"Glass is both a substance and an ideology." - Francois Roche
Words to write a book by and Engineered Transparency: The Technical, Visual, and Spatial Effects of Glass is the book. This one is for the architects, as it concerns itself primarily with glass as a building material and cultural phenomena. "Engineered Transparency brings together an extraordinary multidisciplinary group of international architects engineers manufacturers and critics to collectively reconsider glass within the context of recent engineering and structural achievements. In light of these advancements glass has reemerged as a novel architectural material offering new and previously unimaginable modes of visual pleasure and spatial experience."
Projects featured include SANAA's Glass Pavilion at the Toledo Museum of Art, Yoshio Taniguchi's MoMA expansion in New York City and Steven Holl's Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City. With contributions by noted thinkers in the field of architecture and design including historians Kenneth Frampton Antoine Picon and Detlef Mertins; cultural critics Beatriz Colomina Joan Ockman and Reinhold Martin; engineers Werner Sobek Guy Nordenson and Richard Tomasetti; and architects Kazuyo Sejima, Steven Holl and Elizabeth Diller. "Engineered Transparency redefines glass as a 21st century building material and challenges our assumptions about its aesthetic structural and spatial potential."
And it could be yours, we're giving away our copy of the book. We will randomly select a commenter or twitterer on Friday and send them the book. Please leave a comment here with what you see right now outside your window. It's available at Amazon for $40.95 where you can also Look Inside.
UPDATE: @_plasmo_ in Melbourne, AUS is the random pick - she gets the Engineered Transparency book. Thanks to all who replied and commented! And special thanks to Princeton Architectural Press who will also be sending a copy to Architecture for Humanity.







Pine: Colorado pines, pine siding, pine fencing and pine trim. The overcast sky above the furthest roof and tree top is the yin to a gradual rock-covered slope at the base of the closest building. The front tires and grill of a Toyota X-runner appears to be flirting with me as it peaks out from behind the furthest pine structure. The truck's attempt to fit in with the scenery, with it's pewter and silver hues, creates a smug look on my face as I'm thinking, "give me a break gas guzzler." The scene is quiet, still, patiently waiting for the clouds to break in rain or sun. Ah, there. There's a gradual wind stirring the scene. And the Guzzler has a twinkle on it's hood. It's another still life moment here in Breckenridge.
Downtown Chicago illuminated by the late afternoon sunlight.
I see a pile of shale tiles and a pool in rainy weather. Cheers!
I NEED this book!
sun shining on cars
full lot of dirty windshields
faded parking lines
a hummingbird feeder gently rocking on a branch, and a mourning dove pecking the ground for thistle seeds that the finches dropped.
Whoa! im in the process of designing my new home.. i simply MUST have this book.. inspiration and imitation is the greatest for of flattery and i want my new domain to be eco friendly and visually non invasive.
what a fantastic book to draw inspiration from.
a dirty glass roof, tree, grey sky
torrential rain and bodega lights
i see the new melbourne rectangular stadium in construction together with the cloudy blue sky, just like out of the simpsons cartoon episode.
I see Chevron's number 2 refinery in El Segundo, CA with the Pacific Ocean behind it.
Parked cars glowing pale under sodium vapor lamps.
In Bandung, the sky is grey with heavy cloud hanging above. However the afternoon sunlight still manage to get through my window. The sunlight enhances the colour of red flowers that grow spontaneusly on my neigbour brick wall.
(The cover is so fabulous, reflecting on the glass. All of the project inside are all my favorite. This book is to die for.)
top of a really beautiful stone wall, with tree in the background
a grocery store, diner, hardware store, japanese bakery, and chinese restaurant but mostly just the leafy green leaves of a large tree
Right now I'm surrounded by walls without windows....if I were at home though, I'd look out and see lots of trees and blue sky, birds fluttering in the morning dew and the sun just starting to reach the top branches.
really my email and name alone should garner sumthin'
the book
sea and an ugly guy.
A bunch of trees, a church, and an empty highway.
Abandoned business across the street, graffiti, dreary rainy sky. Blah.
The furious, ceaseless ingestion of grass and bugs by the family of geese who have taken up residence in the yard. The five babies are beginning to lose their fuzz, beginning to figure out what their still-featherless wings are for. In the meantime, they eat and eat and eat. And, of course, put a lot of stuff out the other end.
Outside my window is the stuccoed blank wall of a row house next door.
midday cloudy gray skies of a typical Edmonton Spring, the first sign of budding leaves dancing just above the second story window, set against a backdrop of highrise buildings. and muddy reflections.
Some pine trees that have just got their bright green new needles, the sunset is lighting up everything with an orange tinge. The hills and mountains in the background with a few little white spots (sheep) moving around. the sky is blue gradually turning orange. its been a great day so far.
A world of opportunity and an open gate.
Almost burnt out barely green grass, sun, birds, dogs frolicking and playing with the tssht tssht tsshting of the sprinkler. A crow watches eerily as if waiting for the night.
me myself and my book :F
visible and non-visible borders for transparant architecture.
I can see a lilac bush that I need to go out and cut off the dead flowers.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo.com
Give me the book. I want it.
just myself behind my monitor. it's dark outside, so my window is a mirror..
A wall of buildings and, far to the right, islands, and a lighthouse.
a path leading to who knows where. . .
Would like to study "Engineered Transparency" in order to be able to give
any comments about it.
I am an unpaid intern working at a full scale design magazine that incorporates architecture-interiors-fashion and more into one binding. I do not have a window to look through from my desk, but would certainly be looking outside if I could.
My neighbours, a really great garden and an apartment building.
an empty pool, due to repairs.