
by the worldwide press. The following is a sampling of recent features,
articles and awards.
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DAYLIGHTMODELING.COM FEATURED IN NZB (NET ZERO BUILDINGS MAGAZINE)

Daylighting can be a complex calculation, but the formula can be simplified
somewhat, so long as the equation brings into balance appropriate light
levels, thermal performance and glare control. The latest issue of NZB (Net
Zero Buildings magazine) features an interesting Daylighting article, with a
sidebar about Kalwall's daylightmodeling.com.
KALWALL MAKES 'CENTS' TO DOLLAR GENERAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
Dollar General has more retail locations than any other retailer in all of America. And when it comes to daylighting a regional distribution center, they know Kalwall makes the most 'cents'! Bill Baxley, LEO A DALY Minneapolis design director explains - they wanted the architecture to contribute to the well-being of employees — to give them pride and ownership in what they accomplish. The employee hub, designed to facilitate employee interaction, safety, and comfort, includes roomy locker rooms and restrooms, a vending area with ample food-heating capabilities, 20 commercial-grade refrigerators, and a 600-seat cafeteria/break room with a porch that accommodates gas grilling. According to Baxley, "Southern light — diffused via translucent windows — endows the room with a gently sunny and always comfortable ambiance." Read about the million-foot campus on 106 acres in Bessemer, Alabama, in this Architect magazine story.
REPORT VERIFIES KALWALL IS NOW ICC-ES EVALUATED - ESR-2464
Kalwall Corporation recently received an evaluation report (ESR-2464) from ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) providing evidence that Kalwall Translucent Wall and Roof panels meet code requirements. Building officials, architects, contractors, specifiers, designers and others utilize ICC-ES Evaluation Reports to provide a basis for using or approving translucent walls and roofs in construction projects under the International Building Code. More information. View/Download the full report in PDF format.
KALWALL IS DAYLIGHTING THE WAY
The subtlety and strength of daylight bring hope, honor and respect to a building when architects like Andrew Baczynski, Associate of Young + Wright / IBI Group Architects, rise to the challenge. Our Lady of Hope Mausoleum in Ancaster, Ontario, is an imaginative use of the design flexibility and superior daylighting performance of Kalwall. Designed to be energy-efficient and embody the principals of sustainability utilizing systems and materials like Kalwall, the mostly highly insulating translucent light transmitting material in the world.
SHOWTIME FOR KALWALL AT HAMILTON STAGE...
Mills + Schnoering Architects, LLC has created a dynamic icon representing the revitalization of Rahway, New Jersey, in the form of a stunning Performing Arts Center. Hamilton Stage is the pinnacle of the renovation and expansion of a circa 1920 industrial building for use as a performance venue for local, regional, and national companies. A Kalwall translucent Wall System creates a dramatic glow, drawing attention to the excitement within the structure.
NEXT-GEN DAYLIGHT MODELING/SIMULATION UNVEILED
Next-generation Daylight Modeling is getting more and more attention in the trade press. Architects are taking advantage of this leading-edge service to easily demonstrate the impact of their daylighting designs with Kalwall High-Performance Translucent Building Systems. Daylight Modeling is being utilized in renovations as well as new construction…
JOHN PORTMAN & ASSOCIATES' EXQUISITE BALANCE OF DAYLIGHTING

John Portman & Associates' Park Hyatt Hotel in Hyderabad, India, features distinctive use of Kalwall translucent building systems… This 5-star super-deluxe hotel features 185 guest rooms, 24 suites and 42 fully serviced apartments. The eight-story building has a lobby and mezzanine, plus four floors of guest rooms topped by two floors of high-end serviced apartments. An atrium rises through all eight floors and features an exquisite balance of daylighting.
