Insulating glass incorporating the OKAWOOD Beech louver grid from Okalux Glastechnik

Wood is one of the most important raw materials in sustainable construction. If it can be sourced from a local, sustainable forest, its carbon footprint is also incredibly low. With the introduction of thermally modified Beech to the range of timbers used in making the OKAWOOD louvers, Okalux Glastechnik is expanding its product portfolio with a design that provides directionally selective sun and glare protection, effortlessly blending the demands for high functionality and sustainability with an engineered yet sophisticated look.

Beechwood’s fine grain structure provides excellent stability making it an ideal construction material. Considered for many years as a challenging material to work with due to its rigidity, it was mainly used for interior design and furniture, or as fuel. New processing technologies have now been developed that enable intricate profiles to be created using this durable timber that has many advantages over softwoods. As many areas of woodland have been turned into climatetolerant mixed and deciduous forests, the amount of beechwood available has grown in recent years. Coming from the domestic forestry industry of Germany ensures a lower carbon footprint from its transportation and bolsters the local value chain. Most importantly, beechwood absorbs a great deal of CO2. Taking all this into consideration the development of the Beech louver grid was given as a priority to the OKALUX Glastechnik technical team who, after extensive testing, are now pleased to add this timber to there already well proven OKAWOOD range.

Daylight with a warm hue

With its new product innovation OKAWOOD Beech, Okalux Glastechnik GmbH – the experts in daylight and solar shading solutions from Marktheidenfeld – is pioneering, the use of this sustainable deciduous wood, providing FSC-certification for the beechwood timber grid. After undergoing a unique refinement process developed by OKALUX the finished Beech timber louvers take on a homogeneous dark brown colour, achieved without the use of any chemical intervention.

Positioned in the cavity between the glass of an insulated unit the filigree timber grid provides directionally selective sun and glare protection, offering a Total Solar Energy Transmission that can range from as low as 7% to 21%, depending on the suns height above the horizon. Available as a double glazed or triple glazed construction Ug values as low as 0.6W/m2K can be achieved.

The use of timber for the louvers creates a warm hued illumination from the daylight coming into the room through the gaps between the slats. While reducing the amount of solar energy coming into the space the timber louvers offer good visibility to the outside. The horizontal louvers and vertical supports have a face width of just 10 mm. The vertical supports are positioned at intervals of 500 to 600mm, and being set back from the horizontal profiles emphasise the horizontal effect of the main louvers. For all external applications the timber insert works in combination with a solar or low emissivity coating on the inner pane. Okalux recommends a laminated safety glass to the outer panes, using heat strengthened glass, with single-pane toughened safety glass or heat strengthened laminated safety glass for the inner panes. Where OKAWOOD is used for internal partitions and screens no thermal coatings are required, and toughened safety glass can be used to both panes.