Ever had those moments where you craved privacy but after some time, didn’t feel the need for it? What if you could have privacy on demand? Well, there’s a product that can switch its opacity to match your mood and needs – switchable glass. Switchable glass makes it possible for office partitions to give employees privacy they need while making it look modern elegant. It is also called smart glass because of its ability to switch from transparent to translucent obscuring the view, according to the user’s whims. It is one of the best materials to make office partitions.
What is Switchable Glass?
Switchable glass, also known as electrochromic glass or smart glass is glass that can switch between being clear and being translucent just by pushing a button. Switchable glass uses the scientific principle of electrochromism to function. According to this scientific idea, materials change their opacity levels (usually from transparent to opaque and vice versa) when an electric voltage is applied across them. Normally, smart glass has a bluish colour which switches to crystal clear transparency on the passage of an electric current.
The above-mentioned electric current passes through a smart film sandwiched between the two layers of a smart polymer. The smart film consists of a suspension of liquid crystals in a polymer base through which the electric charge passes. Under normal conditions, the liquid crystals are scattered randomly all around the polymer base that scatter light as light tries to pass through, making the window opaque. When the switch is pressed, the electric charge passing through the base makes the liquid crystals arrange themselves into straight lines, allowing light to pass through without scattering, thus making the window completely transparent.
What are the Advantages of Switchable Glass?
Since switchable glass prevents both the heat and the light from the sun from entering in, it is very energy-efficient. Using this type of glass in the summers can reduce the use of the AC in your office exponentially, while less heating would be necessary during the winters.
This type of glass blocks harmful UV rays from the sun too and is available in a wide variety of tints. While UV rays are blocked, natural sunlight coming in through the exterior windows can spread into the whole office since the glass can be made transparent at any time, unlike walls which would block all sunlight.
Apart from providing privacy, switchable glass is quite low maintenance in comparison to traditional blinds and painted walls – blinds collect dust fast and paint can chip off of the walls, making them look worn-down much faster than glass walls. It can simply be wiped clean and carries no risk of any kind of staining.
Why Should I Use Switchable Glass for Office Partitions?
Switchable glass allows employees to customise their own working space according to their personal privacy requirements. This can increase productivity as employees get to make their space their own.
The glass can be turned translucent at the click of a button, which means that an isolated and focused environment can be created for work. Even if there are many cubicles adjacent to each other, people can still have a sense of privacy when doing individual work by turning the partitions translucent. While the darkened state provides privacy, the ability of the partitions to turn transparent makes it easy for employees who prefer open spaces to not feel claustrophobic. Each room also looks bigger when light is allowed to enter instead of it being walled away.
Conference rooms especially benefit from these kinds of partitions since they can be darkened to allow a more focused environment during a serious meeting, while they can be made transparent again during a break to let the attendees relax. If employees need to give presentations during the conference, the darkened glass can also be used as a seamless projection screen. This eliminates the requirement of spending money on a projection screen for each conference room in larger offices.
When it comes to the visual aspect of the office, switchable glass gives an open and modern look to any space, unlike walls and blinds which can make offices look old-fashioned and claustrophobic. If there are multiple stretches of switchable glass used, each pane of glass can be alternated to form a series of transparent and darkened glass and give the office a more unique look without having to spend any extra money. Since sunlight can be blocked at will, any fabric or furniture placed near areas that receive sunlight will not fade as easily as it otherwise would.
Finally, if you ever want to change the layout of switchable glass in your office, this type of glass is portable and can easily be installed without having to close down your office building for an extended period. This makes switchable glass partitions both customisable and convenient.
Find all your switchable glass needs met at AIS Glass. Our smart glass solutions are designed to give you the privacy you need without compromising on much-needed natural light. As the leading provider of glass solutions in India, you can rest assured that our expertise in the field is unmatched. So, get in touch with us today!