PORTMAN and Kalwall hold many of the same values and philosophies. Read more about this project and JPA by linking to their web site. "The firm is renowned for innovative, responsive design solutions that are sensitive to the local culture and the context in which they exist. Their architecture transcends national borders by striving for universal human appeal. Human beings are creatures of nature, perceiving their environment through the senses. Recognizing human values and the human response to space, nature, and light, we aim to weave sensory experiences into the built environment. Portman works to understand humanity better in order to create an environment that is more beneficial to people - culturally sensitive places that are designed for life - livable, stimulating and sustainable."
Photos by Nicolas Dumont.
ALEXANDER CALDER'S GENIUS SHOWCASED BY MUSEUM-QUALITY DAYLIGHTINGTM
Kalwall calls the balanced, glare-free, true-color rendition quality of it's daylight "Museum-Quality Daylighting". Architect Stephanie Goto used Kalwall's controlled daylight in creating an exciting space to understand the genius and art of Alexander Calder. Goto transformed three rooftop sheds in Manhattan's Chelsea district into three distinct areas, drawing visitors through the space with translucent daylighting from Kalwall skylights and clerestories. Archichitectural Record presents interesting insight in this recent profile by Clifford A. Pearson.
SAINT LOUIS ABBEY VIDEO MARKS 50TH ANNIVERSARY
The iconic Saint Louis Abbey recently marked its 50th Anniversary and honored the brilliance of Gyo Obata, FAIA (one of the founders of world-famous HOK
architects). With consulting from Italian architect and engineer Pier Luigi Nervi, this was the first thin-shelled concrete structure of its type in North America. The dramatic impact of Obata's vision was made possible by a unique Kalwall Translucent Wall Panel System, which appears black from the outside while providing a wash of balanced glare-free daylight inside. View a video and hear comments from Gyo Obata.
SAINT LOUIS ABBEY MARKS 50TH ANNIVERSARY
During the early years of Kalwall, architect Gyo Obata, (one of the founders of HOK - now among the world's largest architecture-engineering firms) had a grand vision for his design of the Saint Louis Abbey. He envisioned a thin-shell concrete structure with large bay walls, which would appear black from the outside while admitting daylight inside. The dramatic, peaceful space won instant acclaim for its brilliance. The 50th Anniversary of this iconic building was recently honored. Read more.
TRANSLUCENT DAYLIGHTING FOR NEW SPORTS HALL IN ANTWERP
SpecificationOnline.co.uk acknowledges one of the most dramatic daylighting projects in Europe is Kalwall's conversion of an old railway maintenance building in Antwerp into an exciting new recreation Sports Hall. The vision of architects Verdickt & Verdickt is an inspiring example of the potential of reconstruction. Read more
MAGICAL MATERIALS: LUMINOUS KALWALL LETS THE SUNSHINE IN
Bud Dietrich, an AIA architect in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, licensed to practice in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey and Wisconsin gives his perspective on Kalwall in this recent article. Dietrick is a certificate holder from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Since 1996 he has provided full architectural services exclusively to the single-family, residential market. His passion is to transform clients' houses into their homes. His projects have won numerous design awards as well as having been featured on television.
ANOTHER CLASSROOM - WARM, SAFE AND DRY
Faced with the challenge of transforming both the look and the energy performance of Lasley, Slater, and Deane elementary schools, Jefferson County [Colorado] School District and architect Christiansen, Reece & Partners, turned to Kalwall translucent wall and window systems for their school window replacement solution. With over 6,000 square feet of existing window demolition and Kalwall replacement systems at the three facilities, the demanding summer schedule aced the test with an on-time, on-budget and injury-free installation. BEFORE: gloomy, cold classrooms that controlled harsh glare with pull down shades... AFTER: inspiring, warm atmosphere of glare-free daylight. No more shades and cold glass!
KALWALL WINDOWS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
The high-profile building projects at Flagstaff schools are complete, and now the district is focusing its attention toward the little things that could make a big difference. According to the Arizona Daily Sun, "The new Kalwall windows in some classrooms allow a soft glow. The opaque white Kalwall panes are fiberglass, sandwiching a row of clear, double-paned glass. They insulate so well [in January] that the south-facing rooms with the new windows can be up to 15 degrees warmer than the rooms across the hall, which still have single-pane glass."
