Architecture Glass for Interiors

Glass can be used for many more applications than just for doors and windows; it is perfect for modern interior design innovations.

The days are gone when glass was used only for doors and windows. In today’s world glass means much more than any other building material. In interior designing, glass is noticeably replacing typical interior materials such as wood and stone. This trend is made possible by the constantly evolving technologies in the manufacturing of glass and hence, broadening the entire scope of glass in architecture. While glass has been a preferred material for façades for a long time, trend of usage of glass in interior designing is catching up now.

In today’s world, glass is one of the most aesthetically appealing choices to pamper your home. After all, it comes in so many different varieties, thickness, design and texture and most importantly its versatile quality makes it perfectly suitable for any formal or informal spaces. Big changes have taken place in the world of interior designing and architecture. Glass has become one of the most powerful and brilliant elements to accentuate the design of your home. Glass can be used to make a small room feel bigger, it can reduce noise without isolation. It can change the character of a room, be it modern glass fittings or coloured glass, design trends with back lighting, the options are endless.

Get a glance of the outside world just by using different types of glasses like: lacquered glass, frosted glass, patterned glass, décor glass etc. They result in a beautiful outcome of design in the architectural space with sophistication and bold styling. In today’s world, glass is no more a delicate and soft material.

There are no limits to the creativity of designers, architects and contractors when designing glass interiors. Ceilings, floors, room dividers, doors, wall panels, stairs, side rails and furniture made of glass can be individually aligned with the room concepts. Glass products also find a wide variety of applications in bathrooms and kitchens. Shower stands and wash basins as well as radiators made of refined glass create a sophisticated ambience, as do glass cabinet doors, kitchen mirrors, countertops or entire kitchen fronts.

You can also add beauty and charm to your interior design ideas with different kinds of glasses. Give your bedroom, living area, kitchen, dining area, etc. a touch of elegance with glass. Give your furniture or racks the beauty and strength of glass. Glass furniture adds glamour and gives a modern look to the element of design and decoration. Decorative glasses use the combinations of colour, transparency and ample lighting to beautify your interiors with stylish looks. Today, architects and designers have brilliantly designed buildings, complexes and homes with strong and tough glass.

There are no limitations for the usage of any kind of glass for construction and design, keeping in mind the way glass is being used in today’s era. Its transparency lets light through, giving a feeling that a room is spacious; transforming what could be a dark and gloomy interior. Glass is the optimal solution for room that receives too little light.

Utilising glass is one of the best ways to optimize space specially the vertical space of the walls or empty space which cannot be used for anything else. There are many types of glass available when it comes to enhancing your home décor.

What goes into building a super-sleek contemporary house? Be it The Glass Pavilion by Steve Hermann or Philip Johnson’s Glass House in Connecticut, glass is the perfect product for modern interior design and sets the bar as to what modernism and innovation in architecture is and can be.

Many homeowners today are thinking of ways to enhance the home while keeping it beautiful and modern. Adding glass in a room makes it look larger, brighter and livelier. Glass reflects light and illuminates surfaces, thus enhancing the interiors. Says Aditya Bhutani, COO, AIS Glasxperts, “Mirrors are one of the simplest and most attractive ways of create illusions of space. Mirrors reflect the room and make it look bigger. Use of mirror tiles on an entire wall gives the impression that the room size is double than what it really is. Glass cabinets and shelves are light and unobtrusive and ideal for interiors if space is a constraint.” Transparent materials like glass and lucite work in every room to amplify natural light, make a space feel more open, and provide function without a heavy visual effect. Glass thus has the dual property of being decorative as well as functional.

Glass is becoming increasingly visible in the modern home in its various structures from the roof to the floor. The world of glass architecture has undergone a revolution with some amazing design ideas. Apart from window dressings, glass can be also used for any kind of furniture, flooring, wall partition, ceiling design and to enhance the beauty of architectural construction. Glass architecture due to its versatility uses natural light to make a room look airy and comfortable. White beddings and transparent accents create a natural and serene tone in your bedroom. The open modern look for homes can be easily achieved by installing glass walls. This could mean anything from a layered glass wall in your bathroom to a glass partition wall in your living room. Glass is perfect for of your balcony or your patio area as it creates a visual connection or seamless continuity to the outside. Getting the view you desire is now simple with the different kinds of glass available. Enjoy nature without interruptions with glass solutions like Heat Reflective Glass, Lacquered Glass, Tinted Glass from AIS that pan, privacy, energy & efficiency. Tinted Glass reduces heat transmission and helps prevent the interiors from heating up. AIS Décor has a coloured opaque appearance which makes interiors look fresh. The kitchen is another area where glass can be used for a seamless no restriction type vibe while adding value to your home. Glass cabinets, panels, cabinet doors, modular chimneys, sinks and on counter surfaces always add a sense of sparkle to your home.

