NEW AND INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS OF SPD-SMART™ GLASS SELECTED FOR VARIOUS ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTS WORLDWIDE
Incheon, South Korea, May 19, 2003 – Highlighting some of the new and innovative architectural designs around the world using its SPD-Smart glass, SPD Inc. today disclosed several recent projects that showcase its state-of-the-art glass with tint that can be controlled automatically or manually by the user.
With SPD-Smart film, developed and patented by Research Frontiers Incorporated (Nasdaq:REFR), users can instantly "tune" glass or plastic windows and other products to a limitless number of light transmission levels between clear and dark states, offering privacy as well as light, glare and heat control.
Because of its unique performance, aesthetics and ability to be combined with a variety of glass and plastic materials, designers and architects around the world are now working with SPD-Smart glass for a myriad of new commercial and residential architectural glass applications.
In a recent installation at the Jakarta, Indonesia office of one of the world’s top accounting firms, over 1,000 square feet of SPD-Smart glass was used on three floors of an office building. In addition to SPD-Smart windows and office partitions, this project also features meeting rooms that use for the first time highly curved panels of glass forming a circular enclosure. The installation uses 34 large SPD glass panels and Lutron® controllers to permit the interior occupants to easily regulate the light, glare and heat entering their work space, while also providing privacy for clients whenever desired.
Commenting upon this unique and innovative use of glass, Sutrisno Irwanto noted “The reason that our firm used SPD glass was so that our office occupants would be able to choose between transparency, which provides the appearance of a significantly more spacious room and also an ‘open’ sensation, and privacy when required.”
An office building in Singapore uses a bank of SPD doors and windows as part of its reception and conference room facilities. These panels complement the elegant interior of the office, and are installed in movable windows and doors that not only can be opened and closed like ordinary windows or doors, but also can be darkened or lightened with the flip of a switch.
Shane Lee of Nansin (1964) PTE LTD in Singapore which installed the SPD glass for this project, noted that SPD glass is an established part of their product line (more information about this product can be obtained from Nansin at www.nansin.com.sg/html/product/spd.html). “We like using SPD-Smart glass for exterior glass applications because of the energy savings and also to give the occupants precise control over the amount of light being transmitted through the windows. For our interior applications, we use SPD glass not only to achieve privacy for selected areas, but also to enhance the corporate image of our clients.”
SPD-Smart glass offers unique functionality and design aesthetics in new residential settings as well. For example, over 200 square feet of large SPD-Smart glass panels are being used at a home in Greece to enclose an outdoor swimming pool. The SPD laminated glass panels not only provide light and glare control and privacy for the owner and his guests, but also add impact resistance, ultraviolet radiation blockage, security, and noise attenuation as additional benefits.
Voula Stefopoulou of Technoplan S.A. in Greece, which worked with the homeowner on this installation, noted “One reason the owner is so pleased with this installation is for the selective privacy that SPD glass offers. This pool borders a public park and the enclosure preserves the magnificent views surrounding this residence, but also allows privacy when the owner and their guests are by the pool.”
SPD Inc.’s Byoung Chan Lee noted that these new applications are some of the many installations his company is working on directly. Other licensees of Research Frontiers also have incorporated SPD light control film produced by SPD Inc. into a variety of their own projects for architectural, automotive, marine and aerospace applications. “Some of the initial installations focused on using SPD-Smart glass in place of traditional glass, but now more and more architects and designers are incorporating SPD variable light transmission glass into new and innovative designs.”
About SPD Inc. and SPD-Smart Glass Technology
SPD-Smart technology, available for residential and commercial windows and skylights, as well as marine and aircraft windows, allows users to instantly and precisely control how clear or dark glass or plastic is, and adjust its light transmission by either turning a knob to control the applied voltage or having the device automatically adjust itself by means of a photocell or other sensing or control device. By controlling sunlight, consumers can enjoy an unprecedented combination of glare reduction, UV protection, energy-savings and greater security – benefits that collectively are distinctive to SPD-Smart dimmable windows and skylights. For general information about SPD-Smart products being sold worldwide, architects, designers and developers are invited to learn more about SPD-Smart technology by visiting www.SmartGlass.com . To learn more about SPD light control film and end-products offered by SPD Inc., please visit their website at www.spdi.co.kr or contact Mr. B.C. Lee at SPD Inc. by telephone at 82 32 819 4671 or by email (bclee@spdi.co.kr). In the United States, please contact Michael LaPointe toll free at 800-743-4453 or by email (LaPointe@SmartGlass.com). Media inquiries can be directed to Stacy Clapp of Vendeloo Incorporated at 212-475-3738 or by email at (Stacy@vendeloo.com).
SPD Inc.'s parent company, Hankuk Glass Industries Inc. (KSC:02000.KS), is Korea's largest glass manufacturer and is a licensee of Research Frontiers Incorporated. SPD Inc. was formed as a separate subsidiary of Hankuk Glass Industries devoted exclusively to the production and sale of SPD film and end-products.
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