GLASS HOUSES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 122, 25 May 1935, Page 6

GLASS HOUSES.

EXPERIMENT IN ENGLAND.

"XOTHING SURPRISING.?'

Glass houses, not the kind used for raising plants or tomatoes, but houses to accommodate people, are being erected in England. For years cxperiliiente have been carried out by glass manufacturers to improve glaea in many ways, and, as in all Industries, much progress has been made. To-day the manufacturers turn out glass of innumerable grades and appearances, and the glase which will be iwed in the erection of houses rangee in thi'eknees from half an inch to an inch, and is beautifully polished. It is made in various colour?, and the finished article resembles highly-polished marble. The head of a prominent Auckland firm.'of architects said to-day that many ycafts ago a'lioiwie was built of glass in either the Uniteil States or Japan, and it was not surprising to learn now that houses were being erected in glass. In these times nothing would surprise, but even though much progress had been made, the glass house presented ite problems, economic and practical. In all old buildings tho walls had to carry tho whole structure, but to-day that had been changed, and all the walls were necessary for now was to give protection against the weather. In a glass house a framework would,' of course, be required, just as it was neceseary when glass was used for facings of building*, of which there were several instances in the Dominion. So far there was not a house in* New Zealand with the outside walls of glae<s, but, the architect again remarked, progress was so swift nowadays that nothing was surprising.