Smart glass opens window to green building
Photo credit: AP, 2007 | The technology still needs the test of time, but after five years of research and development, companies are brining out light and heat sensitive windows that developers describe as a way to sheathe buildings in a "smart envelope." Use of the new smart glass could become cost-effective for skyscraper colonies like Manhattan.
SAN FRANCISCO -- At first glance, the big windows in the W Hotel's lobby look unremarkable. Then the sun strikes them -- and the glass slowly darkens to block the glare and heat.
The windows are made of Dynamic View Glass, created by View Inc. (www.viewglass.com), and represent a step forward for sustainable building. By letting users regulate how much light and heat enters a structure, they...
