Screen Nature Ultimetal Scales New Heights in the Barangaroo Project

Screen Nature Ultimetal (SNU), the newest fabric for Roller Blinds from Hunter Douglas Commercial, not only exceeds industry standards but has also received a distinction as one of the products to be featured in Sydney’s largest redevelopment project, Barangaroo.  

SNU combines a high level of solar reflection with excellent glare control. This means the fabric provides good interior thermal protection, while at the same time fully optimising natural light and retaining excellent transparency. No other fabric in the market has been found to feature these same properties. The benefits and features offered by Screen Nature Ultimetal are unparalleled, and it has already created excitement in other countries.

Customised Roller Blind solution featuring SNU

Hunter Douglas Commercial was required to develop a fully customised solution, to ensure the blinds were incorporated into the window frame of the building’s structure. This meant special end caps, fabrics in the Barangaroo grey colour, and customised bottom bars were developed to incorporate the blinds seamlessly into the building.  

The Barangaroo South Tower Two project involves the manufacture and installation of over 4,000 linked roller blinds throughout the 41 levels of tower. Installation commenced in September 2014, with construction and full installation expected to be completed at the end of 2015. An additional 2,000 linked roller blinds will be installed in Barangaroo South Tower One, with further details and installation updates to be provided throughout the course of the project.

Vertical Village Hub

Sensational Screen Nature

Sophia Watson, Editor of DQ Magazine went behind the scenes at the Hunter Douglas Commercial factory in Rydalmere and discovered the Screen Nature fabric.

Arthur C. Clarke– author of 2001 A Space Odyssey once famously said: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” And Screen Nature certainly fits that bill.

When I toured the Hunter Douglas Commercial factory recently, I was amazed at the level of quality and skill that goes into making each product. The rigorous testing, the quality control tests, and the wonders of cutting fabric with lasers! I learnt many things on my visit to the factory, the most valuable of which was that Hunter Douglas Commercial settles only for perfection. Screen Nature exemplifies that attitude.

To para-phrase Arthur C. Clarke, Screen Nature’s sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. The product has excellent fire resistant properties– its very low smoke emissions meet both the stringent French and German standards, and it significantly reduces energy costs. My overall impression? Screen Nature is simply… ‘magic.’


Hunter Douglas Commercial Factory, Rydalmere

Text by Sophia Watson
DQ Editor, DQ MAGAZINE

Screen Nature Fabrics - PVC and Polyester Free

Marc Paillon, International Technical Expert, Hunter Douglas Commercial was recently in Australia to launch three new fabrics - Screen Nature 3%, Screen Nature 2 and Screen Nature Metallised from Hunter Douglas Commercial.

Marc explains to us the features and benefits of the fabrics and the importance of specifying Screen Nature as an alternative to PVC and polyester fibre yarn fabric.

Marc, tell us what Screen Nature is and how it is different to other fabrics?

Screen Nature is woven with a glass core yarn, which is PVC Free, making it the ideal alternative to PVC and polyester fibre yarn fabrics. The fabric coating is Halogen free with excellent fire resistant properties and transparent view-through.

The fabric is woven strictly with fibre glass which is a natural and abundant raw material. Thanks to the fact that fibre glass is inherently flame retardant, any need for further chemicals is avoided. The PVC Free fabric contains no halogens or VOC emissions and its 3% openness factor is great for solar protection and glare control.

Explain the differences between the three fabrics in the Screen Nature range.

All three Screen Nature fabrics are made from the same material, but vary in aesthetics and functionality. They have all been tested against the Australian standard for colour fastness to resist fading.

Screen Nature Metallised has a high solar reflection (better shading coefficient) and lower visible transmittance (better glare control).

Screen Nature 2 is a dual sided fabric which has a white backing for those who are looking for reflection and glare control features and a consistent look from the outside of the building.

PROJECTS

Marc says that the behaviour of the Screen Nature fabrics makes them applicable for both commercial and residential applications, in particular:

All three fabrics have excellent fire resistant properties with a fire rating of M1 and very low smoke emissions.

They are certified GREENGUARD® Children and Schools, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and Sanitized® bacteriostatically, making them ideal for residential and highly technical projects, including hospitals, office buildings, airports and schools

Screen Nature fabrics have already been used in a number of projects around the world.


©Hunter Douglas - Paul de Ruiter - TNT - Mermet S.A.S.

Find out more about Hunter Douglas Commercial Sunscreen Fabrics.