For over four thousand years, the lustrous, hard, and inert characteristics of glass have made it one of the world’s most desirable and frequently used building materials. Glass is used in many of our everyday activities and is included in a multitude of products all around us, such as windows, doors, partitions, furniture, cookware, automotive windows and sunroofs, and food and beverage containers.

Additionally, glass can be cleaned easily with non-abrasive (and often antibacterial) cleaners, which is another reason why glass has helped us through many unfortunate public health events like epidemics and pandemics.

One of the most important glass performance measures is U-value—also known as U-factor—which measures the insulating characteristics of the glass, or how much heat flow or heat loss occurs through the glass due to the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures.

When designing commercial spaces, choosing the right type of glass is critical. In order to choose the right product, evaluating a glass’s aesthetic characteristics up close by viewing a glass sample is also crucial.

Sample evaluation can be a make-or-break moment in the course of your project. Do you know how to properly view glass samples or full-size mockups?

Choosing the right architectural glass is crucial to a successful project. For more informed decisions in the evaluation, selection and specification of architectural glass, Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG glass) recommends becoming familiar with the properties and benefits of the four most common glass types: low-e coated glass, clear glass, low-iron glass and tinted glass.

Imagination and creativity are critical skills that enable architects to create beautiful, vibrant and sustainable buildings. However, one aspect of successful projects that often goes under the radar is the glass specification. From project conception to completion, specifications provide a necessary “check and balance” to ensure that the proper products are being used and that current industry standards are being followed.

To make more informed decisions in the evaluation, selection and specification of architectural glass products, Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG glass) recommends using an installed systems cost approach. The pie chart below indicates the approximate cost percentage of fabricated glass relative to a typical installed curtain wall total cost. The table, “Fabricated Glass Options,” indicates the relatively minor cost impact of selecting various Solarban® solar control low-e coated glasses by Vitro glass on the overall installed cost.

Placement of a laminated lite within an insulating glass unit (IGU) is key to how its glazing system will perform. INSLIP and INSLOP are two commonly used terms to help designers position laminated glass properly.

Here’s a quick demonstration that will give you an understanding of low-emissivity or low-e glass.