Rolling Privacy Panels Facilitate Physical Distancing

A manufacturer of block windows has developed a line of rolling privacy panels. U.S.-based Hy-Lite said its new panels are made of architectural-grade acrylic blocks that allow light through while protecting privacy.

Hy-Lite's rolling privacy panel.

Each block is eight inches by eight inches and one and a half inches thick, with an air gap in the center. They're secured in place by a white or bronze vinyl frame and come in three styles: "wave," "glacier" or "cross rib." The panel of blocks is secured to a welded metal black base, with a set of four two-inch casters, each with a locking mechanism to keep the panel in place once it's moved where it's needed. The panels can also be made without the casters for use as permanent or semi-permanent barriers.

According to the company, the walls can be sanitized with bleach, hydrogen peroxide (up to 40 percent), soap and water, or isopropyl alcohol (up to 30 percent). "This means that these rolling panels can be cleaned and reused over and over to provide a safe, sanitized barrier from germs," said Steve Beck, plant/technical manager with Hy-Lite, in a press release.

Sizes range from 42 to 58 inches in width, and from 71.5 to 79.5 inches in height. Pricing starts at $659 per panel and includes free shipping. Customers that order 10 or more panels get a 10 percent discount.

Learn more on the Hy-Lite website.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • Countway Library at Harvard Medical School

    From Shadows to Sanctuary: The Transformation of Light at Countway Library

    The renovation of Countway Library at Harvard Medical School demonstrates how biophilic design and advanced lighting strategies transformed a formerly dark, insular space into a vibrant, welcoming hub that supports wellness, learning, and community engagement.

  • UT System Board of Regents Approves $108M Housing Complex

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently announced the approval of a new, $108-million housing complex at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), according to a news release. The facility will stand four stories and have a total of 456 new beds for freshmen students.