Glass is a fantastic material. It can act as a barrier while at the same time allowing light through. Not only light, but whatever is on the other side can be visible. Architects use glass for precisely these reasons. In these photos the sky, clouds, and the sun are visible, beautiful.
But sometimes
what you can see, is not what you want to see.
In all of these photos what should be a clear view of the sky is actually a murky dirty foggy mess.
Did the designers of these awnings and ceilings consider the fact that sometimes it rains? That dust, dirt, and smog, come down with the rain and leave a mess? That somehow they would need to clean the glass…almost every week? (Perhaps the architect’s cousin owns a glass cleaning business…nudge nudge wink wink)
Designers/architects need to consider the appropriate use of the material they wish to use, in this case, glass. They need to understand what may or may not be visible, and need to determine if they should use glass at all.
Glass could still be used in these situations, it may just be a simple case of installing the glass at an angle, such that the rain can run off easier. Maybe there is an opportunity for automatic pool cleaners to be adapted for cleaning horizontal glass. Whatever the solution, there is an opportunity here for improvement.
Like I always say, every problem is an opportunity. Here is an opportunity to redesign the use of glass in horizontal positions, or to come up with a way to clean them…
Opportunities opportunities opportunities, they’re all around us.
Citizenrod | art | design | think