Translucent Building Systems
Translucent Walls, Skyroofs, Skylights and Canopies
Mike Keller
Manager of Direct Sales
Mobile: 215-280-3149
Email: [email protected]
For emails: Add "ARCAT" in the subject line for faster response.
Reach out to learn how effective translucent daylighting can enhance buildings and benefit occupants
Project Design/Detailing, Daylight Modeling, LEED assistance
AIA Presentations for CEU credit
Budgets/Quotes
Local representation throughout the US
Kalwall Product Expert
Translucent Walls, Skyroofs, Skylights and Canopies
Mike Keller
Manager of Direct Sales
Mobile: 215-280-3149
Email: [email protected]
For emails: Add "ARCAT" in the subject line for faster response.
Reach out to learn how effective translucent daylighting can enhance buildings and benefit occupants
Project Design/Detailing, Daylight Modeling, LEED assistance
AIA Presentations for CEU credit
Budgets/Quotes
Local representation throughout the US
Facades
Wall systems include translucent panel wall applications that is for a single story or less and does not integrate fixed or operable glazing units or louvers. Structural sandwich panels, up to 5′ x 20′, may be either flat or curved. Panels come in 2.75″ and 4.00″ thicknesses, and may be customized to accommodate a variety of head and sill conditions.
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Our unitized curtainwall system integrates translucent panels with fixed or operable glazing units, opaque panels, and louvers, etc. for single or multi-story applications.
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Retrofits with Kalwall vs. Glass results in dramatic savings for stopping heat loss, reducing electric light usage by offering glare free-usable diffuse daylight, eliminating the need for shades, and decreasing solar heat gain. Our high performance systems are very competitively priced, virtually maintenance free, and offer increased security compared to typical glass retrofits, for both increased impact resistance and vandalism.
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Kalwall panels can be custom engineered if your roof requires specialized options. We offer many engineered systems including: Class A fire ratings Hurricane rated roof assemblies/Windborne debris resistance Missile D certified High impact options Blast resistant systems meet DOD UFC 4-010-01 Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) Factory Mutual certified roof systems: FM 4471 Removable roofs Motorized/operable roofs Bespoke designs
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Skyroofs
Kalwall offers a wide range of pre-engineered skyroofs including: shed Roofs, ridge Roofs, pyramids, barrel vaults, low-profile vaults. Our panels are so lightweight compared to glass, at less than 3 lbs/ft2, support framing requirements are minimized. Only thrust-bearing curbs designed to accommodate local live, snow and wind load designs are required. Clearspans up to 24" are possible, depending on load and slope, without additional support framing. Our rugged skylights are all mansafe and OSHA fall thru compliant, meaning no safety cages required, another cost savings. Centerline, self-supporting ridge skylights with 20, 27, 33, or 45 degree slope to 24'. Our Kalcurve® 180 degree and low-profile 90 degree come in one foot curb width increments.
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Kalwall KCRF Color Chart
NFRC Certified U-Values
Light/Solar Heat Transmission
Windborne Debris Regions
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Our Custom Skyroof system features Kalwall composite panels over sub-structure by others, when energy efficient, diffuse daylighting at monumental scale is in order. Flat, curved or combination offer design versatility and a consistent with all Kalwall systems. Installation is fast and easy, coupled with large size panels to further speed the process. As with all Kalwall panels, our skyroofs are man-safe and OSHA fall through compliant. U-values available up to .05, for maximum thermal performance with our Lumira panel, the most highly insulated, light transmitting product in the market.
Quick Reference Links:
Kalwall KCRF Color Chart
NFRC Certified U-Values
Light/Solar Heat Transmission
Windborne Debris Regions
Marrying the benefits of the lightweight Kalwall composite panel technology with the low maintenance, corrosion and moisture resistant aluminum box beams, we can offer monumental clearspan skylights and structures with spans in excess of 100 feet. The leaders in large scale daylighting systems, Structures Unlimited Inc., a strategic partner of Kalwall, offers total design control, fabrication, delivery and complete installation with single source responsibility. When you need it done right, on time, and in budget, we have your solution. No more need for separate steel fabricators, glaziers and painters - these skylight systems are pre-fabricated, pre-finished and ready for quick, curb up installation. Installations completed in weeks, not months, due to component standardizations and CAD technology.
