The inventor of intelligent self-cleaning glass facades is expanding its international network – new distribution-partners in Kuwait, India and Saudi-Arabia – The building boom in Asia is increasing the demand for efficient glass facade-cleaning enormously

The Austrian family business iku^®windows with its headquarters in Vienna is rolling out into the world market with an invention as simple as it is genius – the self cleaning glass facade systems.

New Partners in the Middle East and Asia

Since the founding of iku^®windows in 2000 numerous partners mainly in Asia but also in German speaking countries have taken part in the growth of the success. These partnerships reaching as far as Japan and South Korea. Recently iku^®windows closed a Licence Partnership with an influential company in Kuwait – Al-Ghanim. This partnership will cover Kuwait, Quatar, U.A.E., Oman and Bahrain.

India is not only on its way to becoming a world leader in the IT-sector, but also an enormous building boom is self evident in the big cities. A partnership on the big subcontinent was only a matter of time. Now iku^®windows has completed a long term agreement with a general representative in New Delhi, which will be responsible throughout India. Another agreement has been made with a manufacturer in Southern India. A partner in Taiwan has also been found.

The distribution subsidiary iku^®windows Middle East has entered into a promising partnership with a large Aluminium processing plant in Saudi-Arabia.

International projects and invitation to trade symposium

Reference projects such as the Bin Laden Plaza in Jeddah, the Burjuman Shopping Centre in Dubai, the Hewlett Packard Headquarters in Egypt and the Saudi Holland Bank in Saudi-Arabia provide recognition and have been met with applause in the international Building community. Julius Thurnher was elected by an international jury to speak at the IBME Symposium (Intelligent Building Middle East), which was held in Bahrain last December.

Dirty glass facades cloud the image of the user

Glass facades have become a fundamental part of modern architecture. For many companies a glass fronted building with its exclusivity and modernism bears reference to the image of a company. Only with an unclouded view though. Dirty glass clouds the image of the user on a large scale. Therefore glass cleaning has a high significance.

Company founder Julius Thurnher comments on his world patents: ”The iku^®windows systems function at a touch of a button. Computer controlled wipers are integrated into the façade. After pumping a biological cleaning fluid onto the glass façade through central water connection the wiper starts to move from top to bottom. The last water drops are removed by returning of the wiper back to the top. The wipers are spring loaded which enable them to compensate for the specially designed transoms which will be present.”

iku^®windows crowns the trend of fully automated buildings with its systems by rendering “smart” buildings a reality.   

Speed and Security

The traditional way of cleaning using cradles is not only dangerous but also a very inefficient way:

The cleaning teams can, due to unexpected weather conditions, suffer accidents. This kind of cleaning represents a security risk also especially for Finance or IT sector.

The iku^®windows systems are increasing the speed of cleaning enormously without any security risk.

iku^® intelligente Fenstersysteme AG:

The family business was founded in 2000 under the directorship of Monica Thurnher, daughter of the inventor and Director of Technology Julius Thurnher. The business objective is the development and distribution of  intelligent window and façade systems. The intelligent components such as motors, electronics and accessories are supplied by iku^®windows Austria.

iku^®windows is the owner of the patents and leases it to licence partner worldwide. To date there are aside from Austria the following countries: Egypt, U.A.E., India, Japan, Quatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi-Arabia, South Korea und Taiwan. Due to research and development being the main area of concern during 2005 the turn over was approximately 1.3 Million Euros. The projected turn over for 2006 will reach a staggering 3.2 Million Euros by the end of the year. 

iku^®windows Middle East:

Founded in 2005 as a distribution subsidiary by iku^®windows. The headquarter is in Lebanon, Beirut and covers aside from Lebanon the markets Saudi-Arabia, Jordan and Syria.

Queries to iku^® intelligente Fenstersysteme AG:

Martina Aigner, Marketing & Communications international

A-1230 Vienna, Slamastraße 27

Phone +43-1-616 56 58-25 

martina.aigner@iku-windows.com