See the Future: Smart Glass in New Paul Kane High School

Smart Glass Country is thrilled to have had the chance to work with schools from all over Canada and the United States, most recently St Albert in Alberta! Smart Glass Country was proud to be a part of Paul Kane High School's ground-breaking new school building. With an impressive $50 million price tag, this modern facility features several cutting edge technologies – with smart glass technology among them. Paul Kane opened its new doors in January of 2023 to welcome back 1500 students and staff members.

‍

Watch this video to see Smart Glass Country’s glass in action in the new public school:

More and more schools are implementing smart glass when designing new campuses. In the case of Paul Kane High School, they opted to install smart glass both in their student services office near the main entrance and the fitness center in the core of the building.

‍

Why Smart Schools Are Choosing Smart Glass

‍

There are several compelling reasons to add switchable glass technology to school buildings ranging from security to creating dynamic spaces that easily transition from open and connected to private and confidential.

‍

Let's take a closer look at the reasons motivating schools to opt for smart glass:

Safer Schools

Smart glass is the ultimate combination of beauty and strength. Smart glass is laminated and tempered safety glass that acts as a barrier against forced entry. This makes smart glass extremely durable and helps it last for decades. The switchable film interlayer holds the glass together in the event of breakage. 

‍

In addition to being physically strong, smart glass adds an invisible layer of security to campuses by switching from clear to frosted on demand. This gives schools instant privacy, a feature that conventional window treatments cannot provide. Click here to learn more about how smart glass and film enhance school safety and security procedures such as lockdowns. 

Bigger, Brighter & Futuristic

Step into the new Paul Kane High School and you will immediately be greeted by an inviting environment of wide open space, natural light and glass walls. Even the lockers have been built seamlessly into walls. This was definitely a priority when designing the new school as the old Paul Kane School building had felt small and dark.

Smart glass makes schools look more spacious as increased use of glazing allows natural light to penetrate deeper into spaces. This was one reason motivating Paul Kane School architects to implement smart glass in the glass walls fitness center where there was not as much natural light.

‍
Energy Efficient

Paul Kane High School was built to LEED Silver standards and serves as a shining example of eco-friendly design, boasting solar panels, motion activated lights and an inbuilt recycling centre. According to St. Albert Public Schools, the building will use 43% less water than its predecessor while slashing energy consumption by 40%.

Smart glass reduces the need for artificial light. Even when the glass is switched to frosted it still allows two thirds of daylight through. When used on exterior facing windows, it also enhances energy efficiency by blocking IR and UV light, a source of heat gain.

Minimalist Design

Modern schools are embracing the principles of minimalist design just as commercial buildings have been. Smart glass and smart film eliminate the need for curtains and blinds, thereby reducing visual clutter. 

‍

Glass has an ageless elegance that other window treatments will never possess. Unlike curtains and blinds, it won't become outdated or old looking within years, an important feature for schools that seldom have the opportunity to undergo major renovations. 

‍

Simple Maintenance & Cleaning

Last but not least, smart glass is much easier to clean than curtains or blinds that can hold onto germs. Smart glass  and smart film are cleaned just like regular glass, meaning it can be cleaned daily- even multiple times per day if necessary. This makes cleaning and maintaining privacy glass far less expensive and cumbersome than curtains. It also helps schools minimize the spread of germs. 

‍

We are thrilled to have been included among the state of the art technologies in this new Alberta public school and look forward to seeing the results of many more school projects we have underway. 

Smart glass will take any design to the next level, so why wait? Reach out today to start building a better tomorrow! Contact us or give us a call at 1-800-791-1977 to get started.
‍