Elegant Glazing of Capital Gate Tower

Abu Dhabi is the home to one of the world's great buildings - Capital Gate, an iconic and avant-garde building that blends the beauty of the wave with the power of technical advancement.




Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) has revealed that glazing work on the iconic Capital Gate Tower, currently under construction next to Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, is complete. This “Capital Gate” has been designed by the New York firm RMJM architects.



Capital Gate forms the focal point of Capital Centre, the business and residential micro city being developed by ADNEC around the thriving Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The Capital Gate is a 160m-tall leaning tower in Abu Dhabi, UAE.



The architecture of the Capital Gate tower is dotted with monster glass panels. Monster glass panels for Abu Dhabi’s 'leaning tower' development have arrived on what the project team claims is the world’s biggest flatbed truck. The panels are for the Capital Gate building, which architect RMJM recently submitted for the Guinness Book of Records as the ‘world’s most inclined building’. It has a tilt of 18 degrees – over four times more than the Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa.



More than 12,500 individually shaped glass panels have been installed on Capital Gate's façade in a complex engineering feat which has taken ADNEC and its construction partners ten months to complete. In an intricate operation, 728custom-made glass panels have been used. Each pane of glass had to be a slightly different shape and fitted at a different angle due to the building's unique lean and its curved profile. The first two glazing panels are weighing approximately 5 tonnes each.

The tower's unique shape and character made the installation of the glazing particularly challenging for the engineers. It is a compliment to all involved that the installation took place during ADNEC's busiest year ever for exhibitions and events; yet, there was no disruption to the visitors or exhibitors.

The glass panes on Capital Gate make up more than 700 larger glass "diamonds," and were manufactured in the United Sates with the steel frames holding the glass precision-cut in Austria before being shipped to the UAE. ADNEC stored the glass panels away from the construction site and delivered them as needed, on enormous flatbed trucks. Once they reached the Capital Gate construction site they were meticulously placed into the correct position by on-site engineers.

The RMJM project team is using the glass to create a new kind of glazing system called ‘Cardinal C240’, which is anti-glare but also highly transparency. The glass used is a highly energy-efficient glass and low e glass. This glass has two silver coatings which minimise glare and maximise light transmission. The double glazed façade will allow natural daylight into the building while boosting energy efficiency and shielding users from harmful glare. The use of this advanced variety of glass is a 'first' for the UAE. The 'pressure-plate' system that has been developed for the steel frame which holds each pane in place guarantees the water tightness of the façade and allows thinner panes of glass to be used, thereby reducing the weight of the glazing system.

The lean and curve of the building added considerable complexity to the glazing process. A few glass panes have deliberately been left out to ensure that adequate ventilation exists prior to the installation of the air conditioning.

Due to its unique shape, Capital Gate is being constructed on top of a concrete raft with a dense mesh of reinforced steel. The steel Diagrid sits above an extensive distribution of 490 piles that have been drilled 30m underground to accommodate the gravitational and wind loads. The angles and dimensions of the building facade have been meticulously designed to ensure that each individually shaped panel accurately defines the shape of this magnificent structure.

Okhta Tower to be Europe's Tallest Green Building

Sustainable buildings in Europe will have a new height to scale with the creation of the Gazprom Tower, officially known as the Okhta Tower. The plan has recently been given the green signal to begin construction; it will be designed by UK-based architectural firm RMJM. Upon completion, this building will be the tallest in Europe and one among the world’s most energy-efficient.

St. Petersburg in Russia will be the home to Okhta Tower, which through its 77 storeys will cross 400 metres in height. This tower will primarily serve as headquarters to Gazprom’s oil unit, OAO Gazprom Neft, and will also be home to a concert hall, a museum, a hotel and a business centre. In the name of sustainability, this tower will incorporate multiple elements for energy-efficiency during construction.

Glass Skin

The building will be insulated by an exoskeleton, dubbed as a low-energy ‘fur coat’, and will consist of two layers of glazed glass ‘skin’ with an atrium between the inner and outer walls. This buffer zone will supply the building with natural ventilation, sunlight for interior lighting and at the same time will act as a thermal insulation by keeping the structure warm during fierce minus 30 degrees Russian winters. Trees and plants will be sandwiched between the double glass walls, which will be responsible for providing warmth in winter and lower temperatures in summer.