Quick Reference Links:
Kalwall KCRF Color Chart
NFRC Certified U-Values
Light/Solar Heat Transmission
Windborne Debris Regions
Kalwall panels can be custom engineered if your roof requires specialized options. We offer many engineered systems including:
Class A fire ratings
Hurricane rated roof assemblies/Windborne debris resistance Missile D certified
High impact options
Blast resistant systems meet DOD UFC 4-010-01 Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) Factory Mutual certified roof systems: FM 4471
Removable roofs
Motorized/operable roofs
Bespoke designs
Quick Reference Links:
Kalwall KCRF Color Chart
NFRC Certified U-ValuesLight/Solar Heat Transmission
Light/Solar Heat Transmission
Windborne Debris Regions
Request Additional Information
Skylights
For toplighting solutions that are economical and easy to install, consider our S-line skylights and combine diffuse daylighting with a full range of thermal packages. Larger unit sizes also mean fewer roof penetrations, for daylighting bigger manufacturing spaces. Our rugged units are vandal resistant and man-safe for maintenance crews, and a favorite where extreme weather is a concern.
Quick Reference Links:
Kalwall KCRF Color Chart
NFRC Certified U-Values
Light/Solar Heat Transmission
Windborne Debris Regions
Bring loftiness to your design, with Kalwall Standard pyramids. Standard pitches of 27, 33, or 45 degree, designed for quick installation, and available in small quantities. All that is needed for standard skylight orders are face sheet color, U value selection, standard curb size and finish color.
Quick Reference Links:
Kalwall KCRF Color Chart
NFRC Certified U-Values
Light/Solar Heat Transmission
Windborne Debris Regions
Prefabricated elements provide an elegant daylighting concept to highlight any overall design, and are easily engineered into any construction. Our Geo-roofs feature a clean design for easy curb installation and watertight seal. Lightweight units are rugged and tough, hurricane-rated and man-safe. Optional colored inserts are available for added interest.
Quick Reference Links:
Kalwall KCRF Color Chart
NFRC Certified U-Values
Light/Solar Heat Transmission
Windborne Debris Regions
Canopies + Walkways
Our low maintenance translucent canopies are a smart investment. Leaves and bird debris remain unseen from below, and the diffuse light and low contrast ratios they provide is a safety feature for people in transit. At night, our canopies also shine, as they glow softly from nearby artificial lighting, and highlight points of interest, such as building entrances. Our economical lightweight panels weigh 1/3 less than glass, meaning less sub structure, and longer spans.
Quick Reference Links:
Kalwall KCRF Color Chart
NFRC Certified U-Values
Light/Solar Heat Transmission
Windborne Debris Regions
Kalwall walkways not only protect from the elements, but they create comfortable, practical transitions between buildings, filling an enclosed space with balanced daylight, and providing security to occupants from being seen from outside the structure. Our superior structural integrity stands up to hurricane-force winds, high snow loads and the most demanding code requirements. Unlike glass, our low maintenance panels self-clean with natural rainfall, keeping the walkway clean and free of unsightly smudges and stains.
Quick Reference Links:
Kalwall KCRF Color Chart
NFRC Certified U-Values
Light/Solar Heat Transmission
Windborne Debris Regions
We offer turnkey canopy and walkway solutions featuring Kalwall panels paired with structural aluminum support systems by Structures Unlimited Inc.
Quick Reference Links:
Kalwall KCRF Color Chart
NFRC Certified U-Values
Light/Solar Heat Transmission
Windborne Debris Regions
Continuing Education
Learn more about Kalwall's various forms of translucent daylighting with high performance structural sandwich panels, and also learn about the health, safety, productivity, protection and aesthetic benefits of Natural daylighting in occupied spaces, to earn LEED credits and/or assist in the implementation of green or sustainable design.
Recent Projects
The AIA's Committee of the Environment (COTE) named the design by Diamond Schmitt Architects of Toronto as one of its Top Ten examples of Sustainable Architecture and Ecological Designs for 2015.