DAYLIGHTING TAKES OFF IN SOUTH BEND
South Bend Airport has been undergoing a major expansion the past few years. As the latest phase of construction neared completion in early 2012, this dramatic installation photo represents the scope of the design of Ken Herceg & Associates, Inc.; Timothy J. Wall AIA, LEED AP Chief Architect. The structural integrity of the Kalwall system can be seen here as workers safely stand on the skylight during the installation process. More on this project in the future…
2011 EID EDUCATIONAL AWARD ROCKS WITH KALWALL DAYLIGHTING

2011 Excellence in Design Award-winning Buchanan Energy and Environmental Research Center school in Clovis, California, rocks with daylighting, sustainability, energy conservation and Kalwall! Environmental Design+Construction magazine's November 2011 issue features a cover story on this exciting school that uses its very design to educate. Skylights and much of the North Wall feature Kalwall high-performance translucent systems in this design by S.I.M. Architects.
KALWALL CREATES THE WORLD'S MOST
HIGHLY INSULATING, TRANSLUCENT BUILDING SYSTEMS WITH
CABOT'S LUMIRA™ AEROGEL
Kalwall Corporation has announced the evolution of its most highly insulating, translucent building system: Kalwall+ aerogel, now utilizing Lumira™ aerogel. This newly announced Cabot Corporation brand name, known for its unique daylighting insulation and formerly called Nanogel®, represents an emphasis on a technology at the leading edge of architectural daylighting, explains Kalwalls Bruce Keller. Kalwall is the worlds largest architectural user of aerogel insulation. More
MUSEUM-QUALITY DAYLIGHTING ENLIGHTENS STUDENTS AND ARTWORK
Kalwall's Museum-quality DaylightingTM is more than just a slogan. Kalwall has coined and trademarked this phrase because of our products' unique ability to provide glare-free, balanced daylighting into a space that is free of harsh shadows and that provides true and accurate color rendition. The interior space and objects are protected from damaging UV rays, which are filtered out by Kalwall. London's Putney School of Art is yet another example. The new rooftop studio is a translucent conservatory entirely clad and roofed with Kalwall. Designed by the Kenneth Mark Practice to create a private and ideal ambience for study, learning and leisure.
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DAYLIGHTING AWARD
Kalwall was a winner in the Environmental Design+Construction (ED+C) and Sustainable Facility third annual Readers' Choice Awards (RCA) competition. Recognition was given out at the Greenbuild Conference and Expo in Chicago on Nov. 16. The contest gave readers an opportunity to vote for the crème de la crème of green building products that best combine sustainable attributes with ease of use and installation. RCA 2010 Winner Daylighting: (Tie) Kalwall Corporation - Daylight Modeling/Simulation.
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DOMINO'S PIZZA IN UK WINS BREEAM 'EXCELLENT' AWARD WITH KALWALL
Designed to the highest environmental standards, and featuring a Kalwall translucent wall, a new industrial building in the UK for Domino's Pizza has achieved a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating. The production and distribution facility will help the company to achieve its goal of opening 1200 stores by 2021 in the UK. Colored LED lighting reflects through the Kalwall to form the company logo. Get the full story from Buildingtalk.
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CHADWICH PROJECTS FEATURING KALWALL RECEIVE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT & TECHNOLOGY AWARDS
Chadwick Technology, well recognized as designers/engineers/builders of complex, "one-off" cladding systems, was recently recognized by the Australian Institute of Building. They are recipients of the New South Wales Professional Excellence in Building Awards for their work on the Dubai Metro's Rashidiya & Jebel Ali Depots and Jumeirah Island & Rashidiya Car Parks. Both projects take advantage of monumental Kalwall+ Nanogel® Translucent Daylight Building Systems, which allow for controlled natural daylight combined with finely tuned thermal and solar controls — ideally suited for the extreme temperatures experienced in Dubai. Learn more about the Award. Learn more about the Projects.