The outer wall will comprise of temperature-colour-changing glass panels. This tower will change colour up to 10 times a day depending on the position of the sun, and creating a dazzling scene of a 300m-tall twisting glass tower across 75 floors.

Inspired by the pentagonal plan of an ancient Scandinavian fort believed to have once occupied the site, the tower consists of a central concrete core ringed by five square interlocking floorplates. The floorplates spin on their axes as they ascend, giving the building its twisted effect. A 'cog mechanism' - whereby the five floorplates interlock - ensures the tower's stability.

Sustainability

The pentagram design of the tower maximises access to daylight and allows for spectacular views for the offices without losing heat due to exposed surface area in comparison to other structures.

Specialized water, heating and ventilation systems have also been incorporated to reduce the energy consumption levels of the building. There will be a public viewing gallery on the 70th floor.

The office floor plans will also feature a large number of social spaces and green zones that will let the workers to access leisure areas without wasting energy by using elevators for vertical transportation.

The cost of construction is estimated at to $2.4bn. This cost will be borne jointly by Gazprom's subsidiary Gazprom Neft ($1.4 billion) and the St Petersburg City Administration ($1 billion).

Most innovative storefront/entrance system - NanaWall Systems

Crystal Achievement Award Judge BJ Katz, art director/principal for Meltdown Glass Art & Design LLC, Tempe, Ariz., calls the NanaWall SL82 Structurally Glazed Folding Wall System “simple and elegant, with clean, minimalist lines.” From NanaWall Systems, Mill Valley, Calif., the entrance is the result of three years of research and development, and was designed to meet demand for a structurally glazed folding door system for large openings that blended with the all-glass aesthetic of a structurally glazed curtain wall.

The structurally glazed door panels are created by mounting the dual-pane or triple-pane glass to the exterior of the structural door frames in a thin channel that is virtually invisible
from the exterior. A triple wraparound sealing process protects the glass edge when opening and closing the system. This seal also increases the overall strength of the system, which has been independently tested for water penetration, air infiltration, structural and thermal performance, forced entry and acoustic performance.

Suitable for commercial and residential applications, the system provides: an all-glass aesthetic; a slim line profile surrounding the glass panes for clean lines; the ability to create large exterior openings up to 39 feet wide and 8 feet, 2 inches high; 24 in-swing stacking configurations with options for swing / exit panels; long-term ease of operation along a single track with bottom-supported rollers and adjustable hinges; concealed multipoint locking hardware; three levels of seals for protection from wind pressure and driving rain; a high-performance sill; a fiberglass-reinforced thermal break that, with triple glazing, allows the SL82 to achieve a U-value of 0.29; the ability to accommodate double glazing or up to 1 ½-inch thick triple glazing; and the choice of hundreds of powder coated and anodized aluminum finishes.

Source : www.glassmagazine.com

Most innovative bath enclosure - PurfectKurv, MAAX Bath Inc

The PurfectKurv shower door, from MAAX Bath Inc., Sainte-Marie, Quebec, features profiled curved edges on 3/8-inch glass. “This is made possible because we use our patented hinge technology that can be adjusted easily by the installers,” explains Carlo Di Pietro, product business director, MAAX Bath. “Our PurfectKurv door hinges can be adjusted from left to right up to three inches. This is ideal when dealing with out of plumb walls or non-standard widths.”

PurfectKurv is 80 inches high and available in widths from 54 inches to 72 inches. It comes equipped with two sets of hinges, providing up to 6 inches of adjustment. Two styles of hinges and handles are available with chrome or brushed nickel finish. The door is suitable for corner or wall-mounted installations with 34-, 36- and 40-inch deep glass panels.

“First on the list for homeowners looking for a bath enclosure in this premium category is a unique design—something that appears to be tailored specifically to their needs,” Di Pietro says. “The beauty of the PurfectKurv is that it looks like a custom made unit, but it really comes in a box that’s readily available throughout our network of showroom dealers across the United States and Canada.”