Daylighting an over 100-year-old gallery... the venerable Crocker Art Museum... with Kalwall Skylights.
An award-winning curtainwall system is featured in this world-renowned design.
State of the art translucent building superbly designed.
Use of daylighting by Kalwall provides numerous advantages for the athletes within the facility. Natural light is proven to boost mood and improve performance, creating a healthy environment athletes want to be in.
Due to its intended purpose, line-of-site protection was a key requirement for the building's faCade. A translucent daylighting solution with Kalwall ensures brightly lit workspaces with privacy from neighboring plots.
The vision was to create a ‘cube' shaped space for the display of the students' creative works. Kalwall's translucent panel system with museum-quality daylighting™ provided the solution, as well as a custom face sheet color to match the school's logo.
The hangar is recognized as the longest clear-span, dual entry airline hangar in the world. The signature feature is two bookend ‘light bars' capped by Kalwall® translucent sandwich panels.
18,836 square feet (1750 square meters) of Kalwall Skyroof® cladding were used above the terminal's International Departure Lounge and check-in desks to replace the 30+ year old glass skylights.
The centerpiece of the CMAX project is the visually striking Northland Transit Center. The center includes an 8,950 square-foot (2,728 square-meter) overhead canopy system featuring Kalwall translucent sandwich panels.
The goal of creating a culture that is true to New Belgium's mission is what made Kalwall translucent sandwich panels such a prominent feature of the company's brewery in Asheville, N.C.
CorporaciOn La Favorita is not only the largest retailer group in Ecuador, but it also prides itself on being a leader in environmental awareness. That's what made Kalwall such a natural fit for the company's new complex in SamborondOn.
Framed in a lantern-like glow of Kalwall curtainwall, the Odeon Theatre's façade is the signature feature of Bh2, a sprawling cinema and leisure complex in the heart of the English seaside city.
A series of Kalwall skylights are the architectural focus of a $76 million (£55 million) renovation project. The new and renovated spaces create an enhanced patient and visitor experience with maximized natural daylight.
Jonathan Barnes Architecture and Design of Columbus selected Kalwall as the signature feature in the expansion of a historic 1920's era warehouse that is home to this artisan small batch distillery.
The award-winning Elgin Artspace Lofts transformed a 1908 Sears building into a hub for artists to affordably live and pursue their craft. Kalwall shines a light on their collective works.
Kalwall translucent sandwich panels provided a critical solution in this truly global project, with their aesthetic beauty, energy efficiency and, most importantly, their best-in-class explosion-venting properties.
Studies show there is a high correlation between daylighting and increased human comfort and productivity. That is one reason Kalwall translucent sandwich panels are often specified to refurbish school buildings, such as the main teaching block at Featherstone High School, providing a better environment for young students.
In a $68 million transformation, Clark Nexsen created a stunning new terminal, redesigning everything from the curbside to the interior space. On landside arrival, a Kalwall canopy system provides shelter and links access points, while a Kalwall facade is utilized for the main building.
The desire to create a bus station that would not only accommodate millions of commuters to London each year, but also stand out prominently in a revitalized town center was the inspiration behind the award-winning West Croydon Bus Station.
The Crouch End Picturehouse in North London is an interesting example of how Kalwall can be used to convert an ugly 1950's concrete building into a state-of-the-art space suitable for the 21st Century.
An impressive curtain wall of Kalwall® panels floods the lab's high bay in natural diffuse light, integrating perfectly with the goals of the CNES because of its best industry solar heat gain control. It is one reason the building achieved LEED-NC Platinum certification.
Housed within a 100-acre campus of sharply designed buildings, the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, England is home to cutting edge technology in the manufacturing world while reflecting the spirit of innovation.
The terminal is a significant update for the regional airport with the latest in comfort and convenience. Concourse A is a new 45,000 ft2 expansion with 5 new gates, dining room, lounge, gift shop and a children's room capped by a custom Kalcurve® Skyroof®.
This half-century-old daylighting design, commemorated for character and effectiveness and the roll it has played, is more than a mere chapel on a school campus but is a spiritual beacon, which serves the mission of the monastic community.
