Architecture of Glass

The use of glass dates back over 5000 years, where beadlike forms have been discovered originating around the Egyptian and eastern Mesopotamia regions. It was not until around 1700BC that artisans developed the skill of creating translucent bottles, jars and window panes for buildings. The process used heat to transform sand, seaweed, brushwood and lime into a range of forms and colours. Most early glass was cast in formwork but the introduction of glassblowing around Anno Domini saw the skill evolve and enabled craftsmen to create a thinner, more translucent, light-transmitting material. 

The Romans were one of the first to make glass sheets large enough for windows, using coloured sheets set into a frame of wood or bronze. In the Middle Ages this was used in stained glass windows for churches under the direction of the Catholic Church. Glass was used not only as a means to create spiritual environments with vast arrays of colours and glistening light, but also as a method of telling a story of the Christion faith in Medieval and Gothic cathedrals. The extensive use of stained glass windows in European Architecture resulted in a proliferation of inspirational spaces decorated with coloured reflections of light, producing structures like no others in the world.

Today much of this historic storytelling is held true. As Architects we manipulate natural light to tell the story of a building, to emphasize an element of the architecture, and to guide a person through the space. A lot of our designs are based around natural light, and glass provides that break and protection needed between internal and external spaces. Our choices evolve through a process to determine the optimal balance between aesthetics and function. 

Doors and windows both framed and frameless allow clean contemporary voids and punctures throughout buildings. They can span across large spaces providing open and grand living areas that connect internal and external spaces together. These can be hinged, sliding, tilting or pivoting, creating a bespoke element to the heart of the design and integral to the building. 

The technological evolution of architectural glass technology means that thermal transmittance, or U-Value, can be tailored to suit the design requirements. This can be an advantage in house extensions or new builds where the balance between natural light and overheating is often an important and key consideration.