Recent decades have brought about numerous developments in the structure of glass: layered, stronger, lighter, and even energy-producing varieties are used in homes and offices around the globe. Getting rid of glass altogether may be the next big advancement in transparent building materials. Glass has natural disadvantages. It is a poor thermal insulator, which requires HVAC systems to work harder, and architects to work smarter. Glass is also a relatively weak material. Wood, on the other hand, is a natural insulator. It moderates indoor temperatures with less drain on the HVAC. Wood is also one of the strongest, renewable, and most versatile building materials around. Wood is so versatile, in fact, that it can now become transparent. Sweden and the Unites States have both made large strides in transparent wood research. In both countries, engineers begin by putting wood through a bath of sodium hydroxide, additional chemicals, and hot water. This process (also used in the production of paper) strips the wood of lignin, the polymer that gives wood its color. The countries vary in what comes next. Lars Berglund, a researcher at Sweden’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology, injects the wood with a polymer. Dr. Liangbing Hu of the University’s Department of Material Science and Engineering injects the channels with an epoxy. Both end with nanoscale tailoring that usher the wood from whitish towards transparent. The resulting products are similar. The wood becomes translucent, up to 85 percent transparent. The final product is also stronger than the original. As researchers refine their technique, they’re getting closer and closer to true transparency. The wood composite has roused interest with several major manufacturers. Both engineers believe that they are only a few short years away from bringing transparent wood products to market. Possible applications for...

Tech and college students go hand-in-hand. That hasn’t always been the case for tech and student housing. This sector of multifamily housing has experienced a lag in affordable products that bring energy management and automation into the modern technological environment. StratIS is quickly changing that. BuLogics, a campus leaders in wireless solutions for the Internet of Things, developed StratIS in 2013. StratIS facilitates varying degrees of remote control for energy usage, home automation, and access to residential units. Users can also submit maintenance requests using the app. For unit access, StratIS partnered with Schlage hardware company to create Control Smart Locs with ENGAGE. This technology is ideal for multifamily applications: ENGAGE permits lock control through the cloud-based StratIS app. Through this network, staff can now remotely issue replacement credentials, grant vendor access, and complete audits without entering into the field. StratIS operates in more than 72,000 multifamily and hospitality units in nearly 300 properties throughout the U.S. Student housing units make up approximately one third of StratIS properties. The system has quickly grown popular with student housing owners and managers thanks to three key components: Low Costs Popular energy and access management systems of this type are often cost prohibitive for the owners of smaller buildings. The relatively low cost of StratIS technology opens the arena of advanced management tools to owners of properties with smaller footprints. Quick Returns StratIS claims a two-year return on investment for its wireless solutions. The company also reports a 20 percent reduction in energy consumption before demand response capabilities. Easy Installation StratIS offers ultra-simple product installation. CEO Felicite Moorman told Building Design + Construction, “I also test everything on my seven-year-old, and if she can’t use it, we try to figure out what happened.” The company’s innovative approach...