Structural Glass Facades
A new facade technology has gradually emerged in recent decades, driven largely by the pursuit of transparency in the building facade among leading international building designers. This new technology has evolved in long-span applications, and can be categorized by the various structural systems employed as support. New glazing systems are also a part of this technology, with the various point-fixed systems finding most frequent use
FACADE STRUCTURES
Structural glass facades are as much about the expression of elegant and minimalist structural systems as they are about facade transparency. These systems are best categorized by the structural system types used to support them. However, a review of the completed projects representative of each system type reveals a remarkable diversity of application. MATERIA has the capability to develop any variation of these system types in response to specific project requirements.
The following structural system types are reviewed in order of increasing dematerialization.
GLAZING SYSTEMS
Virtually any type of glazing system can be used with structural glass facades. Common systems include:
OTHER SYSTEMS
Structural glass facades often make use of different materials and processes than conventional facades.