Thierry Bauwens at Artec Plus worked with Halio International to install Halio® smart-tinting glass at Avondzon, a 160-bed residential care center in Belgium.  Developed and manufactured by Kinestral, Halio was used for 132 skylights to create a “glass roof” that would deliver maximum daylight without sacrificing the comfort of residents and staff.

 “Avondzon is the first health care facility to install Halio,” said Benoît Domercq, general manager of Halio International, S.A., a joint venture company formed by Kinestral and AGC, Inc., the world’s largest glass manufacturer.  “Because daylight is so critical to our well-being, Halio can provide significant benefits for health care centers.” 

Light was a key consideration in the design of Avondzon’s new wing. Research has shown that seniors need three to five times more light than younger people because a lack of light stimuli can disrupt their biological clocks. Maximum exposure to daylight during the day can help older adults sleep better at night. Halio skylights mean that residents now enjoy the benefits of natural light all day long while staying connected to the outdoors.

Avondzon also had other reasons for maximizing daylight. “Light can play a decisive role in preventing falls. Residents feel better, are more cheerful, and fall less. These positive behavioral effects can lead to them taking less medication, such as sleeping pills,” explained Katrien Thysebaerdt, general manager at Avondzon.

Other benefits of natural light include mental stimulation and less eye strain. Additionally, having full control of daylight makes residents more confident with their mobility, allowing them to comfortably participate in daily activities, which reduces the staff workload.

Halio smart-tinting glass looks like conventional glass in its clear state until it tints to neutral cool gray shades to block solar heat gain and eliminate glare. A dramatic improvement over earlier electrochromic products, its colors are natural (no more bright blues and yellows); it tints 10 times faster, achieving its darkest state within three minutes, regardless of size; and it tints uniformly. Further, Halio is so advanced that it tints automatically to changing light conditions throughout the day.

Halio is an ideal green building product for builders and developers. Studies show that using Halio helps reduce energy use in buildings by up to 20% by reducing the need for electric lights and HVAC.

Halio is available exclusively through Halio International and Halio North America, LLC. The two companies were formed to leverage AGC’s 100+ years of experience in the building industry and Kinestral’s patented smart-tinting technologies.