Louvers

A louver (American English) or louvre (British English), from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal or, less often, vertical slats, that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise. The angle of the slats may be adjustable, usual in blinds and windows, or fixed.

Louvers originated in the Middle Ages as lantern-like constructions in wood that were fitted on top of roof holes in large kitchens to allow ventilation while keeping out rain and snow. They were originally rather crude constructions consisting merely of a barrel. Later they evolved into more elaborate designs made of pottery, taking the shape of faces where the smoke and steam from cooking would pour out through the eyes and mouth, or into constructions that were more like modern louvers, with slats that could be opened or closed by pulling on a string.

More modern louver windows comprise slats of glass, opened and closed with a metal lever, or they may be shutters of wood, plastic or other material.

Some modern louver systems serve to improve indoor daylighting. Fixed mirrored louver systems can limit glare and of redirect diffuse light. Such louvers may be integrated in between two panes of double glazing.

Louvers are rarely seen as primary design elements in the language of modern architecture, but rather simply a technical device. However, there are examples of architects who use them as part of the overall aesthetic effect of their buildings. The most well-known example is Finnish modernist architect Alvar Aalto who would create aesthetic effects in the facades of his buildings through the combination of different types and sizes of louvers, some fixed some moveable, and made mostly from wood (e.g. the various buildings of the Helsinki University of Technology). A second example, taking influence from Aalto, is the second-generation modernist architect Juha Leiviskä.

Additionally, louvers are used as semi-passive means of thermal control on spacecraft. They are also available as an accessory for some automobiles.

Rapid Wall construction

Rapidwall is a single panel walling system that serves as both the internal and external wall and eliminates the need for bricks, blocks, timber and steel wall frames and plasterboard linings. It is the most ecologically sound and technologically advanced building product available in the world today.
Internationally Recognised

Designed and developed in Australia in the early 1990s, Rapidwall was awarded the prestigious "2009 Global Gypsum Product of the Year" award and was recognised as a "Good Practice" by the United Nations Habitat business awards for sustainable urbanization.
Environmentally Friendly

In a process that will change forever the way buildings are constructed, Rapidwall takes natural gypsum or by-product, chemical waste gypsum and turns it into a 12m x 3m glass-fibre gypsum plaster, single panel, load bearing walling system.

100% Recyclable and water, rot and termite resistant Rapidwall is the ideal building product for fire, cyclone and earthquake prone regions as well as for providing housing solutions for impoverished people.

Rapidwall is the lowest energy embodied building product in the world today and is eligible for Carbon Credits.
Scientifically Tested

In India Rapidwall has been rigorously tested by the University IIT Madras and certified by Structural Engineering Research Centre (SERC) for use in the construction of buildings in earthquake prone areas of up to 10 storey’s.

In Australia testing has been undertaken by Adelaide University and University of South Australia.

In China testing has been undertaken by the University of Hong Kong and the University of Tianjin, School of Civil Engineering in Shandong and others.

At the School of Civil Engineering in Shandong, scientific destruction testing was undertaken on a full scale, five storey Rapidwall building where a horizontal force of 100 tonnes, simulating a force of 8 on the Richter scale, was applied. Rapidwall withstood this testing without any visible signs of cracking.
Sustainable Development

The panels, which are extremely strong yet lightweight, compared to other building methods, are ideal for a wide range of building applications from high-rise, residential, commercial and industrial building construction to low cost relocation housing. Windows and door openings and the panels themselves are pre-cut in the factory and delivered on-site, ready to erect. This reduces cost and significantly cuts down building time.

In the development of new low energy, low cost, environmentally and ecologically sound housing solutions for the 21st century, Rapidwall is the ideal product for re-housing and for new housing or industrial construction. A world class building system that is 100% recyclable, earthquake tested, is cyclone, fire, water and rot resistant, is load bearing, termite resistant and sound proof.

Simply stated it is the best building material in the world..