Living in a glass house

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Examining who, what, why and how much of glass in architecture.

Architecture is about creating space. Whether its space to live, work or play, architects design structures to be experienced. To remove the experiential element from a structure is to render it a sculpture rather than a piece of architecture.

Few materials are as directly responsible for influencing the way in which users experience a structure than the glass used in its facade. Whether its intent is form or function - and especially if it's being combined with cutting-edge technology - the versatility of glass is unparalleled. But none of this is new information.

There's an ancient Chinese proverb that says: "You want your horse to look good, but you also don't want him to have to eat grass." In an architectural context, this simply means that a pretty building may look nice, but a building that functions efficiently is equally important.

While state-of-the-art materials, including glass, may be more expensive initially, contractors, developers and value engineers would do well to approve those higher glass budgets, especially if they want a building that considers the comfort of its users.

Architect caught up with building professionals around the world to talk about the importance of using the ‘right' glass for the right project in the Gulf.

Who's making the decision?

Richard Wagner, architect at dxb lab and former vice president of the Architecture Association of the UAE (aaUAE), describes an ideal scenario. "In an ideal nutshell, the architect specifies the type of glass, the engineer verifies that choice, the contractor builds it, and the developer sells a quality project as desired by the clients."

It doesn't take an astrophysicist to know that in Gulf architecture, things don't often work that way. In a region where quality can quickly be supplanted by quantity, architects often struggle with contractors and value engineers convincing clients that using a less advanced product will have little influence on how the building looks or performs.

Thom Bohlen, (AIA, NCARB) chief technical officer at the Middle East Centre for Sustainable Development (MECSD), understands the importance of consulting with qualified professionals when considering glass.

"Architects normally specify glazing for their buildings, but typically they get input from structural engineers, glazing contractors, glazing suppliers and, of course, from the green building consultant," says Bohlen. "The appropriateness of the U-values of the system, transmittance factors and shading coefficients can all greatly affect energy consumption in buildings."

All too often, however, developers or contractors in the Gulf decide on a type of glass or facade system depending on budget or preference of origin. Specialty engineers are consulted only in the most complex scenarios and architects are left voiceless in the great debate about money.

How important is the ‘right' glass for the right project?

Matching the glass system with the style of the building and the context in which it sits is extremely important. The quality of the glass, in terms of structural/physical/thermal properties, is paramount to achieving a building that looks and functions properly.

"Especially in hot regions like the Gulf, the energy performance and comfort levels of a building clothed in glass are totally dominated by the choice of glass," explains James Law, chairman and founder of Hong Kong-based James Law Cybertecture International (JLCI).

Having designed several projects for the Middle East and India - and employing a highly futuristic brand of architecture that melds the form and function of a building with cutting-edge technology - using glass that does what it promises is crucial for JLCI. "Using the wrong glass can have disastrous outcomes, including making the building inefficient and unpleasant as well as using unnecessary levels of energy to keep occupants cool," adds Law.

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