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KALWALL NAMED 2010 LEAN & GREEN PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Business NH Magazine has announced the results of their Third Annual Lean & Green Awards. The judged competition honors New Hampshire companies for their green practices, buildings and products that demonstrate how being sustainable yields big savings and efficiencies. Kalwall's Translucent Building Systems were voted Green Product of the Year.
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HURRICANE-RESISTANT WINDOWS CERTIFIED TO TAS AND ASTM STANDARDS
Kalwall E-Series Windows, which allow integration of clear vision glass with translucent panels, are now certified to TAS 201, 202, and 203 as well as ASTM E1886 and E1996 in fixed and project-out sash models. Get the full story on Kalwall E-Series Windows.
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KALWALL CONFORMS TO EUROPEAN DIRECTIVES
Kalwall Corporation's Building Systems are the first translucent construction product allowed to carry the CE mark. The CE mark indicates a product conforms to EC Directives and may, therefore, be traded freely within the European Union and among certain members of the European Free Trade Association.
Kalwall is unique. The company manufactures its own face sheets for these innovative, translucent, fiberglass/aluminum composite sandwich panel building systems. A special face sheet material was developed by Kalwall, which complies with European standards.
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BUILDING OF AMERICAN GOLD MEDAL AWARD WINNER

Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, is receiving recognition as a Building of America Gold Medal Award recipient. Architect Cannon Design incorporated a translucent wall system by Kalwall in the renovation and expansion of two historic campus buildings. Adelphi University's Centers for Sport and Performing Arts consolidates previously dispersed academic departments and enlivens the campus' east side through the creation of a vibrant quadrangle.
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SASAKI ASSOCIATES-DESIGNED WILDCAT RECREATION CENTER IS A WINNER
Recreation Management magazine has recognized the Sasaki Associates-designed Wildcat Recreation Center at California State University, Chico with an Innovative Architecture & Design Award. In addition, the project is expected to earn a LEED® Silver rating from the USGBC. The design emphasizes daylighting by Kalwall and the use of sustainable materials. The Kalwall Wall System and Panel-Unit Wall System feature: U-value of 0.14 BTU/hr/ft2/°F (0.78 W/m2K), 15% Light Transmission, 4 ft (1220 mm) module and Kalwall HC2000 sash. Read the full story here. Additionally, Athletic Business' annual Architectural Showcase issue features this project in a 2-page spread.
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NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY IS ENVIRONMENTALLY DRIVEN!
According to The Guardian, ''Northumbria is one of the leading lights in the UK higher education arena, an expanding, multicultural learning community with unrivalled links with industry and commerce". The largest of Northumbria's campuses, the City Campus East, houses the School of Design, Law and Business, built on the old Warner Cinema site, recycled a staggering 95% of material from the old structure. The Atkins Design Studio design is environmentally driven with extensive daylighting from a translucent Kalwall Wall System. View a 360-degree panorama.
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SOFT DAYLIGHT FROM KALWALL CLERESTORY ADDS TO NORTH CAROLINA PARK SYSTEM'S FIRST LEED-RATED BUILDING
Natural beauty is what draws people to Frank Harmon Architect's Merchants Millpond State Park in Gatesville, N.C. The visitor center's exhibition space in this LEED® Gold candidate features dioramas and display boards arranged on a wide-plank floor made from reclaimed heart pine. Light filters into the space through translucent Kalwall clerestory windows on the northwest wall. Take a look at this interesting Architect magazine article...
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KALWALL SYSTEMS PROVIDE MUSEUM-QUALITY DAYLIGHTING™ WORLDWIDE - HYATT HOTEL, INDIA
Kalwall and Illuminacion Natural partnered to manufacture and install a monumental Skyroof™ system at the new Hyatt Hotel in Hyderabad, India. This is another impressive John Portman and Associates design.
