Custom Glass Creations Combining Innovative Architectural Design & Distinctive Glass Techniques
Glass Build America Trade Show in Atlanta, Georgia
Posted on Oct 2, 2009 by Wayne Czechowski
On October 1, 2009 I visited the Glass Build America Trade Show in Atlanta, GA. It is an annual show that I have been attending for the past 20 years. I go to this particular show because I can visit hundreds of booths from various manufacturers and actually see and touch the latest technologies and products in the Architectural Glass field. Each booth is staffed by a group of technical and sales people who can answer questions about the latest technologies developed by their company.
One of the coolest things that I saw this year was fiber optic lighting laminated between two sheets of glass. The designs were infinite and the fiber optic lights emit a steady glow of different colors and points of light that can flash on and off or stay lighted. The interesting thing is that no wires or lines between the glass were visible from any angle.
The major trend in the Architectural Glass industry is a dramatic increase in the amount of “Designer” or “Decorative Glass” that is being used in the United States. Decorative Glass can be used in a variety of residential and commercial buildings to create a one of a kind focal point in any room. There are now a variety of glass colors being applied to architectural glass in both opaque and transparent colors that create “dream walls” or impart a gentle transparent color in areas where it is used.
There are many different types of new artistic designs available in glass for architectural purposes. These can be colored glass with tough new coatings applied to the surface of the glass to colors and designs using laminated glass or sand blasted glass that uses a photographic process to reproduce almost any picture taken by a digital camera.
In my business, I produce UL approved non-slip glass flooring and stairs along with cast and slumped decorative glass products. I am always on the lookout for new ideals and technology that I can incorporate into my products or new products that I can produce.
Architects and homeowners are always looking for new ideas in decorative glass. Who would have thought ten years ago that you could actually produce glass floors and stairs that people could safely walk on? Besides the obvious dramatic look of glass flooring, light passes through the glass panels and serves as a lighting source for other areas of the building.
After a tentative start, glass floors and stair treads are now being used throughout the country.
Tagged: glass floor, glass stair tread, architectural glass, cast glass, slumped glass, decorative glass, ul glass flooring, nonslip floor glass
Comments
Wayne, sounds like you had a great time - I'm so glad! Keep up the good work!
Can you do special shapes with your flooring glass? We are looking at a spiral staircase as well as some flooring in an area that has columns supporting the 2nd floor. Can you make the pie-shaped pieces for the stairs as well as square holes for the posts?
I also love these types of shows. I've been to the Las Vegas electronics convention and that was a ton of fund.