Pilkington United Kingdom, part of the NSG Group, has developed Pilkington AviSafe - a glass with a special coating designed to help prevent birds from colliding with the windows and facades of buildings.
Most birds collide with glass when they confuse what’s visible in its reflection for the real thing, such as trees or an open sky.
Pilkington AviSafe features a UV enhanced pattern that’s more visible to birds than it is to humans, which helps to prevent these collisions and ensures maximum transparency, while maintaining the aesthetical appeal of glass in architecture.
The glass will support building design professionals as legislators begin to enforce the use of bird-friendly materials in construction.
Leo Pyrah, Product Manager at Pilkington UK, said: “This glass reflects at the wavelength where birds can see UV light at its sharpest.
“That means birds see a really bright pattern disrupting the reflection, so they know something is there and don’t fly towards it.
“The pattern is aesthetically appealing to the human eye on the exterior surface, and barely visible from the inside, allowing uninterrupted views and high light transmittance.
“Pilkington AviSafe ultimately helps architects to create projects that have a minimal risk to local wildlife, without having to compromise on the amount of glass used as part of the building envelope.”