Gone are the days when glass was confined to the windows and doors of a home. There are no limitation to any kind of glass construction and design in today’s modern homes.

Lacquered glass, colored and opaque in appearance, is produced by depositing and then baking a coating of lacquer to one side of clear glass. Lacquer is a solution of film-forming materials, natural or synthetic, usually applied as an ornamental or protective coating.

This unites coloured lacquer with the brilliance of glass. It brings colour and ambiance to interiors and is particularly suitable for more demanding locations, such as bathrooms and kitchens. In homes, offices, hotels, shops and museums, clear glass fused with lacquer creates smooth,homogenous surfaces as wall-panelling, in furniture and in wardrobe and cupboard doors.

Advantages

• Inspiring modern-day design
  With colour and light effects, lacquered glass helps convey a bright and creative appearance for walls and furniture. Enhanced by the glass, the colour brightens up interiors and animates surroundings with reflections and brilliance.
• A durable and flawless finish
  As the lacquer is applied to the back of the glass, it is protected from damage, ensuring durability. Its brilliance is far superior to that of gloss paints.
• Resistance to humidity
  This variety ig glass can be used in high humidity rooms, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
• Safety
  Where the use of safety glass is required, it is advisable

Processing Range

After the coat of lacquer has been bonded, the final product can be cut, edge-worked and drilled like ordinary mirrored glass. When cutting the glass, it is important to place the sheet with the lacquered face down on a clean cutting table to avoid damaging the lacquer. This variety of glass can be customised by cold-painting decorative patterns or logos onto the glass surface. It can also be sandblasted and engraved. Different effects can be achieved, depending on whether the glass or lacquered face is treated.

Sustainability

Lacquered glass helps to maintain a clean and non-polluted environment. The manufacturing of glass of this variety complies with the strictest regulations relating to the control of emissions of Formaldehyde and other Volatile Organic Compounds, commonly known as VOCs.

The composition and make of laminated glass is different as compared to tempered glass making it suitable for different applications. We will be looking at both the minor and major differences that make these two types of glass suitable for different purposes.

Glass and its various types are under constant evolution. When it comes to architecture it has found very innovative applications in various respects. Despite our best efforts our homes are still susceptible to burglary and the two most common ways are via your doors and windows. Laminated glass is similar to the type used in windshields where as tempered glass is used as a component of bulletproof glass. So here are a few points to consider when it comes to home/office installations for your doors and windows.

The use for laminated glass ranges from entrance doors and glass floors to aquariums and display cases. Two layers of glass are sandwiched with a laminate in order to create this sturdy variety. The laminate is the reason why the pieces are held together when it is broken. The chances of injuries are minimized because the glass tends to be in the frame. Doors and windows made from this type are considered very safe as they do not shatter easily. Breaking into a home secured in this manner is not easy as it involves a lot of effort and a lot of noise. This laminated variety also provides a good degree of sound proofing in high traffic and noisy areas but this of course depends upon the quality of the laminate material.

Tempered glass is almost 5 to 10 times stronger when compared to its untempered counterpart. One very noticeable quality of this type is that it breaks down into small granular pieces rather than sharp shards. This can be attributed to the way it is constructed. While being manufactured the outer surface is put into compression whereas the inner surface is put into tension. Apart from being heat treated this variety is also treated with hydrofluoric acid to etch away surface scratches and increase strength. The tempering process does not affect the stiffness much. As compared to the annealed glass, tempered glass can take a higher load and deflects further before breaking. However once the glass is toughened it cannot be reworked. Polishing and drilling holes into the glass needs to be done pre-toughening.

So when it comes to choosing which type would serve your purpose well there are a few things you need to consider. Ground level doors and windows made from laminated glass are a safe bet. This is also the most susceptible area when it comes to breaking and entering. This utilization in public buildings and office complexes has steadily increased over recent years. Places prone to severe weather should use the tempered variety on the exterior. The best utilization of space is an important criterion when it comes to interior design. The two best advantages of using laminated glass is the increased protection and sound proofing it offers. This would be perfect for a corporate room setting but the construction model should include an emergency exit as breaking out of such a room would be as difficult as breaking in. When it comes to windshields laminated glass is an obvious choice because in case of an accident the chances of the driver and passengers being cut are reduced.