To reduce bird strikes on buildings, legal requirements for bird-friendly glass have been introduced in many U.S. cities to reduce the number of bird window collisions. With the Ornilux product range, Arnold Glas offers various certified transparent and visible bird protection glass solutions that enable architects to design bird-friendly buildings without compromising on aesthetics and views. Drawing on a unique data pool acquired from multiple projects implemented around the world, Arnold Glas can advise architects and planners on the design of bird-friendly facades.
With the understanding that birds are able to see light in the ultraviolet spectrum, bird-friendly glass innovator Arnold Glas developed Ornilux bird protection glass, the first wordwide transparent bird protection glass, in 2006. The glass has a patterned, UV-reflective coating making it visible to birds while remaining virtually transparent to the human eye.
Today, there are two different categories of Ornilux, which meet the diverse requirements governing certified bird protection: Ornilux mikado and Ornilux design.
Ornilux mikado: transparent solutions for bird protection
With Ornilux mikado, Arnold Glas succeeded in applying a UV reflective coating in a spiderweb-like pattern to glass, making it visible to most birds while maintaining virtually transparent to the human eye. This idea draws on inspiration from nature—biomimicry—an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies.
Ornilux mikado can be used in all windows and facades as a conventional insulating or laminated safety glass. Other functions, such as solar control, are integrated. Particularly in the U.S., where bird-friendly facade design has been legally codified for some time, Ornilux mikado has repeatedly demonstrated its effectiveness.
This bionic technology is also used in Ornilux mikado ONE. One of the aims of this new development was to modify the coating so that it is resistant to the exposure to the elements and therefore suitable for use on the outside glass surface (surface 1), which has become an increasingly important factor when working in the Canadian market where this product meets the requirements of this market. In addition, the virtually invisible web-like pattern effectively breaks up reflections on the surfaces, which also contributes toward reducing bird strikes. From a manufacturing perspective, a crucial advantage of this surface one coating is that low-emissivity coatings can be added at the subsequent surface 2 making it a cost-effective solution.
Ornilux design: visible solutions for bird protection
The latest addition to the Ornilux product range is Ornilux design. With this bird protection glass, the developers adopted a different approach by equipping the panes with a visible metallic coating. Consequently, Ornilux design is always used when a visible marking is either a desired or required design element of a facade. Ornilux can be used as float glass or tempered safety glass. Tempering is not required.
Selecting the right bird protection glass is not only subject to building law and nature conservation requirements but also to the economic requirements of building owners, architects and planners. As the basis for consultation and decision-making, Arnold Glas offers its knowledge, experience obtained from numerous projects in different countries and, above all, its own pool of data to ensure the success of your project. Arnold Glas now offers AIA Continuing Education Courses on Bird Protection Glass and Custom Low-E Coatings.