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“The Demand for Environmental Friendliness is still Very Strong, and Our Product Meets all the Current Requirements”

By: Leonid Lazebnikov, AESTECH

In a conversation with Window & Façade Magazine, Leonid talked about the journey of Aestech, their products & and projects, major challenges façade in the industry, and so on. Here are the excerpts…

Could you please share the journey of Aestech since its inception?

The history of Aestech began long before the company with this name was founded, namely with the emergence of frameless glazing technology using high- strength double-glazed windows in 2007. Over time, we have attracted more and more supporters of our solutions based on high-strength glass units. As a result, we have now grown into a company with a close-knit team, a line of high-tech products, and several offices and representative offices in different countries and on different continents.

What are the products you offer?

We do not offer products, but solutions using our products. A client comes to us with a request, and we develop a solution for them that would best suit their idea or project. Unlike other companies, we don’t tell our clients “no” or “it’s impossible to implement”, but instead look for ways to develop the necessary solution.

In what ways has Aestech prioritised high-quality products and services, and how does the company ensure that its offerings conform to customer specifications and international standards?

Our products have a number of patents and certificates, including certification confirmations from the ift Rosenheim laboratory. These certifications are recognised by architects, engineers, and developers not only in Europe but also far beyond its borders. However, the best confirmation of the quality and durability of Aestech solutions is our projects. Some of them have been in operation for 17 years, which indicates the high-performance characteristics of our solutions.

In what ways do these frameless glass solutions improve construction time, energy efficiency, and flexibility compared to conventional methods?

Speaking of time, one of the advantages of our technology is that you do not have to wait until the construction process is complete to start the installation. Installation work can begin when at least one floor is ready. As for energy efficiency, it is worth digressing here and telling you more about Aestech Glazing technology, which is based on our patented development – a high-strength double-glazed unit Such a double-glazed unit has design features that allow it to withstand a much heavier load. It is also self-supporting, meaning that it does not require racks or transoms, which are usually made of metal, which is known to be a conductor of both heat and cold.

The contour of our double-glazed windows is reinforced by a frame made of GRP profile, an extremely lightweight yet ultra-strong material with thermal conductivity characteristics similar to wood. Each double-glazed unit is connected to the neighbouring one simply by means of fasteners that are screwed into the frame and then attached to the building’s supporting structures. In addition to energy efficiency, such a façade will look much lighter and at the same time more aesthetically pleasing compared to standard solutions.

The absence of a framework allows us to be as flexible and efficient as possible both in project implementation and in the renovation of old residential or commercial buildings. A simple example: in order to renovate a skyscraper, the building must be shut down and vacated.

This is not profitable for the owners, because they lose their money. For this reason, today we have hundreds of such buildings around the world, especially in the United States.

Thanks to our solutions, the façade renovation in such a building can be carried out on each individual floor, which will not affect the overall functioning of the building. The renovation is carried out gradually, and the owners receive an updated aesthetic and energy-efficient building that generates more income, while tenants receive comfortable and aesthetic offices.

Name some of the projects in which your products have been used.

As a vivid example of the capabilities of Aestech solutions, I can name one of our favourite projects – an all-glass entrance group of a residential complex in Kyiv, which is made in the form of a 12-meter-high cube. The structure is designed in such a way that even with its proportions, it excludes the use of aluminium holding systems. We wanted to create an object that would impress and attract the eye and to understand that we succeeded, you just needed to stand next to the building and see how passersby reacted to it. The second example is not exactly a project, but it also perfectly demonstrates the capabilities of the technology. It is one of the elements of our stand for the World Architecture Festival 2022 – a 3D glass arch. It is a three-dimensional all-glass structure 3.9 meters high. This arch is made of 23 glass units of different shapes and sizes and has a large number of faces, so the structure has a unique look on each side. It perfectly demonstrates the flexibility of our technology.

In a rapidly changing industry, how does Aestech stay ahead of the curve in terms of technology, sustainability, and industry best practices?

We follow the industry, attend the largest specialised events, communicate with engineers and architects, and hold specialised events for local professional communities – this gives us an understanding of trends or the industry’s current needs are.

How do you see the current trends for your products in the façade industry in your region?

The demand for environmental friendliness is still very strong, and our product meets all the current requirements. Glass is an environmentally friendly material, but all-glass structures cannot be called environmentally friendly because of the large amount of metal involved. Firstly, it requires a lot of energy to produce it, and it produces a huge amount of harmful emissions. Secondly, as I have already mentioned, metal is a conductor of heat and cold, which makes the building’s energy efficiency worse and requires more resources to maintain comfortable indoor conditions. Our solution solves both of these problems and also improves the aesthetics of the building. And this is just a part of the benefits.

What are the major challenges you find in the industry? How do you overcome those?

Paradoxically, the biggest challenge is myths and prejudices about glass. Often the market is simply afraid of new solutions, especially such a conservative one as the construction market. We have already gone this way in Ukraine, and now we are going through it in other markets. As soon as the client gets acquainted with our solutions and sees all its advantages in concrete examples, he turns into an evangelist for our solutions.

How do you envision the future of architecture being influenced by frameless glass solutions, and what role do you see your company playing in this evolution?

The use of translucent solutions in architecture tends to spread. Thanks to our technologies, the popularity of translucent solutions can increase in those regions where large translucent structures were previously refrained from being used on a massive scale: in cold climate regions, hot climate regions, areas of high seismic activity, etc.