Source : www.glassmagazine.com

Glass for Transparency in Turkey’s Fashion House & Power Media Headquarters

A new headquarters for a Turkish fashion house Vakko and Power Media (Turkey’s equivalent of MTV) was built recently in Istanbul, Turkey. The construction of this structure was started on an old, abandoned and partially constructed concrete shell of a hotel. REX Architects created this building over an area of 9,100 m² (98,000 sq ft). Instead of hiding the old concrete skeleton of hotel, REX exposed it through a very thin and transparent glass façade, thus delivering their objective of creating a sustainable structure.

REX divided the construction of this structure into two structurally independent components. A ‘U-shaped' concrete skeleton (completed by a fourth side), labelled as “Ring”, was transformed into a conventional, flexible office space. At the ring’s centre, a new six-floor steel tower named ‘Showcase’, consisting of several special areas such as an auditorium, showrooms, meeting rooms and executive offices, and restrooms has been created.

Power Media Company, Turkey’s renowned music and television network at the upper floor of the skeleton’s subterranean parking incorporates a television studio, radio production facilities, and screening rooms.

The Transparent Glass façade of the building is stuffed with Glass Panes, which allow natural light to flood the interiors. At 5 feet by 10 feet, the 134 panels that wrap the building are a wafer-like 3/16th of an inch thick. Glass preferred for this building by the architects is Slumped Glass. This type of glass is repeatedly heated and cooled until it falls into a mould and assumes the mould’s form. Slumping is usually used for decoration purposes, but here it has been used for structural purposes: The glass panels feature an X-shaped impression that gives them vertical and lateral stiffness and strength. These glass panels are held in place by four simple pins at each corner.

Glass slumped with ‘X’ shape increases the glass’s strength. The thickness of the glass was thus reduced and the need for perimeter mullions was eliminated. The resulting ethereal glass “Saran Wrap” subtly reveals the Ring’s pre-existing concrete skeleton and suggests the Showcase behind. Glass panes give a clear view when viewed directly and capture light and reflections, when viewed from different angles.

The Showcase is clad in mirror-glass, cloaking the steel boxes with a mirage-like exterior, and enlivening the building’s interior to impart a kaleidoscopic effect. The slopes of the auditorium, showrooms, and meeting rooms create a circulation path that winds from the bottom upwards to the glass showcase.

Glass Workshop Building in Tokyo – Light as Air

A new workshop building in glass has come up in Japan for upcoming engineers and scientists; it has been designed by Tokyo-based architecture firm Junya Ishigami and Associates. This is a crystalline glass building that serves as a flexible studio and workplace for students at the Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Tokyo. Ishigami and his team aim to create an ideal environment for KAIT students to work on self-initiated projects and build things.

This single-story glass box workshop covers an area of 21,410 sq-ft. The glass studio has a large open floor plan topped with a roof and supported by columns of various sizes. A floor-to-ceiling glass facade and strips of skylight on the roof create a spectacular work environment for design projects.

The floor-to-ceiling glass makes the building appear weightless and elegant, and the open plan preserves the building’s sense of transparency as the viewer’s eye can shoot directly across the uninterrupted space. 305 slender steel columns of various sizes support the stripped roof of skylights and are scattered all over the building in a random fashion.

The white columns and the frameless glass façade almost make the building disappear. The façades are formed by 5m×1.5m glass panels that are just 10mm thick. They are stabilised by perpendicular fins, which offer complete transparency. The column arrangement and need for elimination of partition walls allow the studio to maintain its feeling of openness.

During the day time, glass skylights above the building offer unbeatable natural light. At night when the lights are lit, the glass building shines like a star on the ground. Ceiling fixtures and task lamps enable factory-like facilities to operate long after classes end for the day.

The one-room building contains 14 freely arranged, open spaces. These include a check-in area, denoted by an Ishigami-designed, donut-shaped counter, as well as specialized areas for pottery, woodworking, computer graphics, metal casting, and other media.

