Ångström Laboratory
A Clear Solution for Sweden’s Brightest
NATURAL LIGHT SPARKS CREATIVITY
When the Ångström Laboratory at Uppsala University expanded with the new House 9 building, the ambition was clear: to create modern, functional, and sustainable spaces that meet the demanding needs of Sweden’s most advanced research environments. By choosing ConverLight®, they found a solution that helped achieve exactly that.
Peter Elenfalk, Director of Buildings at Uppsala University, is responsible for ensuring the university’s facilities offer students and researchers the best possible conditions for study and research. He highlights the importance of daylight and views, two key criteria in the building's environmental certification, which set high standards for indoor comfort.
In some of our other properties, traditional external blinds can cause problems. They rattle and disturb the students, and when they’re lowered, the rooms become far too dark. To avoid that, and balance our high standards on the study environment, we sometimes have to leave the blinds up – even when it's sunny outside, explains Elenfalk.
A NEW BUILDING FOR NEW DEMANDS
The expansion with House 9 was driven by growth in fields like space physics and the need to relocate activities from nearby facilities. The result is a state-of-the-art environment where research and teaching go hand in hand, with 700 square metres of dynamic glass helping make it possible. The project was a close collaboration between the university, property owner Akademiska Hus, contractors, and ChromoGenics. - We knew the technology was relatively new, but we had a strong belief in it and chose to approve it in the procurement process – a decision we’re very happy with. The installation went smoothly, it looks great, and most importantly, the indoor climate is perfect, says Elenfalk.
TECH ROOTED IN HISTORY
The choice to use ConverLight® was no coincidence. The foil is developed and produced by ChromoGenics – a company born from research at the very same Ångström Laboratory. The glass actively adjusts to sunlight, helping create a stable indoor environment without compromising daylight or views.
It’s both symbolic and inspiring that this technology originated here and that we can now use it to improve our own facilities. For our students, it’s also a clear example of how basic research, however abstract it sometimes may seem, can lead to real-world innovation, says Elenfalk.
CASE-STUDY TO TOMORROW’S STANDARD
ChromoGenics’ story began at Ångström, and now it’s part of the building itself, closing the loop. With House 9, dynamic glass has gone from a promising idea to a practical solution, paving the way for more sustainable architecture and smarter learning spaces.
I believe this type of glazing will take over a large part of the future glass market. If the technology continues to meet our expectations, we see potential to use it in more projects as well, Elenfalk concludes.
Järva Ceremonial Hall
Where technology meets tranquillity