Space-Travel-Inspired Architectural Glass Creates Vibrant Visual Aesthetics

We are introducing three new colorways – Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn – to our line of Optichroic® dichroic glass. The fresh color-shifting hues expand architects’ and interior designers’ material palette, providing new ways to create dynamic light and color effects.

Dichroic glass is innately interactive in nature. As the viewer’s angle to the glass changes, so does its color, giving Optichroic its kinetic iridescent characteristics.

NASA developed dichroic glass in the late 1950s to protect against the potentially harmful effects of direct sunlight and cosmic radiation. With its striking visual qualities, dichroic glass has found use in a variety of architectural applications – from stair railings to wall cladding.

Bendheim introduced large-format Optichroic dichroic glass to the architectural market in the early 2000s, and the new colors are the first since the product launch.

Since its introduction to the market, Optichroic has gained appeal due to its space-age aesthetic and versatility. We can tailor the glass with a wide range of finishes, textures and light-diffusing interlayers, creating a myriad of effects. Adding a matte finish, for example, can soften the shifting hues and lend an ephemeral quality – what one client referred to as “color without color.” Adding a sharp texture has the opposite effect, intensifying the color.

The adaptability of our Optichroic glass is reflected in the diversity of its applications. At the City University of New York Science Campus, for instance, our triple-laminated dichroic guardrails were custom curved to hug the contours of the six-story interior staircase. Their fine etched surfaces diffuse and soften the light and glass colors. They also resist fingerprints and stains – the perfect choice for this high-traffic area. At Google’s New York City office, clear dichroic glass exhibits high reflectivity and color. It was selected for its ability to capture and radiate the full spectrum of light.

The new dichroic colors build on the products’ design flexibility. The glass is available in sizes up to 50″ x 120″ and thicknesses up to 3/4″. From subtle “color sans color” partitions to vibrant feature walls, Optichroic glass allows architects to specify the colorway and intensity that works for their unique project.

We have taken our consultative design approach digital, opening our architectural glass DesignLab™ to A&D professionals across North America with the help of video conferencing tools. The benefit to design professionals is a faster and more effective way to direct product development and customization for key projects.

The newly launched virtual design program is the culmination of months of training in live-remote client-led R&D. It uses the entirety of our Design Lab resources – a team of design consultants with decades of specialty glass experience, thousands of physical samples, and large glass displays – to collaborate virtually and meet project-specific aesthetic, functional, budget, and lead-time goals.

“This design approach is much faster and more targeted than browsing thousands of samples on the web or relying on a limited local resource library,” said Steven Jayson, Executive Vice President of Bendheim. “We are happy our Design Lab resources are now available to design professionals across North America – no travel required.”

Architects and designers looking for a bespoke glass solution can initiate the virtual design process through our network of local representatives. Based on initial input, our design consultants pull a selection of samples from thousands of on-hand options. The curated collection is then examined by the architect up-close with the help of high-resolution video. In real time, they can morph samples to develop a new aesthetic, as well as explore installation systems. The customized samples are then fabricated in our New Jersey facility and shipped to the architect.

“This allows us to take the traditional face-to-face interactions designers rely on to the virtual realm, saving them a tremendous amount of time and energy,” added Jayson.

The Design Lab, which powers the new virtual design consultations, opened in 2019 on the top floor of the New York Design Center at 200 Lexington Avenue. To create an all-inclusive glass education and specification resource, we moved in several tons of glass samples and materials. The selection, created with input from our product development and customer-facing teams, represents a comprehensive glass material library with all the physical resources needed for on-the-fly custom design. For more information, please visit https://bendheim.com/professional/design-lab/ and view our 40-second explainer video:

The Non-Porous Surface of Glass Gives Bacteria and Germs No Place to Hide

 

The COVID-19 global pandemic is causing many people to consider options for personal safety, and one solution is how to build spaces that are healthy for occupants. Glass, a naturally hygienic surfacing material, is an essential choice to consider when designing spaces for a safer tomorrow.

Bendheim is one of the world’s foremost sources of specialty architectural glass. Its wide range of glass types give bacteria and germs no place to hide as they enhance building environments. Surfaces can easily be cleaned and disinfected, dramatically reducing the risk of exposure to viruses.

The hygienic properties of glass make it a perfect surfacing material for high-traffic spaces found in healthcare, hospitality, commercial offices, lobbies, schools and universities, and elevator interiors. From partition walls to privacy screens, wall cladding to writing surfaces, glass can be used in a wide range of applications to provide a healthy environment and good design.

Bendheim offers more than 2,000 in-stock glass varieties and unlimited custom design solutions. Glass can be used to enhance occupant privacy, and textured patterns, as well as decorative interlayers, can be used to provide visual privacy and light transmission into and between spaces. Bendheim products have been used in schools, supermarkets, office buildings, residential construction projects and many more applications.