Glass is and always has been a prominent industry. It is closely linked to engineering and constantly grows alongside it, meaning that innovations in one field lead to innovations in the other. This trend continues even into the 21st century, as engineers and glassmakers alike continue to work together to craft ideas and cutting edge designs for contemporary buildings.

Structural Design in the Future

One popular trend is glass design based off of the engineer’s vision for futuristic architecture—towering dome shapes that cooperate with and incorporate the landscape surrounding it. While we don’t quite know how structural glass will look in the next century, glass builders are already taking steps to decide where it will go by shifting their blueprints and design plans beyond the current era.

Printing

The ability of today’s printers allows for printing to be made on extremely large scales. Naturally, glass makers and structural engineers have taken advantage of this by combining print with glass in the form of massive decals on glass frames. This gives building proprietors a way to customize their buildings however they wish.

Transparent Surfaces

Creating entire walls from glass has become very popular in recent years, for multiple reasons. Many like it because it makes a space more expansive and provides an ample amount of enjoyable natural lighting to an interior environment. This trend also incorporates buildings made almost completely from glass. Some older buildings are now receiving renovations of this variety to make them more open and match the aesthetic of contemporary buildings. To fit this trend, glass makers have figured out how to create large sheets of glass for use in transparent buildings. These panes can be crafted as large as 3 meters in width and 18 meters in length.

Renovation

Long gone are the days of skyscrapers and other rectangular forms in buildings. As engineering technology advances, engineers themselves are branching out with the types of shapes they can create with buildings and experimenting with form and design. This means new and interesting ways to use glass arise as engineers create buildings that bend and curve. This construction style is becoming especially popular with places of business, as rounder shapes are more pleasing to the eye for potential clients and customers.

Building with Glass

Because glass is becoming so popular and versatile, engineers have realized its constructional potential and are incorporating it into structural designs. Glass is now featured in buildings in ways beyond windows, doors, and skylights. Today, you can find them as the flooring or walls of a building, included in staircases or as the frames of the building itself.

If all of the different usages of structural glass interest you, consider including it in your next construction project. Structural designs are our business at B.E. Structural. We can help you take advantage of this popular, aesthetically pleasing and functional trend in your home. For more information, contact us