GLASS IN THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION:BEYOND THE TRASPARENCY

In the last decades, the evolution of the methodology of the glass manufacturing processes has created the opportunity to craft external frames that include integrated multifunctional elements which enable the user to fully control different functions. The evolution of glass - from being a basic see-through material to becoming a system with high-tech potentiality - has given the designer the opportunity to satisfy different needs. These can be fulfilled without altering the structure of the material and without affecting its relation with the frame it is built for. The aim of the research was the analysis, classification and verification of the performance of the translucent products currently available in the marketplace and of the ones still at an experimental stage. As well as allowing their main function - the transmission of natural light and vision. These products are designed to control energy flows in order to manage the level of illumination and thermal insulation. The use of dedicated filtering methodologies, decreases and/or modifies the effect of the solar energy. Firstly, the performance and cost of the different translucent products were compared in order to set the standard. Afterwards, new avenues were investigated in order to elucidate some issues affecting the products currently on the market, including the cost/benefit ratio which is currently not advantageous.