Architectural glass walls offering 360-degree views and insulation trending in resort areas

Date: 21 November 2017
Source: www.a-w.de
Architectural glass walls offering 360-degree views and insulation trending in resort areas
Photo source
www.a-w.de

Date: 21 November 2017

Innovations in glass technology have allowed architects to imagine structures that would have seemed impossible in the past.

One of these are glass-encased ski homes with 360-degree views, which are trending in cold-weather resort cities like Wyoming’s Jackson Hole. 

According to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal, affluent buyers have created a market for homes with perfect views. They have become possible due to recent advances in glassmaking, which have created architectural glass containing higher levels of insulation.

How is this possible? The large panes of glass consist of two or three separate panes that are given sophisticated coatings and argon glass between layers. These treatments eliminate cold air, which protects homeowners with warmth and lowers utility bills.

These windowpanes are low in iron, which means they are extra clear, which eliminates the green tint of panes similar in size. Special laminates provide a thickness so the glass is as safe as car windshields. Finally, the new glass can darken or brighten, either automatically or through a switch panel.

Alan Pickett, resident architect at Pella Corp., a window and door manufacturer in Pella, Iowa, told the Journal that “the goal is for the window frame to go away. Clients want more glass, less frame, less wall.” Typical mountain homes have narrow steel, aluminum, or fiberglass frames.

Cost remains a significant roadblock for most buyers as the architectural glass walls are significantly larger than typical panes. The glass itself can cost three times as much a single-pane of glass; triple-panes cost more than five times as much.

However, as the market moves from the affluent early adopters, it is expected to eventually transfer to wider use, aided by lower price points and more manageable costs.

The so-called smart glass is not just trending in resort areas, but in cities they provide opportunities for increased privacy, room temperature regulation, and in some uses, they can conceal televisions. For more information on the different applications of smart class, click here.

600450 Architectural glass walls offering 360-degree views and insulation trending in resort areas glassonweb.com

Others also read

This year, the 33rd edition of the BUDMA International Construction and Architecture Fair was accompanied by the WINDOOR-TECH 2025, organized every two years.
Ahead of his keynote at the Nordic Façade Forum 2025 in Helsinki, James O’Callaghan was interviewed by Aarni Heiskanen.
PRPM Architekten’s design connects old and new Innsbruck, with OKALUX KAPILUX T providing diffuse daylight and thermal comfort.
The Face2Face Campus in Katowice features Glas Trösch’s high-performance glass, combining design, comfort, and efficiency.
With SANCO ESI Sun and SANCO Plus Zero NG glazing by Glas Zange, the project combines sleek architectural design with outstanding solar control and thermal insulation, shaping a bright, energy-efficient future for the city.
Targi Kielce presents a new industry expo crafted for manufacturers, distributors and fitters, a one-stop-shop for window and door joinery and fenestration sectors, roller shutters, gates and glass, design and glass architecture.

Add new comment

From industry

Ctra. Estación Km. 15.8
44415 Rubielos de Mora Teruel
Spain

Polígono Lalín 2000
36512 Lalín Pontevedra
Spain

Waterman Business Centre Suite 220, 44 Lakeview Drive
Scoresby VIC 3179
Australia

NEWS RELATED PRODUCTS