There are also four multipurpose work spaces, a small supply shop, and an office-like alcove for the facility supervisors. Ishigami eschewed organizational devices, such as structural grids, proscribed circulation paths, and even walls (the closest lavatories are next door). Instead, he used rectangular columns, furniture of brown wood or white steel, freestanding HVAC units, and potted plants to modulate the whole 16-foot-high space.

To blur the boundary between indoors and outdoors, Ishigami eliminated all openings on the glass walls except for doors and a few small floor vents that draw fresh air supplied by roof vents. Inside, the columns function as abstract trees and potted greenery—each plant carefully selected by the architect—serves a bona-fide design role, not just a decorative one.

Glass Exteriors, a Sector of Energy Efficiency in “Yamuna”

Yamuna, the new corporate office of leading global water management solution company Kirloskar Brothers Ltd at Pune, India, stands tall and proud, having just received the prestigious LEED Platinum rating.

Yamuna is spread over 3 acres of land and has a capacity of 500 employees.

The gamut of energy-efficient features Yamuna is endowed with help it save up to 50% energy and 30% water through the use of solar power, glass panels, eco-friendly cooling systems, CFL fixtures and rainwater harvesting, among several others.

1. Highlighted glass exteriors have given Yamuna a breathtaking outward appearance that befits a modern corporate building.
2. A glass atrium and landscaped terrace with green indoor plantations provide a work-friendly environment and also serve as a place for relaxation.
3. A large number of glass panels are fitted along the walls, which allow natural light inside the building, thereby saving on electricity.
4. Energy efficient CFLs are used for lighting.
5. The use of ergonomic furniture ensures complete comfort for employees.
6. A well-stocked café that serves hygienic and nutritious food is another feature of Yamuna.
7. A clinic is present within the facility for emergency medical requirements.
8. Sophisticated fire-fighting equipment is installed within the premises.
9. Other amenities like an auditorium, library, a well equipped gymnasium, badminton court, swimming pool and an amphitheatre allow for employee recreation and networking.
10. Yamuna uses water-cooled VRV air conditioning systems with sensors for monitoring CO2 levels and optimizing intake of fresh air. The structure has photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, which meet 2.6% of power requirements.
11. Other energy efficient gadgets in Yamuna include green LCD monitors.
12. A substantial amount of water requirements are fulfilled by rainwater harvesting.
13. The entire campus is a ‘no smoking’ area.

Green Skinned “G Towers” in Malaysia

G Tower is the latest in green buildings, incorporating features like massive green walls and refreshing rooftop gardens, located at the crossroads of two major thoroughfares in downtown Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This sustainable building received the Green Mark Gold Award from the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore. It has also taken up the position of being Malaysia’s first carbon positive building.

The building rings in a new concept by combining offices, a private club and a boutique hotel, all under one roof. The boutique hotel, named G City Club Hotel offers 180 executive rooms, conference rooms, function/board rooms and an infinity pool. The orientation of the building with the sun is very appropriate, and several water-efficient features have been incorporated.

Green Features

1. This tower uses 25 percent less energy as compared to other buildings of similar size and location, thanks to efficient air-conditioning and lighting systems.
   
2. Double glazed glass panels with vacuum in between have been used, which helps cut heat transmission.
   
3. The extensive landscaping with sky gardens, ponds and green walls help cool the overall environment and improve air quality.
   
4. The swimming pool is kept clean through the use of eco-friendly cleansing salt rather than chemicals.
   
5. A sophisticated rain water harvesting system irrigates the plants and vertical greens found throughout the building. Condensed water from the cooling tower is collected for re-use.
6. Hot water is generated using waste heat from the air-conditioning system.
   
7. The carpets and external timber decking use green certified recyclable materials.
8. The interior décor includes refurbished furniture.
   
9. Toxic free building materials, paints and wallpapers are used for their low volatile organic content (VOC).
   
10. Motion-sensitive lighting helps bring down power costs.

G tower saves nearly 7.3 million Kwh of electricity per year, at a ten-hour day, 6 day-week and 52-week year activity period. This is equivalent to a reduction of 3.5 million kgs carbon dioxide emission into the environment, which is same as saving 18000 trees per year.