The subtlety and spiritual strength of daylight can bring hope, honor and respect to a building when architects like Andrew Baczynski, Associate of Young + Wright / IBI Group Architects, rise to the challenge of taking a space to a higher level of consciousness.
A building in the mountain foothold of Aspen, Colorado designed to mirror its landscape would not be complete without the light from the sky. That's the role Kalwall® translucent panels played in the award-winning design by Harry Teague Architects.
The Tintern Middle Schools in the Melbourne suburb of Ringwood East, Australia had a unique need for its new classroom building. Kalwall® was a vital part of the solution by James Jones, design principal for Architectus Melbourne.
Paul Laurence Dunbar would be proud. The sun is once again shining on – and into – the historic Washington, D.C. high school named in his honor. When Dunbar High opened its doors in 1870, it became the first public high school in the United States for African-Americans.
The Jack A. Vickers Boys & Girls Club is part of the Nancy P. Anschutz Center and is a beacon of light in a neighborhood that has more than its share of underserved youth.
The Amy Biehl Community School, a K-6 school in the public school system of Santa Fe, New Mexico, does more than help students learn how to be environmentally conscious. It helps them live it.
LEED Contribution
Daylight Modeling
Daylighting is the practice of using controlled natural light to illuminate a space. It is part science and part art. The end result is a space that minimizes the use of artificial lighting, reduces carbon emissions and positively affects the performance, mood and well being of the occupants. Daylight modeling brings science into the art of daylighting. It removes the design mystery and reveals the pattern of daylight on any building through software and physical scale modeling.
Architects around the world use our complimentary service to demonstrate the impact of their daylighting design options with Kalwall® translucent sandwich panels to achieve the ultimate in balanced, glare-free, Museum-quality Daylighting™. Our service helps to document your contributions to Net Zero, BREEAM® and LEED®objectives.
Portfolio
Technology
Kalwall is the most highly insulating, diffuse light-transmitting, structural sandwich panel in the world. While there are other translucent products on the market, none can match Kalwall's ability to provide unparalleled light quality and superior thermal performance at a reasonable cost. In the sixty years that we have worked with lightweight, composites technologies, we have perfected this unique fenestration technology that harvests balanced, natural daylight while providing the ultimate in energy efficiency. Lightweight, shatterproof, and rapidly installed, Kalwall has unrivaled structural integrity that is far superior in performance and value to products that superficially may appear similar. Kalwall can be all or part of the walls or roof of any building or be an entire freestanding structure. Typical product applications include: Wall, Window Wall and Curtain Wall Systems, Window Replacement energy upgrades, Skylights, Pre-engineered and Custom Skyroofs, Clearspan' Systems and Canopies+Walkways.
In order to expeditiously provide you with the most meaningful information that best suits your needs please visit our Request Information page.
Kalwall in the News
Strategic partners Kalwall Corporation and Structures Unlimited, Inc.—based in New Hampshire—proudly announce a partnership with Opening Technologies, Inc. of California.
Opening Technologies has been northern California's premier supplier and installer of commercial security and safety solutions for 25 years.
“We are thrilled to have Opening Technologies join the team as a Kalwall distributor," says Kevin Bruce, National Sales Manager North America for Kalwall. “Their knowledge and experience providing solutions to the region's architects and contractors will ensure that more projects receive the unparalleled benefits of healthy daylighting from our translucent building systems."
With this partnership, Opening Technologies is adding Kalwall's full line of daylighting solutions—including faCades, skylights, skyroofs®, canopies and walkways—and Structures Unlimited's single-source aluminum box beam structures that use Kalwall translucent sandwich panels to its product offering.
POWERS PRODUCTS NAMED KALWALL DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR
Family-Owned Company is Leader in Specialty Architectural Building Products
MANCHESTER, NH
Powers Products, which has been partnering with Kalwall Corporation since 1970, was named Kalwall's Distributor of the Year at the company's national distributor meeting last month.
Like the multi-generational family heritage of Kalwall Corporation, Powers Products is a family-owned-and-operated company that was established in 1941 and serves Colorado and Wyoming. Current CEO Brent Powers represents a third generation of family ownership. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Kalwall and Powers Products' partnership.
