Academy of Architecture for Health

I am searching for privacy glass for ED exam room sliders, patient room doors, and observation windows at decentralized nurse stations.  Our client is adamant about not using curtains, but there hasn't seemed to be any product that has hit the mark for them.  We've looked at traditional integral blinds (IE Blinds), Unicel, Vistamatic, electrified glass, and polarized glass.  The major complaints are durability of the operating mechanism, visibility percentage, and longevity of the product/replacement cost. 

Right now Unicel is our front runner, but I'm wondering if anyone has anything else to recommend that we've overlooked?

Thanks,

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Michelle Acosta AIA EDAC
Project Architect
HDR Architecture, Inc
Los Angeles CA
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How about 3 Form.  http://www.3-form.com/

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Mark Anderson AIA
VP & Office Director
Shive-Hattery Inc.
Bloomington IL
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I recommend laminated glass with ceramic frit silk-screened onto glass or ceramic ink to print digital images onto glass.  For more information, go to http://www.viracon.com/page/laminated-glass

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Larry Alan Whitlock AIA
Independent Architectural Specifications Consultant
Pflugerville TX
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If your client just wanted the glazing to be permanently obscured, you can probably go for ceramic frit as someone had suggested or film adhesion as another had suggested or laminated glass with opaque PVB interlayer.

If they wish to control at will between total clarity and totally obscured, interstitial blind or integrated blind is one option. The downside is, as in anything mechanical, it breaks down even though they are typically motorized for interstitial blind. The other possibilities is the smart glass that is available in the market in the recent years. You can have a choice of electrochromic glass.eg Sage, LCD glass eg Polyvision switchable glass or thermochromic filter eg Suntuitive interlayer in laminated glass

The choice is really quite wide and affordable these days. Some of them are even good enough for exterior use and so durability is not really an issue. 

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Geok Ser Lee Intl. Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
Owner
GSLA
Irvine CA
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We've used 3Form® and Lumicore® privacy screens from opaque to semi-opaque conditions, separating patients and between exam areas. These are passive, decorative laminates with varying degrees of obscurity to choose from. Hope this helps with your search.
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Brad Henderson AIA, CDS
Sr. Principal Architect
IBI Group Architecture Planning
Bakersfield CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-26-2015 18:39
From: Geok Ser Lee
Subject: Interior privacy glass solutions

If your client just wanted the glazing to be permanently obscured, you can probably go for ceramic frit as someone had suggested or film adhesion as another had suggested or laminated glass with opaque PVB interlayer.

If they wish to control at will between total clarity and totally obscured, interstitial blind or integrated blind is one option. The downside is, as in anything mechanical, it breaks down even though they are typically motorized for interstitial blind. The other possibilities is the smart glass that is available in the market in the recent years. You can have a choice of electrochromic glass.eg Sage, LCD glass eg Polyvision switchable glass or thermochromic filter eg Suntuitive interlayer in laminated glass

The choice is really quite wide and affordable these days. Some of them are even good enough for exterior use and so durability is not really an issue. 

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Geok Ser Lee Intl. Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
Owner
GSLA
Irvine CA
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Yes as Geok said, the user needs the capability to switch from as open as possible to opaque very quickly.  So that eliminates any permanent frosted patterns, fixed angled louvers, etc.  If there is an electric glass that has been proven to last longer than 10 years, I'd like to get the name of it.  Every type that I have heard of has failed within 10 years, or even upon installation.  

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Michelle Acosta AIA EDAC
Project Architect
HDR Architecture, Inc
Los Angeles CA
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