Quick answer: Dichroic glass is float glass coated with ultra-thin metal oxide layers that split light into two complementary colors: one transmitted, one reflected. The effect shifts with viewing angle and light conditions. In architecture, it's most common in accent panels, skylights, canopies, and art ...Read More

2006 Britt Stokes Quick answer: Tempered glass is annealed float glass that has been heated and rapidly cooled, locking compression into the surfaces and tension into the core. This makes it approximately four times stronger in bending than standard glass and causes ...Read More

Quick answer: Glass block walls diffuse daylight while blocking sightlines—a combination clear glazing can't replicate. But there are some disadvantages of glass blocks: no views, no ventilation, and modest thermal performance. Whether they're right for your project anyway depends on the details. Glass blocks ...Read More

Architectural glass does a lot more than fill an opening. It carries loads, diffuses light, defines character, and in some cases, becomes the most talked-about feature of a building. For architects, engineers, builders, and designers, choosing the right glass product is a decision with a ...Read More

Specifying a structural glass wall is a different exercise than selecting standard wall materials. Glass architecture has become ever more popular among architects, structural engineers, glaziers, and spec writers, but it requires a bit of expertise. Fortunately, Circle Redmont® has 60+ years of experience as ...Read More

Glass blocks were once a rare blip in architectural design. Not anymore. The glass block wall has made a serious comeback, and this time, architects, designers, and homeowners aren't just using it to let in a sliver of light. They're making it the focal point. ...Read More

Few structural forms have outlasted empires, survived stylistic revolutions, and arrived in the modern era more intact than the barrel vault. The barrel vault definition is straightforward—a continuous arch extruded along a length to create a semi-cylindrical ceiling or roof—but the engineering behind it, and ...Read More

Glass has become one of the most versatile structural materials in commercial architecture. It carries loads, defines how people move through a space, and turns daylight into a design feature, whether it's underfoot as a walkable floor or rising fifty feet as an illuminated tower. ...Read More

Glass as a building material has come a long way from window panes and skylights. Modern structural glass flooring systems can handle foot traffic, equipment loads, and the demands of busy commercial spaces—when properly designed. If you've ever stood on a glass floor and felt ...Read More

If you've ever walked into a space that felt inexplicably bright and calm—no harsh overhead lights, no squinting against direct sun—there's a decent chance a glass brick wall had something to do with it. Unlike a standard window that funnels light into one concentrated beam, ...Read More