Glas Natter / Isolar Group - Glass and wood – such a beautiful combination

07/31/2025 | Print view

© Isolar

The curved, green roof blends perfectly into the floodplain landscape.

The “Kita Unterm Regenbogen” daycare center in Dingolfing is a prime example of child-friendly construction: the result is a building that combines expressive architecture with sustainable materials. In addition to regional wood from the city forest, functional special glass from Glas Natter, part of the Isolar Group, was used.

The result is a contemporary building that has been widely welcomed by everyone involved. “We worked closely with the city of Dingolfing and the Diakonie Landshut as the operator right from the planning phase of the new daycare center,” says Joachim Wagner, owner and Managing Director of Wagner Architekten.

“This close cooperation enabled us to firmly anchor the educational concept in the architectural design right from the start.”

Among other things, the architectural firm designed themed rooms for the new building to complement the group rooms: “The Unterm Regenbogen daycare center, for example, has a studio that is accessible to everyone,” explains Wagner.

The focus was on regionality: the exterior walls and wooden support structure are made of larch wood.

The curved, green roof of the new building echoes the shapes of the surrounding landscape, making it look like a natural extension of the Isar river meadows.

It was important to the architects and the city that regional suppliers and building materials were used: "The exterior walls and wooden support structure are made of larch wood, while the interior walls are made of untreated silver fir.

Both types of wood come from the Dingolfing municipal forest,“ explains Matthias Ferwagner, project manager at Wagner Architekten: ”Wood and glass are the defining design elements. While the wood brings a warm, natural structure, the glass ensures lightness and transparency."

Special glass for safety and sun shading from Glas Natter

Energy efficiency and safety were the main criteria when selecting the glass products. Glas Natter supplied the glass. As part of the Isolar Group, the insulating glass manufacturer brings many years of expertise in functional glazing solutions to the table.

Glas Natter manufactured and supplied around 350 square metres of Solarlux sun protection glazing for the new daycare centre.

According to managing director Barbara Bosse, particular attention was paid to double-sided safety glazing in order to meet the highest safety requirements: “The glass used meets these requirements and also achieves a low Ug value of 0.6 W/m²K, which ensures high thermal insulation and thus significantly reduces the building's energy requirements.”

A key characteristic of the solar control glass used is its total energy transmittance of just 22 per cent. “This means that only a fifth of the solar energy enters the interior as heat – a decisive advantage in preventing overheating in summer,” says Barbara Bosse.

Many model glasses installed

Energy efficiency and safety played a decisive role in the selection of the glass.

The production of the glass posed a major challenge: many glass panes were manufactured in special formats according to individual templates in order to fit into the organic shape of the building.

The solar control glazing contributes significantly to the energy efficiency of the building: it minimizes heat gain in summer while ensuring a bright, natural interior atmosphere – a key element of the sustainable overall concept.

The fact that Isolar offers over 30 variants of such glazing solutions demonstrates the technical diversity and design flexibility available to the group's licensees.

Project manager Matthias Ferwagner also points to the interplay of intelligent glazing, high-quality insulation, compact construction, and a modern heat pump, which brings the daycare center closer to the passive house standard.

Sustainability was also a priority for the exterior: the parking lot is partially shaded and equipped with a photovoltaic system. “The roof not only provides shade, but also generates four times more energy than the daycare center itself consumes.”

About Glas Natter

Glas Natter combines 170 years of glass tradition with state-of-the-art technology. Since 1975, the family-run company has been producing functional and multifunctional insulating glass in its fourth generation and is one of the oldest Isolar licensees.

At its location in Osthafen, around 60 employees ensure precise production and reliable delivery – often directly to construction sites in the Bavarian region using the company's own trucks with loading cranes. Glas Natter draws on the product range of Isolar and other basic glass suppliers.

www.glas-natter.de