Advanced Active Window treatment assisting with thermal comfort without compromising the views.

The energy consumption of a building impacts the global CO2 emissions by approximately 30% worldwide. This is the result of the increased energy usage in emerging economies which is directly related to population expansion.

Achieving thermal comfort is imperative to user experience, however this can be problematic for locations with extreme climate conditions, particularly when it comes to the electric load of appliances required to maintain thermal comfort (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems). More than 70 percent of the total energy consumed in commercial and domestic buildings is attributable to lighting and HVAC needs. The amount of energy that is consumed by lighting and HVAC is directly influenced by a building’s design, construction, and material specifications. For example, a building that is designed to take advantage of passive solar heating or cooling can limit both the capital and operating costs of its HVAC system.

The future of fenestration elements is to implement technologies that reduce heat transfer by the use of static and dynamic systems. Reflective Roller Blinds reduce heat gain and heat loss. A possible reduction of 50-80% in solar heat gain is achievable dependent on the design of the window and the selection of film. Additionally, heat loss during colder months can be reduced up to 20-45%. This too is reliant on the size and design of the window and the manner in which the blind is installed.

Convention centres and pavilions are experiencing disruptive developments. The triumphant march of digital formats is on the rise. There are two possible reactions to this: Do nothing or do something. Many are currently reinventing themselves. Others emerge from the digital world and create physical formats.

Even if sliding applications are almost invisible, they have a major influence on the efficient use of areas and formats. They provide barrier-free access and open up spaces for unimpeded visits. High quality and yet cost-effective, Hawa Aperto is an especially architecturally attractive solution. The first system on the market that’s been specially developed for lightweight wooden partition walls with door weights up to 60 kg. High quality and yet cost-effective. An especially architecturally attractive solution, because the closed wall is flush-fitted and requires minimal stacking space. Simple solutions can be planned and installed independently by the cabinet maker thanks to the detailed mounting instructions. Moreover, the Hawa Aperto 60 H is a standardized system with very simple article structure. This ensures rapid delivery of all components directly from the warehouse.

Duroflex tank is a two component polymer modified cementitious coating designed for waterproofing concrete and masonry surfaces in a variety of applications. Applied by roller, brush, trowel or spray methods, once cured Duroflex tank provides a protective barrier to concrete surfaces against salts, chlorides and carbonation. Designed for use in permanently wet and damp conditions including applications such as:

• Internal wet areas, bathrooms, laundries and tiled areas
• Balconies, decks, podiums, terrace floors
• Parapet and feature walls
• Water features, swimming pools
• Potable water storage facilities, retention tanks and general water tank areas
• Planters, retaining walls, earth shelters
• General tiled areas to prevent moisture ingress

Based on unique cross linking polymer technology, Duroflex tank displays outstanding adhesion properties over numerous building substrates including concrete, masonry, renders, screeds and cement based mineral surfaces. No priming is required as Duroflex basement bonds to clean pre-dampened surfaces free of surface water. For applications where finishes need to be applied over this membrane, tiles, renders, textures and solvent free paints are able to be directly applied to the cured Duroflex tank surface.

• Handles ponding and permanently wet conditions, will not re-emulsify
• No primer required, bonds to damp surfaces
• Flexible with good elongation properties
• Can be applied on vertical and horizontal surfaces
• Resistant to chloride attack, carbonation and salts
• Bonds to concrete surfaces after 48 hours of application; bonds to renders, screeds etc after 16 hours of application
• Compatible bonding properties for tile adhesives, screeds, renders and texture coatings
• Suitable for internal and external surfaces
• Suitable for immersed and underground areas

Applying sunblinds is often a very good solution to save money on your energy bill. Sunblinds block excessive solar beams, which can cause overheating of the building. This reduces the need for air conditioning to keep your rooms cool in the summer.

Integrated sunscreen solution:

ReynaScreen is an integrated sun shading system using a drop-down screen, mounted on the outside of your window or door, ensuring coolness in the summer. In addition, the system is provided with the extra insulation in the casing, ensuring optimal thermal comfort throughout the whole year.
To meet your needs, ReynaScreen can be operated manually or electrically. The system can be integrated with all Reynaers window and door systems, including Mosquito, the Reynaers insect screen.

The integrated sunscreening system ReynaScreen can be combined with all Reynaers windows and doors and can be controlled manually or electrically. The extra insulation in the casing ensures the thermal comfort. Furthermore, ReynaScreen can be combined with Mosquito, the Reynaers insect screen.

Touch-free dispensers, automatic dispensers, motion-activated dispensers, or whatever you want to call them, are becoming more and more popular for hand soaps and hand sanitizers in public settings.  Touch-free dispensers are an important innovation in hand hygiene, but before you install touch-free dispensers.

