Glass fast becoming the choice of award winning designers
29 January 2004
Glass is fast becoming the choice of award winning designers and there are plenty of reasons why. As architects and designers recognise the merits of glass in modern residential and commercial.....
Glass is fast becoming the choice of award winning designers and there are plenty of reasons why. As architects and designers recognise the merits of glass in modern residential and commercial design, there has been a rapid increase in the creative use of glass in some of Australia's award winning design projects.
"From the turn of the century until the 1960's, the glass manufacturer pushing the boundaries was Pilkington. But since then, the market has discovered the practical properties of glass, such as sound reduction, safety protection and energy efficiency."
"Pilkington now partners with individuals and companies to stretch the capabilities and the applications of glass and, as a result, we're seeing some dramatic changes to the architectural landscape," says Chris Barker, Marketing Manager at Pilkington.
One of the year's most innovative designs is Black Friars Court, Toorak, home to the Miller family. McLauchlan and Associates, the building design consultants for this project won the prestigious 'Design of the Year' and also 'Most Effective Use of Glass' at the 2001 Building Designers Association of Victoria annual awards evening.
"It's through projects like this that we're witnessing a fundamental shift in modern design – a shift driven by designers with a visionary approach to the use of glass and a solid understanding of its diverse applications, whilst capitalising on the powerful natural affect of daylight," says Chris Barker.
Rob McLauchlan, Managing Director at McLauchlan and Associates, knows what can be achieved with glass, "Glass plays a crucial role in the design of any building, its one of the most important materials at our disposal. Positioning, shape, tint and, ultimately, the glass chosen for windows play a vital part in the internal and external appeal of a building."
Rob McLauchlan feels the key to great design is helping clients understand the capabilities and features of glass.
"When designing custom built houses we spend considerable time with clients discussing what we can achieve with different types of glass. We place great emphasis on getting light inside, controlling the sun, energy and conservation levels, and creating an indoor-outdoor atmosphere - this is where glass comes in to its own."
Chris Barker believes that many modern designs fail to utilise the full range of solutions that glass offers due to a lack of understanding, "Using the right glass in the right place makes a more visually aesthetic design and a better living space. Architects and builders who understand and maximise the benefits of glass will be able to design projects with a feeling of greater freedom and transparency."
The Millers' house is a perfect example: with a brief to design a modern family home for parents and two teenage children, the designers set out to create a functional floor plan with simple lines and open spaces. The result is a modern, minimalist design suited to a contemporary family lifestyle.
The use of glazed window walls in the upper level living area captures the landscaped boundary and opens the house to an outdoor entertaining deck and city views. Double-glazing to the North and West provides solar insulation without shutting out natural light and elongated highlight windows to the South provide privacy but allow upper level illumination, creating an ambient effect in the art gallery-like passageway.
The small cinema-like windows to the Master Bedroom and Ensuite add to the drama of the curved front facade, designed to reflect the identical curve of the cul-de-sac boundary.
Mrs Miller was amazed by how the design could be altered using different types of glass, "From the start, we wanted lots of glass on all four fronts of the house. As the project went on and we got a better understanding, we were amazed! We could transfer light from one room to another and make the inside look almost part of the outside by using whole sheets of glass. It was a real eye opener and quite astounding to see the results."
Properties such as energy conservation, sound-reduction, safety, fire protection, privacy, security, seasonal comfort, interior fading, extra light, and space levels all play a crucial part in the success of design projects. By understanding and appreciating the diversity of glass, designers and architects can achieve new, enhanced levels of design
Glass is fast becoming the choice of award winning designers and there are plenty of reasons why. As architects and designers recognise the merits of glass in modern residential and commercial.....
Glass is fast becoming the choice of award winning designers and there are plenty of reasons why. As architects and designers recognise the merits of glass in modern residential and commercial design, there has been a rapid increase in the creative use of glass in some of Australia's award winning design projects."From the turn of the century until the 1960's, the glass manufacturer pushing the boundaries was Pilkington. But since then, the market has discovered the practical properties of glass, such as sound reduction, safety protection and energy efficiency."
"Pilkington now partners with individuals and companies to stretch the capabilities and the applications of glass and, as a result, we're seeing some dramatic changes to the architectural landscape," says Chris Barker, Marketing Manager at Pilkington.
One of the year's most innovative designs is Black Friars Court, Toorak, home to the Miller family. McLauchlan and Associates, the building design consultants for this project won the prestigious 'Design of the Year' and also 'Most Effective Use of Glass' at the 2001 Building Designers Association of Victoria annual awards evening.
"It's through projects like this that we're witnessing a fundamental shift in modern design – a shift driven by designers with a visionary approach to the use of glass and a solid understanding of its diverse applications, whilst capitalising on the powerful natural affect of daylight," says Chris Barker.
Rob McLauchlan, Managing Director at McLauchlan and Associates, knows what can be achieved with glass, "Glass plays a crucial role in the design of any building, its one of the most important materials at our disposal. Positioning, shape, tint and, ultimately, the glass chosen for windows play a vital part in the internal and external appeal of a building."
Rob McLauchlan feels the key to great design is helping clients understand the capabilities and features of glass.
"When designing custom built houses we spend considerable time with clients discussing what we can achieve with different types of glass. We place great emphasis on getting light inside, controlling the sun, energy and conservation levels, and creating an indoor-outdoor atmosphere - this is where glass comes in to its own."
Chris Barker believes that many modern designs fail to utilise the full range of solutions that glass offers due to a lack of understanding, "Using the right glass in the right place makes a more visually aesthetic design and a better living space. Architects and builders who understand and maximise the benefits of glass will be able to design projects with a feeling of greater freedom and transparency."
The Millers' house is a perfect example: with a brief to design a modern family home for parents and two teenage children, the designers set out to create a functional floor plan with simple lines and open spaces. The result is a modern, minimalist design suited to a contemporary family lifestyle.
The use of glazed window walls in the upper level living area captures the landscaped boundary and opens the house to an outdoor entertaining deck and city views. Double-glazing to the North and West provides solar insulation without shutting out natural light and elongated highlight windows to the South provide privacy but allow upper level illumination, creating an ambient effect in the art gallery-like passageway.
The small cinema-like windows to the Master Bedroom and Ensuite add to the drama of the curved front facade, designed to reflect the identical curve of the cul-de-sac boundary.
Mrs Miller was amazed by how the design could be altered using different types of glass, "From the start, we wanted lots of glass on all four fronts of the house. As the project went on and we got a better understanding, we were amazed! We could transfer light from one room to another and make the inside look almost part of the outside by using whole sheets of glass. It was a real eye opener and quite astounding to see the results."
Properties such as energy conservation, sound-reduction, safety, fire protection, privacy, security, seasonal comfort, interior fading, extra light, and space levels all play a crucial part in the success of design projects. By understanding and appreciating the diversity of glass, designers and architects can achieve new, enhanced levels of design