PIA awards honor innovation in the development and refinement of building products, ranging from facade systems to interior finishes, with the goal of presenting readers with products worth investigating.
Bendheim's award-winning Houdini architectural glass in a dental office application
The judge panel consisted of 50 independent industry professionals, including architects, interior designers, lighting designers, and veteran architecture, engineering, and construction (A/E/C) writers. The judges had the following accolades for Bendheim’s Houdini Glass:
“The benefits of natural daylight are proven to have extremely positive impacts on people, especially in the healthcare industry. The fact that this product can provide both privacy and unobstructed natural light is going to be a changing factor in the way hospitals are designed and the way they ultimately function.”
“The pattern that was developed to distort the figures behind the glass delivers a level of privacy that I have yet to see in partitions. I think there are endless opportunities to use this product across a variety of markets. It has a sleek, clean modern look without compromising incredible performance qualities.”
“This is a nice product – great idea and such a great brand. Bendheim… tend(s) to really produce high-end quality products.”
Houdini Glass earned its name through its “magical vanishing act” produced by its obscuring surface pattern. The low-iron, ultra-clear glass lets in maximum light, while its fine, micro-ribbed surface obscures the shapes of people and objects behind it and reduces undesirable glare – a perfect daylighting material.
Houdini’s outstanding daylighting properties make it an ideal solution for any environment where privacy and natural light are vital, including healthcare and educational facilities, laboratories, corporate offices, and retail applications. The glass offers a budget-friendly alternative to expensive or cumbersome mechanical daylight and privacy controls, such as louvers and laminated privacy films, as well as dust-collecting curtains and blinds. Its contemporary linear pattern and durability make it a timeless, versatile design element. The naturally hygienic, non-porous glass surfaces easily withstand daily cleaning and sanitizing with most commercial cleaners, making Houdini Glass a great fit for high-traffic applications. Moreover, Houdini Glass is available in tempered and laminated forms for added safety.
Architects and designers can specify Houdini Glass for walls, partitions, screens and enclosures, doors and windows, ceilings, and balustrades. Additional aesthetic options include Houdini Glass laminated to mirror, with colored interlayers, or color coated in a virtually unlimited palette. The mirrored Houdini Glass produces minimal reflections and disperses light to brighten interior spaces. For more information, please visit www.bendheimarchitecturalglass.com. Homeowners can purchase cut-to-size, ready to install Houdini Glass inserts at www.bendheimcabinetglass.com.
Houdini Glass joins previous Bendheim Product Innovation Award winners Optichroic® Laminated Dichroic Glass and Bendheim Wall Systems’ Unitized Channel Glass Curtainwall System. The 2013 PIA winners are featured in the November issue of Architectural Products magazine.