Yas Hotel – Glass Panels For An Elegant Façade

The skyline of Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates is dotted with elegant buildings and super-tall skyscrapers that play the roles of corporate & commercial facilities, business towers, hotels, residences and so on. Yas Hotel recently made it to the list of among the most eye-catching architectural structures in Abu Dhabi by its differentially designed towers with glass on their exteriors.

The Yas Hotel is one of the main features of the ambitious 36-billion-dollar Yas Marina development and accompanying Formula 1 raceway circuit in Abu Dhabi. Yas Hotel is a 85,000-sqm complex of breath-taking structures, underneath the glass-and-steel garment of which, it offers visitors 500 rooms and a five-star array of facilities and amenities – eight restaurants, four bars, lavish recreational facilities including an 18-hole golf course and a 143-berth marina, and access to nearby attractions like the Ferrari World Theme Park.

Glass Panels

Yas Hotel consists of two conjoined 12-storey towers forming a T-intersection. These two towers are linked by a bridge over a racetrack and are covered in glass. A canopy made of a 217-meter expanse of sweeping, curvilinear forms constructed of steel and 5,800 pivoting diamond-shaped glass panels support the towers and bridge.

Grid shell

A ‘Grid-Shell’ visually connects and fuses the entire complex together while producing optical effects and spectral reflections that play against the surrounding sky, sea and desert landscape. The architecture as a whole “performs” as both an environmentally receptive solution as well as a visual spectacle.

During the daytime, the grid shell functions as an adjustable windscreen, assisting in thermal and ventilation control through its controlled reflectivity, along with offering a distinct biomorphic scaly texture. During the night, it converts the hotel into a massive light source and assumes a different kind of biomorphic form, akin to the graceful forms of luminescent jellyfish.

This project can claim global leadership in two respects: It is the first building ever constructed across a Formula 1 racetrack, and is reportedly the world's largest LED project to date. Between these two milestones, the auto races will probably grab more immediate attention, but the exterior is the Yas Hotel's truly revolutionary element.

Source: www.dezeen.com

Elegant Glazing of Capital Gate Tower

Abu Dhabi will be home to one of the world's great buildings - Capital Gate, an iconic and avant-garde building that blends the beauty of the wave with the power of technical advancement.

Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) has revealed that glazing work on the iconic Capital Gate Tower, currently under construction next to Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, is almost complete. This “Capital Gate” has been designed by the New York firm RMJM architects.

Capital Gate forms the focal point of Capital Centre, the business and residential micro city being developed by ADNEC around the thriving Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. When fully complete, Capital Gate will feature the 5-star hotel - 'Hyatt at Capital Centre' besides playing host to some of the most exclusive office space in the UAE capital. The Capital Gate is a 160m-tall leaning tower in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The architecture of the Capital Gate tower is dotted with monster glass panels. Monster glass panels for Abu Dhabi’s 'leaning tower' development have arrived on what the project team claims is the world’s biggest flat bed truck. The panels are for the Capital Gate building, which architect RMJM recently submitted for the Guinness Book of Records as the ‘world’s most inclined building’. It has a tilt of 18 degrees – over four times more than the Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa.

More than 12,500 individually shaped glass panels have been installed on Capital Gate's façade in a complex engineering feat which has taken ADNEC and its construction partners ten months to complete. In an intricate operation, 728custom-made glass panels have been used. Each pane of glass had to be a slightly different shape and fitted at a different angle due to the building's unique lean and its curved profile. The first two glazing panels are weighing approximately 5 tonnes each.

The tower's unique shape and character made the installation of the glazing particularly challenging for our engineers. It is a compliment to all involved that the installation took place during ADNEC's busiest year ever for exhibitions and events; yet, there was no disruption to the visitors or exhibitors.

The glass panes on Capital Gate make up more than 700 larger glass "diamonds," and were manufactured in the United Sates with the steel frames holding the glass precision-cut in Austria before being shipped to the UAE. ADNEC stored the glass panels away from the construction site and delivered them as needed, on enormous flatbed trucks. Once they reached the Capital Gate construction site they were meticulously placed into the correct position by on-site engineers.

