“The history of architecture is also the history of windows,” stated Le Corbusier, the Swiss-French pioneer of modern architecture. The modern window does not simply consist of Glass and frame; it is a complicated construction that delivers more than mere views. Modern architecture is impacted by the technological capabilities of window manufacture, meaning that developments in window and façade technology bring up alternatives for architects in designing structures.
While ancient China, Korea, and Japan frequently used paper windows, the Romans were the first documented to use Glass for windows around 100 AD. In England, animal horn was utilized before Glass took control in the early 17th century. Frames were fashioned in timber, and windows were modest to suit the Glass. In Georgian times windows with 6 glass panes per sash became prevalent. Glass Repair Sunbury from that era typically had air bubbles, distortions, and curved ripples, which may still be observed today, notably in sash window types in some ancient buildings.
An early improvement in automating glass manufacture was patented in 1848 by the engineer Henry Bessemer. He also introduced an early kind of “Float Glass” in 1843, which included pouring Glass atop liquid tin, which was improved on by the business Pilkington who also developed the breakthrough float glass method in the mid-20th century. This made modern-style floor-to-ceiling windows conceivable.
Before double-glazed glass units were produced, sometimes a set of separate window sashes were put into the frames in winter only (storm windows) to boost energy efficiency. These sashes were replaced in summer by shutters in Italy, Southern France, etc., or flyscreens in other regions of Europe.
The first patent for a sealed double-glazed unit was registered in the US in the 1930s. Following the major European oil crisis in 1973, governments modified building standards, with some countries offering subsidies and cheap loans to increase building efficiency, which included double-glazed windows.
Today, double-glazed windows and doors are prevalent, with triple glazing also being brought to Australia. Frame materials for energy-efficient windows and doors are timber, thermally fractured aluminum, uPVC, and timber-aluminum composites.
In Australia, building standards need specific energy stars for homes which are commonly accomplished – depending on the climate of course – by having large windows on the north side for solar heat gain in winter with eaves to shield the Glass during the hot summer months. Smaller windows are employed for east, west, and south-facing elevations.
An important aspect of a decent window is its air-tightness to avoid drafts; current tilt and turn styles are becoming increasingly popular. Technologically improved tilt-and-turn windows and lift-slide doors began in Germany, expanded to the UK, and are now extensively utilized in the US and China. Paarhammer made its first double-glazed tilt and-turn windows for the Australian market in 1990, with triple-glazing options available since the local glass industry could manufacture the insulated glass units (IGUs). These triple-glazed windows have the lowest U-value (and highest energy efficiency) of any window built locally from largely local materials in Australia.
What is in a name – the origin of ‘window': Old Norse vindauga, from vindr ‘wind' + auga' eye.'
A German language phrase is that the windows are the ‘eyes of the house.
0
