THE increased use of glass in exteriors for tall buildings underscores the need for good design to ensure public health and safety, said a resident in an eight-storey apartment building and experts from the design industry.

Daw Aye Mi Zaw, 55, who lives in a tall apartment building, said the glass component of the exterior is good for the appearance of the building but because of poor ventilation design around the stairwell she often feels faint when climbing the stairs.

“I live on the seventh floor of the building and I have to take a rest three times on the way up to my apartment because of the lack of air along the glass encased stairwell, a situation that is not improved by the smell of animal odour because of some irresponsible pet owner,” she said.

U Maung Maung Zay Lin, Managing Director of Zeal Men Decoration, said the use of glass in tall buildings should be developed with advice from professional architects to avoid unexpected accidents.

“Some glass used in tall buildings can crack due to vibration and wind pressure and should only be incorporated as exterior decoration under the direction of a skilled architect,” he said.

He said ‘tempered’ glass, which is designed to fragment into tiny pieces when it breaks so it does not harm people, and standard steel frames which can support the weight of the glass, should be used in high rise buildings for public safety.

“But most of the glass used in the tall buildings is not tempered because even the cost of using domestic tempered glass is double that of ordinary glass,” he said.

U Maung Maung Zay Lin said that it can be dangerous for people on the ground because the glass can fall out if it is not installed by skilled people.

He said, “Although the cost of using glass is not much less than using other materials, the glass allows more natural light and hence savings on energy use, and is also an attractive design feature”.

He said that glass is popular in international designs and also most of the shopping centres use tempered glass ceilings to save on lighting costs.
He said that designs for standard high rise buildings need to support good ventilation systems for the comfort of residents as well as be convenient for the maintenance of the glass.

He said glass for exterior decoration has become popular in Myanmar since 1997 and 90 per cent of the taller buildings use five millimetre and six millimetre normal glass for doors and windows.

U Nyunt Win, architect from Studio 151, said high rise buildings need to use tempered or laminated glass fixed in quality frames for safety since the higher you go the greater the air pressure.

“But the cost of using these types of glass is so expensive most of the high rise buildings use ordinary tinted glass. Tempered or laminated glass imported from abroad can cost up to one hundred times more than normal glass,” he said.

Glass is a dominant material in modernist architecture and it is even used as a structural material in some construction projects in foreign countries, he said.

He said architects like to use glass for more light, a wider view and to have greater contact with the natural surrounding environment.

He said some foreign countries restrict tinted glass used to reduce glare and regulate the amount of glass used in a structure by safety criteria.

U Sithu Myint Swe, an experience architect from ST& T Architecture & Building Services, said the design of glass windows in high rise buildings should take account of the fact that tempered or laminated glass cannot be used because of the cost.

Glass in awning and swing windows catch the wind like a sail and should not be too big and glass in sliding windows should be thick, he said.

“The glass should be at least eight millimetres thick, and tempered or laminated glass used if the windows are large and in a high position,” he said.
The use of glass in tall buildings needs to be regulated to avoid accidents, he said.

The quality of window frames and hinges is also important to ensure guaranteed attachment in strong winds, he said.

He said the inappropriate use of glass can increase glare and room temperature by intensifying solar heat, resulting in higher running costs for air conditioning.

He said he expects the use of glass to increase in the future because people favour design trends supporting more natural light, openness and spectacular views.