iconic skin GmbH is a member of the seele group and therefore can call upon more than 30 years of experience in the design and construction of façades. Based in Gersthofen, Bavaria, the company provides consulting services for architects, engineers, specialist consultants and building owners, and works together with international suppliers of aluminium and plastic façade systems. iconic skin develops, produces and markets the GSP® elements.
Ever more stringent energy efficiency specifications call for new building projects to comply with the standards of zero-energy buildings by 2021. What’s more, besides protecting against solar radiation and the climate, façades also have to fulfil chiefly aesthetic and economic requirements. All these functions are now combined in the innovative glass sandwich panel GSP® from iconic skin. In addition, this system allows transparent and opaque elements to be combined to form a highly efficient warm façade – a glass sandwich façade.
» Sustainable building envelope with uniform glass surface
The GSP® element has a multi-layer make-up. The visible glass surface is made from 6mm thick heat-strengthened glass with full-coverage printing. Attached with structural glazing adhesive without the need for mechanical retainers, the result is a structural glass look that gives a building a homogeneous appearance. Beneath the glass there is a sandwich insulating element made from PUR or a mineral insulating material depending on the thickness; U-values as low as 0.13 W/m2K are possible. The glass elements up to 16m long can be mounted horizontally or vertically. Both glass pane and sandwich panel can be adapted to suit requirements before they are finally joined together with adhesive to form a GSP® element. Therefore, GSP® can be designed to satisfy the most diverse constructional requirements, e.g. overhanging glass for a concealed parapet. Four standard widths are available – 600, 900, 1,000 and 1,100mm – but custom panel widths are also possible. The design options are just as diverse: Besides ceramic printing on the glass surface, which is weather- and scratch-resistant, other finishes such as cast stone, fibreboards or rolled glass are also feasible.
» A new façade technology – the glass sandwich façade
The iconic skin development team conceived GSP® as an open system, which means that intelligent glass sandwich façades can be created by combining opaque and transparent façade elements. GSP® is suitable for various types of loadbearing structure. All the advantages of GSP® can be exploited when using it as an opaque façade on framed buildings. However, in the form of an insulating element with a glass surface, it can be used to clad solid masonry or concrete structures as well. GSP® is also ideal in conjunction with structural glazing, façades with individual or rows of windows and post-and-rail arrangements. GSP® from iconic skin therefore presents many options for highly efficient and economic façade solutions for a whole range of building types, e.g. in the retailing, office, hotel and education sectors.
» Serial production – tailor-made
The production plant in Gersthofen produces the glass sandwich panels quickly and cost -effectively. All the individual, bespoke components are joined together precisely in an automated process. GSP® elements are delivered to building sites lying horizontally in special transport frames. Metalworkers can call on the assistance of skilled iconic skin site supervisors depending on the complexity of the project and their own experience.
Individual Approvals have been granted for projects already completed. A National Technical Approval for GSP® has been applied for and is in preparation.
