Kalwall provides cladding solution for rocket factory in Florida

Aerospace company Blue Origin’s vast new 70,000 square metre factory in Kennedy Space Centre’s Exploration Park in Florida features specially-designed Kalwall® translucent cladding which has been used across the top of the building in a clerestory design.

Owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the Blue Origin factory is now manufacturing ‘Glenn’ rockets for launches at Cape Canaveral 10 miles away. In addition, it is expected that the factory’s upper-level spaces will be used as launch control for the space vehicles including those recently announced for the new manned missions to the moon.

Manufactured with a bespoke face sheet to match the corporate colour scheme, 100’s square metres of Kalwall transmits high quality diffused daylight into the structure whilst also solving the twin requirements of privacy and security. Interestingly, the use of a bespoke coloured face sheet does not affect the quality of light internally.

Kalwall offers complete line-of-sight protection, maintaining privacy for building occupants and operations while throwing diffused daylighting deep into the interior space. It also eliminates shadows and glare and the stark contrasts of light and shade making it safer for within. The system also enhances simplicity in external design by negating the need for blinds, curtains or solar control.

In the United States, Kalwall is accepted as one of the core materials for the construction of secure locations. It can be configured to exceed Large Missile D hurricane compliance for wind-borne debris protection making it suitable for facilities needing enhanced protection or serving critical national defence functions. It can also be manufactured for blast resistance and is compliant with ASIAD, DoD, GSA anti-terrorism, ATFP and UFC.

The exterior face is colour stable and includes a UV resistant, self-cleaning surface. This means that normal rainfall helps to keep the surface free of dust and dirt while at the same time retaining its original colour during the weathering process.