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KALWALL DAYLIGHTS SPORTS ICON
Rising above the Palouse Hills of northern Idaho, the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center is an icon for both the University of Idaho and the state. Honored as this nation's outstanding structural engineering achievement in 1976, the Dome was daring and innovative in concept and execution. The Kibbie Dome is more than the home of Championship Football and Basketball in Idaho; it is one of only 2 on-campus, Division 1 indoor stadiums in the USA. The renovation and expansion received strong support across the state and beyond. Kalwall is proud of it's role in daylighting this impressive facility.
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DAYLIGHTING IN SCHOOL GYMNASIUMS
Daylighting design in a school gymnasium has many challenges, not the least of which is glare. Joel Sims, AIA, presents an informative article on the subject of coping with glare, skylight leakage issues and other concerns at schooldesigner.com. He considers the possibilities of translucent skylights and wall systems from Kalwall Corporation.
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DUBAI METRO HOPS THE KALWALL EXPRESS

Phase two of the $4.2 billion Dubai Metro is nearly completed. Kalwall+ Nanogel® Wall Systems insulate the 300-foot-long, highly climate-controlled maintenance and train servicing buildings at both ends of each rail line against the desert's extreme solar heat gain while still allowing natural daylight into the cavernous spaces of the Rashidya Depot designed by UK-based Aedas Architects. Learn more.
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KALWALL HELPS TURN MOTHBALLED POWER PLANT INTO A GREEN SCHOOL
Sears Roebuck and Company vacated their Chicago campus in the early 1990s. The current owner, the Homan Arthington Foundation, partnered with architectural firm Farr Associates in transforming the mothballed powerhouse into the Charles H. Shaw Technology and Learning Center: Henry Ford Academy Power House High – a green charter school. According to Architect magazine, "Architects chose to replace the aging glass panels in the ribbon of skylight of the great hall with translucent panels from Kalwall. These panels have a 50% light transmission, which reduces glare and heat gain into the space while also refracting the light to better diffuse through the entire double-height room. The panels also improve the U-value and efficiency of the skylight significantly over the original single-pane glass." Farr submitted enough credits to achieve LEED® Platinum, and the final rating will be handed down in the coming months. The school received the 2009 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Project of the Year, and Midwest Construction named it the K-12 Education Project of the Year. Builder Pepper Construction received an Aon Build Amercia Award, an annual ranking of the nation's most significant construction projects. Read the entire article and view a slide show of before and after photos.
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KALWALL+ NANOGEL LIGHTS UP THE ARMY
"...The new Greenlief Armed Forces Reserve Center in Hastings, Nebraska, has been designed and built to take advantage of all the latest developments in daylighting and energy-saving technology. Architects RDG Planning & Design were asked to draft a modern facility with as much natural daylight as possible. They designed the building to include extensive areas of glazing for the assembly, main corridors and repair centers. However, although this would let in plenty of light, it would also let in unwanted glare and heat from solar gain. There was also the problem of insulation and energy saving in temperatures which ranged from -30°F in winter to over 100°F in summer. To help solve this problem, RDG turned to the daylighting experts at the Kalwall Corporation..." Get the whole story.
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KALWALL FURTHERS THE SCIENCE OF LIGHT
Daylighting any space is both an art and a science. Kalwall, through the use of their revolutionary daylight modeling services, can show you the way to better illuminate any space and eliminate costly design mistakes. Read more from American School & University October 2009 about the benefits of daylight modeling: a site-specific simulation that aids the process of intelligent daylighting design.
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RIVERBEND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCORES BIG WITH DAYLIGHTING
Kalwall daylighting optimizes this K-8 school's energy performance with natural, diffused light. Designed by Nacht & Lewis Architects, Riverbend Elementary in Yuba City exceeded the energy requirements of California Title 24 by better than 30% and scored 38 points in the Collaborative for High Performing Schools rating system. Learn more.
