The Helios School

Cologne’s Helios School prioritizes bird safety with Saflex FlySafe 3D PVB interlayers

Designed as a peaceful sanctuary to develop young minds, the Helios School in Cologne, Germany, also provides a measure of safety to the birds that flock to the school's beautiful campus. Eastman, one of the world's largest suppliers of interlayers for glass, worked with the school's architect to install new bird-friendly Saflex™ Flysafe™ 3D PVB interlayers for glass in the school’s 8-meter-tall glass windows. Cologne takes bird safety seriously and encourages some level of bird protection for new construction. 
 
Billions of birds die each year from mistakenly colliding with glass that reflects trees and vegetation. Although bird-safe glass has been available in many forms for several decades, Eastman's product is unique. Three-dimensional reflective "sequins" capture light at different angles so birds are deterred by the flash and pass by the glass panels. The Helios installation of FlySafe 3D, which was officially launched in May 2022, was a pilot project for Eastman.
 
Due to the 3D nature of the sparkling sequins, less coverage is required than with conventional bird screen glass; the discrete sequin pattern covers less than 1% of the glass surface. And because the sequins are layered between glass, it is a long-lasting bird protection solution.  For building occupants, the sequins are barely noticeable and do not detract from views. 
The school’s architects specified the use of Saflex FlySafe 3D combined with Saflex Acoustic PVB interlayers and a protective coating in the outer lite. The dimensions of the installed glass are exactly 2970 mm by 7950 mm and 2640 mm by 4820 mm. The glass panes were manufactured by Thiele Glas with the base glass and coating coming from Saint-Gobain. The facade glass was installed by Metal Yapi.
Bird-safe glass is a growing industry with many different products that provide varying levels of protection. For architects and building owners who want complete assurance that the product will work, FlySafe 3D is one of the best options on the market and offers the additional benefits of laminated glass —improved acoustics, security, UV protection and solar control. 
 
FlySafe 3D PVB interlayers have received top ratings from various bird-safety authorities. Collision Laboratories in Hohenau-Ringelsdorf, Austria, has tested and rated the 3D-reflective technology used in Saflex FlySafe 3D. In both transmission and reflective testing, it is recognized in the industry and by ornithologists as one of the best — and classified as highly effective, durable and with better aesthetics. Additionally, Saflex FlySafe 3D can help assist builders and building owners meet emerging regulations and certifications for bird protection, including LEED® Innovation credit for Bird Collision Deterrence thanks to a threat factor of less than 10 from the American Bird Conservancy.