Blake Middleton explains why glass remains a prevalent material even as architects push for greater sustainability.
“Architecture has been in a love affair and struggle with glass buildings for nearly a century, since floor-to-ceiling glass walls became possible around the 1920s. “The big fight in all traditional buildings up to that time was how to get natural light into spaces,” says Blake Middleton, a partner at New York-based Handel Architects…
For developers, the main appeal of glass is financial. Glass is pricier than other materials, but not exorbitant, and a simple all-glass wall can actually streamline costs over a wall with large windows. And the investment in glass yields a payoff. “It’s always about the view,” says Middleton, who designed Boston’s Millennium Tower. “In real estate, it’s location, location, location, and the third location is where you are in elevation. ” A floor-to-ceiling window helps to maximize the value of that height. ” – Blake Middleton
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Boston Wants to Fight Climate Change. So Why is Every New Building Made of Glass?, Boston Globe