Hayward, Calif.–based Kinestral Technologies announced on Wednesday that its Halio Smart-Tinting Glass will be integrated into Menlo Park, Calif.–based tech and construction company Katerra's smart homes and buildings. According to a Kinestral press release, this partnership will introduce and integrate Halio to Katerra's building management system and will eventually reduce costs associated with the product's manufacturing and sales for Kinestral's partners and customers. "[Kinestral] employ[s] techniques used by the flat panel display industry, and like flat panel displays, Halio prices are expected to come down because of manufacturing efficiency, consistency, and thus yield," Kinestral wrote in an email to ARCHITECT. "Couple that with production volume of standard-size requirements from partners like Katerra, and you have another path to lowering costs."
This deal also includes an equity investment by Katerra in Kinestral.
“Our partnership will enable Katerra to offer its customers energy-efficient buildings that deliver unprecedented levels of comfort and the well-being that comes from an abundance of natural light,” Kinestral vice president of marketing Craig Henricksen said in the release. “By closely integrating Halio’s cloud-based automation system into Katerra’s systems, Katerra customers’ user experiences will be intuitive, seamless, and enjoyable.”
Co-founded in 2015 by Michael Marks and Fritz Wolff, Katerra specializes in prefabricated building products and is mostly known for its mass timber construction projects. The company recently acquired Vancouver, British Columbia–based mass timber construction and design firm Michael Green Architecture and Atlanta-based architecture, interior design, and planning practice Lord Aeck Sargent.
To learn more about Katerra, listen to Episode 22 of our podcast series ArchitectChats.