The RMJM project team is using the glass to create a new kind of glazing system called ‘Cardinal C240’, which is anti-glare but also highly transparency. The glass used is a highly energy-efficient and low 'e' category glass. This glass has two silver coatings which minimise glare and maximise light transmission. The double glazed façade will allow natural daylight into the building while boosting energy efficiency and shielding users from harmful glare.The use of this advanced variety of glass is a 'first' for the UAE. The 'pressure-plate' system that has been developed for the steel frame which holds each pane in place guarantees the water tightness of the façade and allows thinner panes of glass to be used, thereby reducing the weight of the glazing system.

The lean and curve of the building added considerable complexity to the glazing process. A few glass panes have deliberately been left out to ensure that adequate ventilation exists prior to the installation of the air conditioning.

Due to its unique shape, Capital Gate is being constructed on top of a concrete raft with a dense mesh of reinforced steel. The steel Diagrid sits above an extensive distribution of 490 piles that have been drilled 30m underground to accommodate the gravitational and wind loads. The angles and dimensions of the building facade have been meticulously designed to ensure that each individually shaped panel accurately defines the shape of this magnificent structure.

Sandblasted Glass

Glass etching is an age-old old method of imprinting images on glass; and one way to do it is by sandblasting. Sandblasting allows for greater variation through the use of different degrees of coarseness in sand, and also for depth blasting, giving the finished product a rich textured appearance.

Sandblasting process

Sandblasting is essentially the process of blasting the surface of glass with grit which peppers the surface, giving it a milky white appearance.

Sandblasting is a general term used to describe the act of propelling very fine bits of material at high-velocity by steam or air to clean or etch a surface. Synthetic particles or small pieces of coconut shell are sometimes used instead of sand in sandblasting applications.

Sandblasting Glass Etching



The sandblasting glass etching process consists of corroding glass by violently projecting sand upon its surface by means of a current of air or steam. The tube conveying the current of air or steam terminates at a nozzle containing a series of fine holes. The sand, is thrown violently against the glass plate or any other body placed within its range, and thus exerts a corroding action. By varying the quantity of the sand, the volume and velocity of the current, as well as the diameter of the jet, the desired effects are obtained.

Bodies much harder than glass have submitted to the action of sand thrown forcibly in this way against their surface, and have been as rapidly worn away. The portions of the glass which are to remain clear are covered with paper, or with an elastic varnish - these substances being sufficiently exempt from the corroding action of the sand.

Sandblasted glass

Sandblasted glass is produced by spraying sand at high velocities over the surface of the glass. This gives the glass a translucent surface, which is usually rougher than that obtained by etching. During sandblasting, only the areas that are to remain transparent are masked for protection. The depth and degree of the translucency of the sand-blasted finishing vary with the force and type of sand used.

The sandblasting technique is used to obscure visibility through glass, but the glass continues to still transmit light as it is diffused through the surface. Patterns and designs can be created using a mask which resists the abrasive force of the grit from the sandblaster. The mask can be hand cut or computer cut depending on the design.

Sand carving is achieved by blasting away the glass for longer periods to get layers of depth. It's necessary to use thicker pieces of glass for this and the various depths are made by cutting away more of the resist each time. This can sometimes be a long winded process but is desirable for its three-dimensional appearance.

If an image is supplied in a vector format, it can be cut directly using a computer aided cutter. Otherwise, the image in the computer needs to be changed to vector lines the cutter can follow, though this can also be a time consuming process if there is tonality to the image. It is better to supply flat graphic images in this case.

Sandblasters

There are two kinds of sandblasters: “Suction” / “Siphon”" & “Pressure” Blast Systems. Pressure systems are ten times faster & much more effective, but also quite a bit more expensive. There are two basic kinds of sand blasters: Blast Cabinets & Portable Blasters
There is a huge variety of abrasive blast media out there each has its purpose. One you want to stay away from is Silica Sand. Blasting with Silica sand causes Silicosis of the lung. Do Not Ever Use It!

If you are looking to blast hand tools, such as saw blades, wrenches, etc., then sandblast cabinet is better. (A “Suction/Siphon” cabinet would probably be sufficient.)

