Discover Halio: AGC Glass Europe’s new interactive windows and walls

Halio™ is a smart-tinting glass that tints to shades of neutral grey to deliver sun blocking, anti-glare protection and privacy – automatically or on demand – while looking like ordinary glass. It incorporates the latest advanced technology to deliver the world’s most powerful and responsive natural light management system. With its intuitive user interface, Halio ushers in an era of interactive windows and walls for homes and commercial buildings.» Instantly transforming rooms into sanctuaries of natural light, offering comfort, privacy, and a greater sense of well-beingHalio is the first smart-tinting technology to deliver a product that is truly indistinguishable from ordinary clear glass. With its uniform tinting and real-time responsiveness, Halio gives architects and designers a versatile product to create more stunning interiors and exteriors while meeting state and national energy efficiency mandates. Halio’s neutral grey tints are compatible with any colour palette or style of home or building.Halio can be programmed to respond to the weather, time or the sun’s position during the day. It can also be manually operated – with voice commands or intuitive wall mounted controls. Tinting begins instantly, and Halio offers the flexibility of stopping mid-programme when a desired shade is achieved. In large floor-to-ceiling windows, the darkest shade of grey is achieved in less than five minutes.In its darkest state, Halio provides privacy levels not possible with traditional glass. When used for interior walls, Halio creates flexible, light-filled, open rooms that can become private on demand, a perfect solution for conference rooms and private offices.» Easy-to-use natural light management systemNatural light is one of the most sought-after features in homes and offices alike, and consequently more and more glass is featured in architectural designs. But more glass can lead to too much sunlight (heat, glare, damaged interiors) and compromise our privacy. To date, we’ve controlled sunlight and privacy with blinds and shades. With Halio, window treatments and coverings become stylistic considerations rather than necessities.Halio smart-tinting glass gives homeowners and building occupants complete control of when and how much natural light to let into their living and work spaces. Halio windows can tint independently or in groups.Halio is designed to be as easy to use as a light switch. It’s a standalone system that gives users multiple control options – a mobile app and sleekly-designed wall mount controls. It can also be activated by voice commands. Featuring bank-level encryption and security provisions, Halio integrates seamlessly with popular home and building management systems (BMS).Halio is ideal for homeowners who want to maintain a constant connection with the outdoors without compromising control, privacy or energy efficiency, as well as for building owners who want to provide their occupants with light-filled, open spaces that inspire and promote wellness.Halio is not just another smart-tinting glass: it is a new experience that will magically capture all the benefits of natural light and keep people connected with their environment, while neutralising all the excessive aspects of the sun, says Jean-François Heris, President of Building & Industrial Glass Company.» AGC teams up with Kinestral TechnologiesHalio is the fruit of a strategic partnership with Kinestral Technologies (US) started six months ago. Apart from combining the know-how of the companies involved, the partnership is also financial, industrial and commercial. AGC has acquired a financial stake, while the two partners are collaborating in building a large-scale production plant and combining their marketing networks, thus exploiting their geographical complementarity.The industrialisation phase started in early 2017, with Halio available at the start of 2018. Halio was unveiled for the first time in Europe at the BAU fair 2017.