Powers Products offers a wide range of services, from design assist to project management to installation, and features a full array of Kalwall daylighting solutions. The company also works with Kalwall strategic partner Structures Unlimited, Inc. to provide clients with the premier,single-source manufacturer of structural skylights, skyroofs, pool enclosures and canopies+walkways.
“Brent and his family have a built a name that is trusted in the building industry," says Tom Hon, Kalwall's regional manager for the territories that Powers Products covers. “They not only thoroughly know our product line, but they have great relationships with architects and general contractors. When Kalwall or Structures Unlimited is the right fit for a project, we know Powers will make that connection."
Among the projects in which Powers Products has been involved with incorporating Kalwall and Structures Unlimited include the award-winning Aspen Community School, the Denver Broncos indoor practice facility and the NORAD/U.S. Space Center in Colorado Springs.
MANCHESTER, NH - Inspired by the fluid movement of the amoeba cell, a design team from the MIT Media Lab in Boston, Mass., created the Amoeba Wall Dynamical Space Reconfiguration Tool for a constantly changing work environment.
Kalwall translucent sandwich panels were an essential feature of the design, giving the wall structural integrity and aesthetic appeal. The combination of beauty and flexibility earned the project three awards, including a prestigious Golden A Design, at the A Design Award and Competition.
The A Design Award and Competition is billed as the world's largest design competition for designers, innovators and companies.
Amoeba Wall was honored with the Golden A' Design Award for Lighting Products and Lighting Projects Design, as well as two Silver A' Design Awards for the Furniture, Decorative Items and Homeware Design category, as well as the Arts, Crafts and Ready-Made Design category.
The wall was originally created for The Tomorrow's Workplace 2016 design competition, challenging teams of designers to define how will offices enable workers to be the best they can be?
Honghao Deng, the lead designer of the MIT Media Lab project, praised Kalwall panels and the role they played in the design of the Amoeba Wall.
The Kalwall daylighting panel is not only beautiful and has great light diffusion, but is also amazingly easy to deal with, Deng said It's incredibly lightweight and structurally sound.
The transformable wall employs robotics technology to create a hyper-efficient, dynamically reconfigurable structure. The innovative robotics and unmatched quality of Kalwall panels combine to create a flexible and lightweight piece of architecture that accommodates a wide range of activities in a small space.
Kalwall Translucent Sandwich Panels Featured at SuperMaterials Exhibit in London
MANCHESTER, N.H.- Kalwall® translucent sandwich panels are a featured product at a two-month long exhibit in London being hosted by the Built Environment Trust.
The SuperMaterials exhibit, which began February 1 at the London Building Centre and concludes April 27, highlights how scientific developments have transformed the way we build.
The series of exhibits aims to inform how materials and technology are changing the future of construction, and explore how the application of raw materials influences the constant evolution of architecture. Dubbed the next industrial revolution by The Building Centre, this evolving phase has a sharp focus on stronger, lighter, thinner and biodegradable products.
Robert Keller's Kalwall panels may have been introduced in 1955 in New Hampshire, but they have stood the test of time as a truly revolutionary development that remains a key feature in projects around the world.
May 30, 2017
MANCHESTER, NH - The architects of London's remodeled West Croydon Bus Station were looking for a way to give the busy transport station a brighter and more aesthetically appealing look when it began its remodeling project two years ago.
The introduction of Kalwall translucent sandwich panels for the station's canopy helped achieve that goal. And, in the process, earned the project one of England's highest honors in architectural design.
Transport for London (TfL)'s in-house design team was recently presented a 2017 RIBA Regional Award by the Royal Institute of British Architects and TfL architect Martin Eriksson won a 2017 RIBA London Project Architect of the Year Award.
RIBA Awards aim to celebrate the best architecture in the UK and around the world. London has over 12,000 RIBA members and 1,000 chartered practices. Regional winners are eligible for the RIBA National Award for architectural excellence.
In jury comments, the station is described as a charming and creative building. Kalwall panels not only provided an aesthetic beauty, but their lightweight properties factored into the design of the building. The ability to eliminate shadows, hotspots and glare made Kalwall preferable to traditional glazing. Additionally, the translucent panels create an ethereal glow at night, making it a beacon for travelers.