Sandblast Cabinets must have adequate lighting, a dust collector, and two gloves to place your hands inside to blast within the cabinet. One nice part about blasting inside a cabinet is that all the dust is contained, so no respirator is needed. They are also relatively quiet, and some have abrasive separators which allow you to get the maximum life out of the abrasive blast media & consequently save money.

Application

Dividers, doors and shower surrounds are some of the most popular architectural uses of sandblasted glass. Sand-blasted glass can be used in numerous interior design applications in both residential and commercial settings: doors, shower screens, partitions and interior screens, furniture, etc.

Architectural Uses of Sandblasted Glass

Sandblasting effects on shower doors can create wonderfully frosted looks to compliment the appearance of any bathroom. Typical sandblasted shower surround designs include waves or horizontal lines, but some designs are more ornate such as pictorial sea life scenes.

Sandblasted glass panels on front doors are popular and can really add elegance to the front door of a home. Commercial storefronts and doors may feature sandblasted company logos and business names.

Although glass etching is extremely decorative, sandblasting is not done for aesthetics alone. It can be an attractive and practical solution to reduce the appearance of fingerprints on glass. The frosted appearance and/or different textures sandblasting gives glass can make fingerprints and smudges more difficult to see than if the glass was left as is. Sandblasting glass can also help it repel dirt build-up such as on shopping mall doors and shower enclosures.

Some sandblasted glass room divider panels are more like art pieces than just architectural necessities. For example, some upscale hotels or museum lobbies feature large panels of glass with detailed sandblasted etchings that may include figures or animals. Smaller artistic sandblasted glass panels may be used as architectural accents in homes such as in front halls and kitchen sink back splashes.

Even small amounts of sandblasted glass can add interest to any residential or commercial outdoor or indoor space. Designs for architectural sandblasting are created on computer software programs.

Stencils and sandblasting machines are used to transfer the design onto the glass. To create small pieces of etched glass, it's possible to cover a piece of glass with contact paper and then cut out a design from the paper using a utility knife. Sandblasting equipment can then be used to create a sandblasted effect on the areas not covered by the paper and the contrast between the sandblasted and plain glass is revealed after the remaining paper is peeled off the glass.

R128 – Green in Glass

That all architectural structures are covered by solid opaque walls on all four sides to maintain privacy and security is a given. So, a home with walls of glass that offer a clear view of the inside is bound to create more than just a ripple, and 128 Werner Sobek does just that. This rather novel concept in residential architecture seems to have broken through all conventions and set a new - if not higher - standard in innovative construction.

R128 Werner Sobek is four-storey house, floating high on a hill overlooking the city of Stuttgart, Germany. Inside this curious creation, there are no doors, switches, interior walls or partitions and no closed rooms. But what takes the cake is that the home generates its own energy. The construction material used to create R128 is one hundred percent eco-friendly and recyclable.

R128 has a most attractive glass façade and is devoid of a basement. High quality triple-glazed glass with inert gas filling is in use. The use of a modular design, complete with glass panels and steel frames ensured easy assembly and disassembly of the construction. The insulated glass panels prevent overheating of the interior during summer and loss of energy and warmth during winter. The supporting steel frame comprises of 10 tons of steel.

The ceiling of the Werner Sobek glass house consists of prefabricated panels overlaid by plastic. Beneath the unscrewed floor, aluminium ceiling panels are affixed by clip connections. Lighting, heating and cooling systems are fitted into that layer and this acts as an acoustic absorber pattern.

Sensor controlled doors have been installed on the upper and lower levels of the house. All appliances and environmental systems are also controlled by motion sensors and voice commands. The front door has a voice recognition feature which allows it to open automatically on a voice command. Water faucets in the bathrooms are regulated by sensors. Windows are controlled by touch screen technology.

Every floor has two folding windows each, which allow natural daylight and fresh air to enter the house. During summer, cool water running through the floor elements removes excess heat from the entire house with the help of a heat exchanger. Thus surplus energy is stored for use in winter. This ensures minimal energy consumption. 48 solar powered modules with a total capacity of 6.2 KW are installed on the rooftop, which are responsible for supplying all the power required by the pump system.

This green show-house is expected to go a long way in promoting energy-efficient architecture.