architecture tips

While glass has been used as a building material for centuries, developments in glass production throughout history have made possible structures and designs that were never before imaginable. Even recently, technological novelties in the world of architectural glass have allowed designers to manipulate exterior glass to dazzling effect in masterpieces such as the Bayern State Opera in Munich and the Novartis global headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.

The type of glass installed in a work of architecture will depend on several factors, among them appearance, levels of strength, and thermal qualities. The following are a few contemporary choices used today for exterior glass:

Decorative Glass in Design

The term decorative glass can refer to the warped or accentuated appearance through a variety of different techniques in order to apply a certain texture or color to the glass. Decorative glasses can exhibit a wide range of characteristics, including various degrees of opaqueness, and they display designs or images, such as the stained glass traditionally seen in churches and cathedrals.

Solar Glass in Design

With today's rampant concern for energy savings, solar glass has been created to increase heat retention in an architectural structure and thereby cut down on energy bills. This is done with a low-emittance coating that obstructs the transfer of radiant heat. Such a coating is usually composed of a metal or a metallic oxide and is placed between layers of exterior glass. They have been devised for both warmer and colder climates, with glasses with high solar gain being used for colder climates and lower solar gain for warmer climates.

Smart Glass in Design

A glass is considered a "smart" if the way it transmits light is changed when electricity is applied to it. Also known as "switchable", smart glass works through either a suspended particle, liquid crystal, micro-blind, or electrochromic device that allows the look and function of the glass to be changed with the flick of a switch. Smart glass can be changed from transparent to opaque, or the amount of heat allowed to pass through can be controlled as well.

Additionally, designers sometimes decide on a smart glass merely for visual effects, as in the Magira LightPoints LED glass placed in the World Expo Pavilion in Shanghai.

New techniques in exterior glass constantly present designers with more options. Innovators continue to create glasses that allow architects ever greater freedom in terms of both aesthetics and energy efficiency.

Hopefully this breakdown will help you understand the variance in materials.

Learn more about the different applications of exterior glass as it may help with your commercial undertaking.

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Glass used to be used within homes and businesses purely for functional needs, such as windows and doors, and it wasn't until around ten years ago that it started to be used as a feature, something to add interest and make a statement rather than purely for functionality.

There are a variety of different glasses used now, and they each have different functions and uses, which may vary from home to business use. The main glasses used include:

This glass can be used as a visual feature as well as a functional and structural building material, and is a very popular choice with many architects. A range of patterns can be used to create the textured look the customer requests including, bubbles, cracked effect, ice, studs and many more. Many companies also offer the added bonus of being able to have the glass tinted to a colour of your choice, which means it can fit in with the colour scheme of the customers choice. Textured glass is probably the most versatile of the architectural glass ranges and can be used for balustrades, partition walls, sliding doors, reception desks, cladding, feature walls, wet rooms, frameless doors and many other applications

Painted glass is often used now where tiling was the only option in the past. It provides a smooth, contemporary look and can help to bring the sense of light and space into an interior. One of the main attractions with painted glass is the fact it can be matched with more or less any paint colour, which makes it extremely versatile. As with all glass types painted glass will be safety toughened to meet British and European safety standards which is extremely important considering this glass is often used in kitchens so may be subjected to high temperatures. Painted glass can be used for kitchen splash backs, countertops, bar fronts, office whiteboards and many other applications.

Gilded glass is often used to bring light and reflection into a room and one of the many benefits of this type of glass is the fact it can usually be made to your requirements. The gilding can be applied to the glass in many different forms including branches, mosaic squares, ripples and vintage looks as well as a variety of colours such as gold, bronze and silver. Gilded glass can be used for feature walls, splash backs, mirrors, art works, door panels, table tops and many other applications.

Float Glass Design can offer all of the glass ranges above and also make bespoke art glass commissions to your requirements.
http://www.floatglassdesign.co.uk/textured_glass_about.php
http://www.floatglassdesign.co.uk/painted_glass_about.php

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