Glass is one of the most sustainable building materials offering many benefits, including energy efficiency and natural light.
The glass industry is constantly evolving to keep up with building design trends (and vice versa!), allowing businesses to invest in aesthetic property design.
From the safety benefits of anti-slip glass to the numerous applications of smart glass, we have rounded up the most popular glass trends for 2023 based on monthly searches!
Smart glass
In the last 12 months, there have been around 810 monthly searches for ‘smart glass’, indicating a strong awareness and appeal for the material.¹
Also known as light control glass (LCG), smart glass alters the amount of light transmission running through itself via an electrical charge travelling through the various laminated layers to change its appearance dramatically.
The flexibility of the glass provides extra privacy and less light transmission on cue, giving way to numerous business applications. Smart glass can create office partitions, giving more privacy during sensitive meetings by blocking the view from the outside. This same idea can be applied to electronic curtains in hotels, which add to a five-star experience by elevating the guest experience.
Smart glass can be added to glass panels on shop fronts, restaurants and cafes, increasing energy efficiency as the changeable opacity keeps it cool in summer but warm in winter.
Anti-slip glass
Around 1,000 monthly searches for ‘glass flooring’ and 260 monthly searches for ‘walking glass’ indicate a need for a safe, slip-free glass alternative for flooring.²
Anti-slip glass is designed with a raised pattern to increase friction on the floor, preventing people from slipping while walking on top of it. A much safer alternative to non-treated glass, safety applications can include glass treads on staircases, ideal for hotels, restaurants or shopping centres to create a safe yet dramatic entrance.
Anti-slip glass can also be applied to glass floor walkways, ideal for large office buildings, tourist attractions or shopping centres to increase the amount of natural light and create a more aesthetically pleasing building design.
Coloured glass
Credit: Vanceva.com
There are 2,900 monthly searches for ‘coloured glass’³, showing a significant interest in bold glass designs. Coloured glass is treated to change its colour and opacity and provides an attractive architectural option. At SGP, we use a coloured Vanceva PVB Interlayer or paint to achieve the desired effect.
Crucially, glass can be made in any custom colour that a business requires. This is useful for elevating shop fronts and head offices with glass reflecting the branding and logo, maintaining a professional feel to the building.
Different glass colours can also be used for entertainment and landscape lighting in hospitality settings and tourist attractions to enhance the beauty of the space, therefore encouraging more visitors and increase sales.
Tinted glass
Tinted glass is achieved by simply applying a film to one side of the glass to decrease the light passing through one side, and has many uses for businesses. The glass has seen a rise in popularity recently, with 18.1K monthly searches for ‘window film for privacy’ in December 2022, which is a 49% increase compared to December 2021⁵.
For businesses, tinted glass is excellent for privacy screens in small offices, which help to section off the space. You can also use tinted glass in domestic property projects to maintain privacy on windows, balconies or conservatories, adding significant value for the developer.
Tinted glass units can also regulate a building’s temperature as it absorbs energy from the light spectrum, keeping it cold in summer and warm in winter.
If you are looking for a specialist glass for your next project, get in touch today to discuss your requirements! We can support a range of glass units, including double-glazed, toughened, laminated or curved glass.
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Sources:
- SE Ranking data for the search term ‘smart glass’ from the last 12 months.
- SE Ranking data for the search term ‘walking glass’ from the last 12 months.
- SE Ranking data for the search term ‘coloured glass’ from the last 12 months.
- SE Ranking data for the search term ‘window film for privacy’ from the last 12 months.
