4 minute read
GLASS, MATERIAL FOR THE FUTURE
As eloquently argued in the recent book, Welcome to the Age of Glass – by glass scientists, engineers, educators and glass manufacturers worldwide – throughout recorded history, glass has played a major role in advancing civilisations. In recognition of its importance, the United Nations General Assembly has endorsed 2022 as the International Year of Glass.
Builders, in Australia and throughout the world, are among the biggest users of glass. It was no accident that the first small sheets of glass were developed by the Romans as they marched northward from the warmth of the Mediterranean into the colder climate of Europe. Glass, just as it does today, allowed light to enter dark buildings while sheltering the occupants from the winds, rain and snow.
Sheet (or flat) glass has evolved immeasurably ever since, changing in response to the needs of every age and every culture. Ever since the first drawn glass sheet was made in Australia in the 1930s, it has developed to where today we can install huge expanses of curtain-walling, produce laminated glass of different thicknesses for safety and security, imbed images and colourful designs into multi-laminated sheets of all sizes to create beauty and interest in buildings that might otherwise be bland or lack interest.
Melbourne glass artist, Christopher John, was commissioned for the façade and internal glass walls and fittings for a new build in South Yarra. It was a great collaboration between architect, Saaj Design, builder Wilstruct Pty Ltd, artist and client that resulted in an elegant and distinctive building. Unusually, curved and coloured glass forms internal walls and the top of the stairs is lit by a glass inset, while the façade creates a barrier by distorting and modulating the light between the outside and inside worlds.
Nathan Munz at Glassform conceived a similar façade for the Baccarat Hotel in New York. Munz’s brilliant TrulyPrismatic™ glass reflects and refracts light, effectively bringing rainbows into the interior – perfect for a glamorous hotel. For more than 35 years, Nathan Munz has taken the challenge to solve many diverse technical design problems – including over-sized curved glass sheets, fogproofed windows for patrol boats, and bullet-proof and safety glass for custom situations, such as the cantilevered glass swimming pool floor, known to those who bother to look up while walking along Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
The International Year of Glass 2022 is not simply championing the artistic, technological and technical achievements of the past, but also recognising that Australian glass
expertise can assist the world to achieve the 2030 UN sustainability goals for all, through practices of manufacture, use, recycling and reuse. Builders, as users of the largest proportion of glass manufactured (except for containers), are already switching to double-glazed units for better insulation, security and energy efficiency. Even heritage homes with traditional stained glass can now be double-glazed (and triple-glazed) to retain these important architectural features, as well as improve the wellbeing of occupants.
Many of us saw Grand Designs’ Kevin McLeod’s fascination with ‘switchable’ glass that went from transparent to opaque at the flick of a switch, thus removing the need for curtains and blinds in some instances. Taking these ideas a step further, Monash University and CSIRO are exploring the use of semi-transparent solar panels that could be used for windows that generate electricity. The researchers believe the additional cost of the installation is offset by the free electricity generated and are now in the process of trialling it with a major Australian company to test its commercial viability.
These are exciting times for builders to use glass in more interesting and innovative ways. Glass has always responded to the needs of each period of time, place and culture. The present is no less of a challenge as we deal with a changing climate and environment in the International Year of Glass 2022 and beyond.
Further information:
https://www.iyog2022.org/
http://www.redphoenixglass.com/ https://www.glassform.com.au/
https://www.csiro.au/en/News/Newsreleases/2020/Windows-will-soongenerate-electricity
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