Glass houses appear to be attractive and hence they are used in commercial real estate in the country. The façade of the commercial buildings are built using glass panels to lend beautiful look. We find such buildings in metropolitan cities and main towns and cities of the country. Corporate clients who take buildings on lease in fact prefer such structures. Fixing glass instead of walls will enable people to see the outside world from the glass houses. Moreover, the glass can be shaped in any form. Besides lending beauty to the structure and many more benefits, there are many disadvantages of living in such houses. Let us see what the disadvantages are…
Beauty, attractiveness
Glass designed structures are beautiful and also attractive. The glass can be used in any shape and hence it is called architect-friendly. The glass enables light to pass up to 75-80 per cent. No other building material has this property. The glass is weather-proof and hence can withstand rains, sunshine and wind. It will never change its form under any seasonal conditions.
Moreover, it is rust-free. In fact, it is a better choice compared to iron. It will have a soft exterior and prevents dust. If laminated or coloured sheets are used along with the glass, the structure appears more beautiful. It reduces weight on the foundation of the structure. Compared to walled structure, the glass structure is very light on the foundation. The power consumption in such structures would be less if the choice of glass is good. Moreover, the glass is almost maintenance free. One has to clean the glass once in a month. The glass is friction free.
Incompatible with high temperatures
The façade of glass radiate light. It is one of the main disadvantages of glass. Moreover, glass absorbs heat and hence not suitable for tropical regions. Several varieties of glass are not compatible for places prone to seismic activity. Making the glass to resist seismic activity is a costly affair. To keep the glass houses safe, one should spend more money towards maintenance. Any tension created on the glass breaks it easily. At a time the world is moving towards green houses, the glass houses are certainly an odd man out. Experts say that glass façade does not suit every climactic condition.
