STRUCTURAL GLASS FACADES - USC School of Architecture

Given the long development of the technology in Europe before emerging in the North
American market, it is not surprising that the prominent consulting and design/build entities
are all European, most with offices in the US. The design/build firms are small and
specialized. It is likely that the larger curtain wall companies will adopt the specialty
technology at some point. Permasteelisa, the international curtain wall firm has
accomplished this through the purchase of Garner. Enclos Corp, the leading US curtain
waller, has similarly acquired the capability through the purchase of Advanced Structures
Incorporated, a specialty design build firm that pioneered the introduction of structural glass
façade technology in North America.
1.4 Structural Glass Facades as Emergent Technology
As has been pointed out earlier, structural glass façades are not new, but the technology is
emergent by virtue of accelerating interest and use by the building industry. The technology
is increasingly visible and differentiated from conventional glass use in architecture, which is
primarily comprised of storefront, window wall and curtain wall systems. The market growth
in structural glass façade technology parallels but outpaces the general increased use of
glass in architecture.
1.4.1 A Unique and Maturing Technology
The roots of structural glass façade technology extend well back into the 19 th century, with
first instances of the immediate technology dating back well over three decades. Adoption of
the technology has been gradual, however, and restricted to a relatively small portion of the
design community. Nonetheless, consideration of the body of completed projects comprising
this class of building form reveals a remarkable diversity of design in a variety of applications
numbering in the hundreds.
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