Advantages of touch free dispensers include:

• Because of their modern appearance, they attract attention which can increase hand hygiene compliance
• They are very easy to install
• They are easy to use, particularly for people that struggle to reach over countertops to access the dispenser
• They deliver a standardized dose of hand soap or sanitizer
• They eliminate a common contact point where germs can be transferred

The use of movable partitions within museums and art galleries can create small groupings and arrange artworks thematically creating optimal flexibility. Hufcor® movable wall panels offer museums and galleries flexibility to arrange their spaces that help to create dialogs with their  patrons. The use of movable partitions within museums and art galleries can create small groupings and arrange artworks thematically creating optimal flexibility. Hufcor movable wall panels offer museums and galleries flexibility to arrange their spaces that help to create dialogs with their customers.

Movable partition tracking systems can be arranged in overhead grids that allow panels to be reconfigured into nearly an endless number of configurations. As this photo of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame demonstrates, more than 650 feet of track allow the panels to be set up into many different configurations. Museum managers can reconfigure the rooms to feature the season’s current sport and continually change the room layouts, creating a fresh floor layout, even if the content hasn’t changed.

Museum designers can reconfigure the movable panels to set up traffic flow patterns that vary from exhibit to exhibit. By using operable partition panels with MDF, fiberboard or other sustainable face substrates, a gallery can confidently mount displays over and over again.

Another benefit of using Hufcor movable wall panels is the ability to string multiple panels to create large, flat, interconnected walls to hang large displays or to create long corridors and display areas. The Eckhart G. Grohmann Collection Man at Work Museum at Milwaukee School Of Engineering incorporates this concept into three floors of museum space housing the largest collection of artwork dedicated to work in the world.

Point of Sale Protection Screens are designed to help keep customers and staff safe and hygienic when going about their transactions by providing a barrier between the point of sale and the patron.

Refelctive Blinds^® Clear Protective Screens are an ideal solution for creating an effective barrier to remain Covid safe.

They can be installed to assist your business with barrier screens in reception, cashier or other areas where your customers have face to face interaction with your staff. These clear, custom fitted, gravity drop down blinds give you a cost effective way to protect your staff and customers. Lightweight and easy to clean, these screens are easy to set up are designed to suit any environment.

Some Covid safe changes might be as simple as facilitating social distancing through labyrinth entries which omit doors, automating doors, spacing hand basins and urinals further apart, or providing full-height WC partitions.

Perhaps the standard washroom layout should be questioned. There has been an increased interest for ‘superloos’ or unisex washrooms, as these offer individual self-contained toilet and basin facilities, which make social distancing easier to achieve. Each superloo is separately ventilated, thus reducing the mixing of air compared with more traditional washrooms. This layout also provides a flexible gender-neutral provision, which can easily accommodate changes in numbers for male and female users.

So far, every pandemic has had an impact on architecture. For example, cholera is responsible for the advent of the modern sewerage system. How is Covid-19 changing our living spaces? In short: They are becoming more flexible.

The latest figures from the real estate market indicate that large living spaces have increased in demand due to Covid-19. However, they are rarely found, partly because the prices per square meter are high. In order to cope with the increased demands (office, handicraft room, fitness and games room are part of the list of requirements) in your own four walls, larger space solutions are necessary. There is no way around flexible structures.

Living spaces that can be adapted to the rhythm of life of users can be easily realized thanks to mobile partitions. With a few flicks of the wrist, living and working spaces can be reorganized and new possibilities created. Our hardware systems for sliding and folding sliding walls enable individual solutions.

The International Convention Centre, Wales, opened its doors in September 2019. This state-of-the-art meeting venue covers all types of activities from smaller meetings to group training, conferences through to conventions and large exhibitions. This dynamic flexible space has no fewer than 15 meeting rooms, a 4,000sqm pillar free hall and an auditorium which can host up to 5000 delegates at the same time. Some of the  key criteria were to ensure that the hall provided flexibility with quick set up time, easy operational handling, great acoustics and a finish that would match the perimeter walls.

HUFCOR were selected to plan, prepare, and install over 240 movable wall panels (and 10 parking pocket doors) in total. The project comprises of 16 different walls in total, 11 walls in function rooms and other areas and 5 walls in the main function hall with 9 metres high panels spanning an areas 50m x 70m in total. All of them fit the interior design and allow an acoustic integrity of at least 54db Rw.

All tracks installed in this area are designed to offer great flexibility and move the panels through the hall into the desired set-up. This hall can be divided into many different configurations to suit the needs of the event requirements.

The whole concept was designed to act as flexible as possible and to increase revenue by using the same space for multiple events.