THE USE OF INTELLIGENT GLASS & INTELLIGENT USE OF GLASS

The following paper won the 2nd place in http://www.glazette.com/30-a-vision-through-glass.html

The Author Himanshu Soni is currently doing is PG in Masters in Theory & Design, CEPT university

THE USE OF INTELLIGENT GLASS & INTELLIGENT USE OF GLASS

A VISION THROUGH GLASS

“An honest effort becomes more appreciable then winning”

- by me (Ar. Himanshu Soni)

While sitting and looking at GLASS …. Yes GLASS ….. Glass of my laptop screen, I got across this: “The use of intelligent glass and intelligent use of glass”. Thinking of it I went deep into ocean of my thoughts, with these few words surrounded by practical knowledge and rationalism gained by me in almost 23 years of life both consciously and unconsciously.

It was then it came to me in four ways:

· The use of glass,

· The use of intelligent glass,

· The intelligent use of glass, and

· The intelligent use of intelligent glass.

In order as written above these represent the rising stage of consciousness towards GLASS.

The use of glass

Have you ever imagined how the use of material is determined?

If we start listing uses of glass as a material, then uses will be innumerable. The reason is not that the material in question is glass, but it is the fact that any material lists its uses because of these three; firstly, its practical application; secondly, its ongoing research (seen as future use) and thirdly, imagination and dreams of masterminds (seen as unseen future).

The only factor that remains constant or major domain of a material which never separates it from its name are its very basic properties. These properties become its very basic information and the only reason for its innumerable uses. In order to use glass and understand its existing uses following is the basic information:

· Disordered and Amorphous structure

· Brittle nature makes its fragile and easily breakable into sharp pieces,

· Optically ranges from transparent to translucent and lustrous,

· Solid and Hard material,

· Inert and biologically inactive material,

· 100% recyclable material, and

· High refractive index.

One must keep in mind basic properties of glass as material before determining its use because these have been and will remain in future the guiding factor. The only thing which will change will context, the surrounding fabric of its existence.

Being the scientists, designers, architects, researchers, engineers… being an intelligent species the responsibility rests on our shoulders to best use glass as material, without forgetting its basic characteristics. For e.g. being an architect I would see glass as material that provides one vision across things, maintains visual connectivity but physical barrier, lightens space, maintains connection with nature etc. and see them as its very basic uses which had to be reflected whatever mode glass takes or technology it uses.

Being an intelligent species this great responsibility of supporting and upholding the beautiful creation of GOD i.e. nature rests with us and at the same time making life more enjoyable and easy for all living creatures in harmony with nature.

Majorly, idea is that, the use of glass is what we make out of it being blessed with intelligence but major concern is that are we doing intelligent use of glass. In the blind rush of acquiring more and more progress in technology and materialistic pleasures, somewhere we have lost the major principles and laws of our existence in equilibrium with nature. Nature, the very force holding our life’s intact and safe. To be sensitive towards this concern, it must remain at back of mind while defining use of any material.

“Motivation makes ordinary more ordinary than others;

extra-ordinary”

The use of intelligent glass

Intelligent, this word holds the key of making a glass intelligent, but what is intelligent in terms of glass?

Our researchers consider it as smart glass or glass that intelligently switches modes to suite the context or serve the needed cause. It is basically our intelligence which reflects into intelligent glass, or our need or our quest to solve an issue. For e.g. “types of smart glass can allow users to control the amount of light and heat passing through: with the press of a button, it changes from transparent to translucent, partially blocking light while maintaining a clear view of what lies behind the window”.

Any glass showing this attribute fully or partially becomes intelligent glass. Now, telling more about intelligent glass, taking its horizon to its use will be disrespect to time as 4^th dimension. Time shows continuous growth of technology and makes the new of today old of tomorrow. But then according to knowledge updated till date i.e. Monday, 20^th March, 2010 following is information regarding few intelligent glasses with their properties and basic uses(but uses can be innumerable as stated before, it all depends upon being intelligent to use our own reflected intelligence, so that it multiplies)

As stated in Wikipedia:

· Electro chromic glass: allows controlling the amount of light and heat passing through. The electro chromic material changes its opacity: it changes between a colored, translucent state (usually blue) and a transparent state. Electro chromic glass provides visibility even in the darkened state and thus preserves visible contact with the outside environment. Development of reflective hydrides, which become reflective rather than absorbing, and thus switch states between transparent and mirror-like. Modified porous nano-crystalline films have enabled the creation of electro chromic display.

· Suspended particle glass: It basically remains opaque and becomes transparent on passing small but constant electrical current.

· Polymer dispersed liquid crystal glass: It is generally milky white in appearance but changes to transparent with applied voltage. The degree of transparency can be controlled by the applied voltage.

· Micro- blinds: Micro-blinds control the amount of light passing through in response to applied voltage.

· Switchable LED glass: combines energy efficient LEDs to create a material for uses such as office partitions, business showcases, or special countertops.

“Information grows intelligence and intelligence further multiplies information”

- by me (Ar. Himanshu Soni)

The intelligent use of glass

“Every successful person is not enlightened, but every enlightened person is successful”

- by Sonu Nigam

I can’t enlighten your souls but may attempt enlightening your brains; a bit with few intelligent uses of glass.

“I can show you the way but you will need to walk on your own”

To show the way I would tell few simple intelligent use of glass in architecture. Architecture is just one field showing intelligent use of glass, there are numerous other fields and applications (again innumerable):

Climatically: It depends upon climate to decide locating glass façade in building. In hot climate it must be placed in north façade to avoid entry of sun’s direct heat and light and utilize maximum indirect and reflected light from north façade. In cold climate the thing stands opposite it is preferred to have glazed façade on south and west side. In composite climate one can make use of variation in tilt of sun’s movement in summers and winters by providing correct shape and size of projections and louvers. These all small and effective things can help a lot in making living conditions inside built environments more comfortable. Its just about understanding nature and its laws and going along with them. In interiors this intelligence melts down to very simple words: Glass as a material must be used to control visibility, semi-visibility and non-visibility of spaces. Also must be used as a material to control nature and quality of light. It may also be used as an acoustic material, if employed intelligently.

The intelligent use of intelligent glass

Now I will call this as the level where one needs to touch the highest level of consciousness to deal with both the intelligence. It is about exercising brain to make 2X2=4 and not dealing it like 2/2=1. Its about using not only one’s intelligence while determining use but also using that reflected intelligence. With so much a big platform one must think beyond the existing lines. For e.g. thinking beyond doesn’t mean thinking of energy; the application of material will save in its life, but thinking one step before and after i.e. how much energy goes into manufacturing of intelligent glass and how much carbon footprints it would leave after ending. If too much goes into manufacturing and knowingly or unknowingly these intelligent glasses are misused then we would hamper rather than harnessing.

This double intelligence must even think beyond rationalism; moving towards the softer aspects of our life our emotions. One must keep in mind human tendencies or tendencies of living forms around before making this intelligent use of intelligent glass. Its not always a formulae to reach to solution, in so much mechanized and computerized world we are losing those small things that mattered. In the mad rush of making every penny worth we are losing the importance of that small glimpse that we get from a small window as compared to a bigger glass façade. Those small beams of lights through small openings covered with colored glasses to make those soul touching patterns and ambiences, that too naturally. It’s a question do we really need so much of sophistication for these small happiness’s existing around us?

“Glass will remain intelligent only till our intelligence”

- by me (Ar. Himanshu Soni)

http://www.glazette.com/30-a-vision-through-glass.html