History

Kalwall has set the industry standard for diffuse natural lighting systems since it was invented by our founder Robert R. Keller in 1955. Our technologies have changed since the invention of Kalwall and the translucent sandwich panel, but the beauty, efficiency and ruggedness of Kalwall composite daylighting systems has not. Neither has our passion and commitment to fine craftsmanship, custom work and continuing advances in materials science.

From the beginning, Kalwall has been the focus of award-winning buildings and consistently recognized by both the building industry and the architectural community. Sixty years later, the world’s most talented and renowned architects continue to expand the horizons of design with their imaginative use of Kalwall. Today, our best in industry thermal and solar heat gain performance, coupled with glare-free balanced daylighting, means that Kalwall daylighting is featured as a mainstay in hundreds of LEED^® buildings, and as a major design element in Net Zero Energy projects.

Kalwall’s many “firsts” in the composites industry:

1st to manufacture an aluminum & FRP sandwich panel

1st to develop super-effective UV resistant coating systems

1st to perfect a full-thickness, colorfast resin system

1st to develop the only true thermally broken composite grid core

1st to invent a curved panel

1st to incorporate a glass erosion barrier

1st to produce low-flame and smoke panels that weather well

1st to develop a Class A skyroof system

1st to develop an FM Class 1 panel

1st to incorporate super-insulating thermal break systems

1st to incorporate aerogel insulation

1st to offer complimentary Daylight Modeling services