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DAYLIGHTING THE BIG LEAGUES
The featured road test in Car and Driver's August 2009 issue is on the redesigned Ford Taurus strategically photographed outside Ford Field, the indoor football stadium currently home to the NFL's Detroit Lions. Shot at twilight, the massive Kalwall Translucent Wall System illustrates how interior lighting generates a warm, inviting, nighttime glow through the translucent Kalwall. Notice the interesting architectural effect of the building's structure visible in shadow form. Aaron Kiley Photographer.
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BUILDINGS MAGAZINE SELECTS VERTI-KAL™ FOR TOP 100 PRODUCTS
This unique vertical variation of the traditional Kalwall Wall System was featured in the June 2009 issue of Buildings. More photos and information on Verti-Kal.
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MARTHA STEWART FEATURES GREEN SKI CHALET AND KALWALL+ NANOGEL®
In building their new ski chalet in the Catskill Mountains of New York State, minimizing their impact on the environment by using sustainable building materials and energy-saving features was a priority. Architect Holly Ross and the homeowners tried to take advantage of the sun as much as possible. As Martha Stewart recounted in her televised feature, They wanted lots of natural light to flood through their 3-level house. But big windows often result in big heat losses. So instead of using conventional glass for the large windows above the living area, they opted for a cutting-edge product called Kalwall. A translucent gel held inside sheets of fiberglass in an aluminum frame, it allows the light in while keeping the cold out. The Kalwall+ Nanogel clearstory, stretching from one end of the house to the other, was a success. As the homeowner describes, It's almost like a wall, but it allows light to come in so we don't have to turn the lights on most days.
More information on Kalwall+ Nanogel.
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KALWALL CHOSEN IN BRAND PREFERENCE STUDY
Readers of Architect chose Kalwall as Brand Leader for Translucent Wall and Roof Systems, according to the magazine's first annual Brand Preference Study published in their January issue. Kalwall was the preferred brand in all four categories - Brand Familiarity, Brand Speced/Used in Past 2 Years, Brand Speced/Used the Most and Highest Quality Rating. View the results.
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SECURITY AND DAYLIGHTING AT GLASGOW AIRPORT
The new Glasgow Airport terminal expansion, designed by 3DReid "features.. Kalwall, a highly insulating material... amongst the most energy efficient in the world" that allows "natural light to flood the terminal, reducing the need for artificial lighting and heating." Noted 3DReid's Nigel Ostime, "Natural daylight had been optimzed to improve both the quality of the spaces and... energy efficiency... Windows were not an option for the security search area, so the façade is clad in [Kalwall]... preventing glare and solar gain." Kalwall was specified for its safety and security properties and engineered to meet the local blast-resistant requirements.
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KALWALL FEATURED ON COVER OF AS&HF
The large Kalwall canopy at the emergency entrance of Fairview Medical Center in Maple Grove, Minnesota, designed by HGA Architects & Engineers, was featured on the September/October cover of American School & Hospital Facility.
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DAYLIGHTING AT 50 BELOW
 The 354th Fighter Wing was nothing short of amazed. Even in North Pole, Alaska, the interior side of the Kalwall+ Nanogel panels daylighting the Eielson Air Force Base fitness center addition was warm. In addition to saving energy, the Kalwall system's extreme insulating properties allow year-round training on the track, and in the indoor group sports area and weight-lifting rooms. This far north, in winter, Kalwall+ Nanogel also brings in and maximizes scarce daylight. And at a military base, Kalwall's DoD safety and anti-terrorism rating is always a plus. Click on the photos to see larger versions.
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YALE ART BUILDING WITH KALWALL+ NANOGEL® CURTAINWALL IS 2008 AIA TOP TEN GREEN PROJECT
"...a beautiful daylight interior space..."
"...a really elegant and high-performing project..."
"We were smitten with...the beauty and responsiveness to the Yale campus context."
These were just some of the jurors' comments about the Yale Sculpture Building and Gallery, as they named it an AIA Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Project for 2008. Learn more about this unique use of Kalwall curtainwall.
Additional Kalwall News
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