7 Inspirations for Glass as a Building Material

Glass is a versatile material used by humans in the building industry for a long time. The use of Glass for building materials is very diverse such as floors, partitions, windows, skylights, and much more. The advantages of using Glass as a building material include: it is transparent, weatherproof, rust-resistant, recyclable, and aesthetically attractive. With innovations in the field of technology, Glass has developed into many variations in shape and become a sustainable material. Here are seven examples of applying Glass to buildings and how architects use it optimally.

Glass as the Roof at Chuzi House, India

A house in Shoolagiri, India, is surrounded by dense vegetation and camouflage with three trees around it. This house designed by Wallmakers starts with the walls and spirals out of a material that looks like wood upwards to form the roof. Among the wooden spirals is a glass roof design to give the impression of living under the canopy of trees. The use of Glass for the roof is triangular-shaped shatterproof Glass connected to an iron construction. Natural sunlight can enter the house through this glass roof.

The Interior of Chuzi House in India

The Glass Roof of Chuzi House

Glass as a Display of Outdoor Apparel and Gear Products in China

Arc'teryx is a high-performance outdoor apparel and equipment industry that exists in China. The store is designed with the concept of a "Bonfire in the snow," which can be seen from the shape of the warm-toned façade shining softly like a bonfire that warms a snowy night. Inside the store are many crystal decorations, similar to iceberg resin material applied to bar counters and columns. To complete the visual impression, some product display furniture is made with a wooden frame surrounding frosted Glass. This type of Glass is semi-transparent and adds aesthetic value because it looks like Glass covered with snow dew. 

The Interior of Arc’teryx Store in China

The Detail of Frosted Glass for Display

Use of Glass as a Wall in NANA Coffee Roaster

The concept of NANA Coffee Roasters is to create a space that enhances the coffee experience for visitors. The design of this café is made to unite the interior space with the surrounding landscape. IDIN Architects applies glass walls to almost the entire building to provide a different experience for visitors. While enjoying a cup of coffee, visitors feel relaxed with the green atmosphere of the plants. Glass material is used as walls and openings because it is weatherproof and does not rust easily if exposed to rainwater from outside the room. Glass is also applied to the ceiling with a reflective mosaic shape.

Glass Material Unites Interior Space with Landscape

Agrotopia Using Building Facades from Glass 

Agrotopia designed by Van Bergen Kolpa Architects + META Architectuurbureau is Europe's largest research center for urban food production. This building devoted to education and research is also called a "greenhouse" because its façade and roof are made of sturdy transparent glass with steel construction. This roof serves for the circulation of sunlight, and thermal energy from the sun will be channeled into energy that is useful for the building. Glass is a sustainable material that is fully recyclable materials that provide great environmental benefits for the survival of humans and plant ecosystems.

Glass Material Applied to Facades and Roofs

Use of Glass Blocks at Brooklyn Barbershop in Indonesia

KeRa Design designed the front of this store using glass block material instead of conventional brick walls so that a modern and charming impression appears from the outside. The advantage of using this material is that it can pass light from the interior and beautify it because it has different motifs and can add aesthetic value. In addition, the glass block has a non-transparent appearance so that privacy in the space is maintained. Glass material is also applied to transparent glass doors that can be swung for entry into the building.

Glass Block Applied to Brooklyn Barbershop

The Main Entrance of Brooklyn Barbershop

Glass Material applied for Interspace Liaison in The House of Remembrance

Located in Singapore, Neri&Hu built a house with a garden in the middle as the center of the building. Glass around the garden aims to maximize visual transparency and connect communal areas, living rooms, open kitchens, dining rooms, and study rooms. In addition, an open skylight above the garden makes sunlight and natural living enter the area of the house. As the access to the central garden, it uses a clear glass door that can be shifted and serves as a cross-ventilation.

The Use of Glass Material in the House

Use of Glass Materials in Mae-An-Geo in South Korea

The villagers' community center in the Dangjin city area is named Mae-An-Geo, which can be visited and used by all residents. Due to its more open nature, this cube-shaped building also has transparent Glass as its façade. With a wide glass opening, everyone in the living room can still enjoy the scenery outside. Zozo's studio, as the designer of this building, also made a glass tower equipped with curtains to block excessive light in the summer. So that the glass material is also safe to respond to the change of seasons.

The Use of Glass Material in Mae-An-Geo

Types of Glass in Building and Commercial Settings

Glass has become one of the most popular materials or elements in commercial buildings today for a number of reasons, including security and increased productivity in workers, as well as visual appeal and aesthetics. At The Glass Act, we know that as a builder, architect, or business owner in the Kansas City area, you may be interested in learning more about the types of glass used in building and commercial settings. Below is some information that will enlighten you regarding the choices available today.

 

The most common types of glass for commercial purposes include flat, plexiglass, tempered, laminated, wired (wire mesh) glass, tinted, insulated, spandrel, and security. Here is a brief overview on some of these options:

 

Flat glass is typically the starting point in creating glass doors, walls, and windows, and may come as rolled, float, or sheet glass. Flat glass is often used in the production of double-glazed windows, and is a type that may break into large pieces with jagged edges.

 

Plexiglass is highly shatter resistant and useful in applications including skylights, aquariums, panels for building windows, signs, displays, bullet-proof security barriers, and more. Color tints and protective UV coatings may be applied to plexiglass.

 

Spandrel glass is not see through, and is generally used as a decorative accent or to conceal a portion of building structure. Available in various colors, spandrel glass can be customized in colors suited to your design/decor.

 

Laminated, or “toughened” glass is often used in buildings that are more vulnerable to attack, and holds together well when shattered. Laminated glass is capable of reducing glare and fading of interior components such as floors, carpeting, and furnishings, and also can be tinted to reduce solar heat gain. This type of glass is used extensively in commercial settings, including windows, curtain walls, and in storefronts.

 

Security glass is designed to be even more protective than safety glass, and protects those who work inside the buildings from criminal acts such as bullets from shooting, blasts, or even forced entry or burglary, depending on its design. Other options in security glass including sound dampening or composites that are fire-rated, tinting, and additional high performance.

 

Wired or “wire mesh” glass is sheet glass that has been reinforced through the use of a mesh of thin metal wire that is embedded within the glass. Because of its outstanding ability to withstand heat, this type of glass is often used in areas where increased fire resistance is important. There are also newer wired glass products designed for use in areas that require added safety, such as in doors and sidelights.

 

Insulated glass or thermo panes work to keep heat in a building, while allowing the light and heat of the sun to come into interior spaces. Because of its ability to reduce heat loss, this type of glass is ideal in areas that experience a cold winter season.

 

Hopefully the information above gives you a basic idea of the different types of glass used in building and commercial settings. If you’re considering glass in your commercial application, contact us at The Glass Act today, we are Kansas City’s premier commercial glass company!