The ability to reduce maintenance expenditures also made Kalwall a great choice. Soil and detritus are less obvious on Kalwall panels than on glass, and cleaning is much simpler because access scaffolding is not required and maintenance staff can safely walk across its surface.
May 17, 2017
MANCHESTER, NH -The West Croydon Bus Station in London is not only a vital link to accommodate millions of people every year commuting to work from the South and South East into London, but it has become a key piece in transforming the town center into a more attractive environment to live, work, socialize and do business.
Designed by Transport for London's in-house team of architects and predominantly featuring Kalwall translucent sandwich panels, the project was shortlisted by the Royal Institute of British Architects for a 2017 RIBA London Regional Award.
The West Croydon Bus Station was one of 85 buildings to make the cut from among 215 entries. The winning entry will be announced on Monday, May 22. Regional winners will be eligible for the RIBA National Award for architectural excellence. RIBA Awards have been presented since 1966 and are open to buildings in the United Kingdom by RIBA chartered architect and international fellows. The RIBA London Region includes 12,000 members and 1,300 chartered practices.
To be included on the shortlist for such a prestigious award is quite an honor in itself, says Amelia Keller, principal of Kalwall.
May 16, 2017
MANCHESTER, NH - By blending innovative educational concepts into the design and achieving the highest standards of energy efficiency, the architects and designers of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School complex in Cambridge, Mass., were cited by LEARNING BY DESIGN as one of three Grand Prize winners in its Spring 2017 edition.
THE PREFERRED CHOICE OF EXCELLENCE: KALWALL ENCHANCES AWARD-WINNING PROJECTS.
Kalwall Featured in Three Award-Winning Projects Cited by Learning By Design.
MANCHESTER, NH - Kalwall® - the industry leader in museum quality daylighting solutions is part of three award-winning projects cited by Learning By Design in its Spring 2016 Architectural Awards Showcase editions.
CREATING ANOTHER AWARD-WINNING 'ENVIRONMENT'
Structures Unlimited Inc. Part of Best Project Award-Winner in Water/Environment Category
BOW, NH - The project to upgrade the Mattabassett District's Water Pollution Control Facility in Cromwell, CT, featuring two designs by Structures Unlimited Inc., was recognized by Engineering News-Record New England as a 2015 Best Project winner.
SUI supplied the new main building, a 95' 11" wide x 48' 6" long center ridge building with open-air center passage. The Bow, NH company also supplied a shed roof that is 30' 7/8" by 88' 4 1/2".
The project, constructed to provide nitrogen treatment to meet new state and federal standards, is one of the biggest WPCF upgrades in the country. The Mattabassett District WPCF processes 12 to 21 million gallons of wastewater from the towns of New Britain, Berlin, Cromwell, Middletown, Newington, Rocky Hill and Farmington, discharging the clean water into the Connecticut River.
The project will now be considered for an ENR Best of the Best Award.
Structures Unlimited is an industry leader in municipal wastewater treatment facilities, providing key components for a project or an entire structure. SUI projects feature Kalwall translucent sandwich panels that can be designed to fit configurations such as shed, hip and circular.
Because the buildings are pre-engineered, prefabricated and pre-finished, they can be erected in days in any kind of weather and faster than other building systems for immediate use. The inside and outside surfaces are ultra-smooth to resist dirt, dust and bacteria build-up, and can be steam cleaned. Structures feature walls and roofs that are highly insulated to prevent potential freeze-ups and energy efficient to take advantage of solar gain during daylight hours.
About Structures Unlimited
For over 45 years, Structures Unlimited, Inc. has been creating the most energy efficient, diffuse-light-transmitting skylights, enclosures and natatoriums with clear spans over 100 feet. A unique technology of our own self-supporting aluminum structure is blended with Kalwall translucent sandwich panels to form a total composite system ... pre-engineered, prefabricated and factory pre-finished for structural, energy-efficient, maintenance-free performance. The balanced daylighting achieved by these highly corrosion-resistant, energy-efficient structures opens up a world of design and engineering possibilities to architects and building designers.