Glass can do more than transmit light. We found six products that can improve the functionality of the building envelope and add visual interest to interior and exterior applications. To name a few: glazings that reduce solar heat gain and glare, panels that provide privacy without blocking natural light, and laminated translucent fabrics that add texture and color.
Olivia, Joel Berman Glass Studios
Inspired by the bulbous shape of heat-formed glass,
Joel Berman Glass Studios’ three-dimensional Olivia collection is kiln-cast as a pattern of interlaid circles whose forms protrude in opposite directions. The panels are made from clear float glass with a reflective surface that brightens interior or exterior walls, partitions, sliding doors, and wall cladding. Available in ¼”, 3/8", and ½” thicknesses and panel sizes up to 53” wide and 108” tall, the glass can be tempered for safety and impact resistance, as well as back-painted in custom colors. Low-iron glass can be special ordered.
jbermanglass.com
Houdini Glass, Bendheim
Micro-ribbing on the surface of
Bendheim’s Houdini low-iron glass reduces glare and obscures the objects behind it, allowing daylight to penetrate spaces that require privacy. The clear glass can be used as walls, partitions, and enclosures in healthcare, education, retail, and corporate interiors. The 5mm-thick glass comes in annealed, tempered, or laminated panels up to 65” wide by 89” tall, and can be laminated to mirror, paired with colored interlayers, or coated in custom colors.
bendheim.com
Skyline Digital Glass Portfolio, Skyline Design
The Skyline Digital Glass Portfolio from
Skyline Design comprises works from eight U.S.-based artists, photographers, and designers. Referencing the natural world and manmade elements, the collection uses the company’s proprietary digital printing technology to cast the patterns onto large-scale forms. Made from low-iron PPG Starphire tempered safety glass, the collection comes in a standard size of 72” wide by 144” high, with thicknesses of ¼”, 3/8", ½”, and ¾”. Custom sizes are available. The collection is suitable for use as space dividers and feature walls, or in other wall-mount or wall-clad applications.
skydesign.com
SunGuard Neutral 78/65, Guardian Industries
This low-E glass coating allows solar heat to enter and stay in a building, helping to improve the energy-efficiency of commercial projects in cool-weather climates. Suited for both new construction and retrofits, SunGuard Neutral 78/65 from
Guardian Industries can be used in double- or triple-glazed units. Other features include high visible-light transmission (78%) and a high solar heat gain coefficient (.65), along with a neutral color appearance.
sunguardglass.com
05 Textile, Carvart and Designtex
The combination of sheer fabric and clear glass can veil spaces in color while still allowing light to pass through. Using textiles from
Designtex,
Carvart laminated translucent fabric between two clear, low-iron glass lites. The 05 Textile collection’s panels come in ¼”, 3/8", and ½” thicknesses at up to 72” wide by 128” tall. They are designed for use in interior or exterior applications as partitions, surfaces, wall claddings, sliding or swing doors, and bathroom enclosures. Available in 12 colorways and eight transparencies.
carvart.com
Binary XL, Nathan Allan Glass Studios
Nathan Allan Glass Studios scaled up the size of the embossed, symmetrical geometric pattern on it Binary panels to create Binary XL. The 6”-wide, 10”-long, clear or low-iron glass comes in thicknesses ranging from ¼” to ¾”. Available with five tints and five finishes, the glass can be tempered and laminated.
nathanallan.com
Maglia, Pulp Studio
Laminating metal mesh between glass lites eases cleaning and lowers sound transmittance while providing an industrial aesthetic. In
Pulp Studio’s Maglia collection, which derives its name from the Italian word for “mesh,” the Los Angeles-based glass-design firm laminates mesh between two glass lites for use as interior wall panels and canopies. The low-iron glass panels, available in sizes up to 48” wide and 120” tall and thicknesses ranging from ?” to 2”, can accommodate metal meshes from a range of manufacturers, according to the company. All designs are custom.
pulpstudio.com
Vistacool Atlantica, PPG Industries
In many climate zones, minimizing solar heat gain without sacrificing views and daylighting potential is a challenge for designers who wish to specify expansive glass panes.
PPG’s Vistacool Atlantica reflective glass combines a visible light coefficient of 47% with a solar heat gain coefficient of 0.35 for a light-to-solar-gain ratio of 1.32. The 1”-thick insulating glass lite sports an emerald green hue.
ppgideascapes.com
