GLASS HOUSES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8110, 3 April 1906, Page 7

GLASS HOUSES.

People are apparently to have the opportunity in tbe near future uf living literally in glass houses. The "Sfcetoh" reoently published a pictare of a new ten-storey building "in glass," which is io coarse of erection for the Dea Moinog Savings Bank, lowa. The architect is Mr 0. E. Eastman. It is the steel frame, so popular now in America, that renders glass building possible, and Mr Eastman, in advocating this form of construction, declares that glass buildings will be flre-proof, and will be cheaper than brick. The Des Moines Savings Bank will bare a frontage of 160 feet, it is to be built of white opalesoent glass about an inoh in thickness and reinforced

BY A STEEL Wlßti SCREEN or net, such as is used in roofing and building construction. This glass is set in a steel frame, and the {business blook is a steel-frame construction, on the plan of the large briok buildings of America. The outer covering of glass is white, and resembles marble, exoept that it is brighter and is always clean, dust and smoke blowing off it freely. It is a plain business block, and is intended for office use. The idea has "caught on." The Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church have obtained from Mr Eastman plans for a

CHUROB TO BE BUILT IN WHITE GLASS, and the work will be put in band this year. The Des Moines municipality, too, proposes to build a new set of public offices, and the Mayor . has persuaded his oolleagues that a * crystal hall would be a magnificent advertisement for the city. The glass used is of special * strength, manufactured from Missouri and lowa yellow sand. Glass fronts are not unoommon in Des Moines business houses, and from glass fronts to four glass wails was an easy and obvious step. Criticism has INEVITABLY TAKEN THE LINE that glass houses must still be considered to be in an experimental stage. No business man, we are told, would accept a design for a glass building of twenty-six storeys, but to the average individual the ten-storey savings bank offices would seem a sufficient test of strength and durability. Glass an inch thick is stronger than brick an inch thick, but whether a comparatively thin glass wall, with steel frames, would statu as well as a solid brick wall remains to be seen. These new methods of construction have not yet reached New Zealand and possibly the fear of earthquakes will prevent their immediate adoption.