DESIGN/BUILDER PARTNER 

ID Works

PRODUCTS INSTALLED

Doble Glazed Frameless Partition with Smart Film Glass Technology

CHALLENGE

The client required a demountable partition system that was highly customizable to create a workspace that could go from an open to a completely private room instantly. The challenge was to integrate the PDLC film onto the moving element – the doors integrated with the partitions.

SOLUTION

Gibca overcame this unique requirement with the Double Glazed Frameless Partition with PDLC film smart glass. PDLC Smart Film (polymer dispersed liquid film) is a leading-edge technology that instantly converts a transparent glass into the sand-blasted or opaque glass under electricity application.

Switchable glass allows an electrical current to pass through the PDLC (Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal) interlayer sandwiched between two sheets of glass. This aligns the microscopic crystals along parallel axes, making the glass clear or see through. However, when no voltage is applied, the liquid crystals are randomly arranged into droplets, resulting in the scattering of light as it passes through the glass. This results in the opaque or sand-blasted appearance.

The partition can also serve as a projector screen (when opaque), as the glass-to-glass joints in the double glazed frameless partition system form a continuous, transparent and smooth front.

Considering that the innate function of a door is usually privacy, the doors were precisely designed by placing one connector within the door frame and the other connector on the partitions side profile. As the door is closed, both the connectors come in contact and the power passes through them, enabling the PDLC technology at the press of a button.

The entire electrical system was concealed within the partition and door frames, eliminating any exposed wires, and providing a clean look on the outside.

RESULT

Smart glass option was incorporated into the meeting room partitions to give privacy and seclusion just at the control of fingertips. The door blended with the rest of the partition, enhancing its standard functionality by offering privacy for the full area. This advanced glass design innovation redefines an environment into a whole new multifunctional space that simply adapts and responds to the needs of its users.

We achieved the successful implementation of the switchable technology by creating an incredibly functional and aesthetic glass partition, especially when integrated with the door for maximum effect and convenience.