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Glass burns wealthy condo-dwellers

Apurimac

Found this on the WSJ via Curbed.com.

ARTICLE

Apparently, the age-old modernist fight of wealthy glass-house dwellers vs. The Sun is still an issue. What I don't understand though, is with double-curtain walls, double glazing, friting, tinting, films, and the myriad of other systems available that are supposed to deter this kind of thing why is it still an issue? Is proper glazing getting VEed out of this kinds of projects? Why not at least install fritted or tinted glazing on the south and west exposures? We've seen with many all-glass projects (pretty much everything Foster has done in the last 25 years) that solar gain can be mitigated. So all I can assume is these people are paying top-dollar for crappy condos with single glazed panes.

 
Aug 29, 08 12:15 pm
evilplatypus

I love it - "I love being able to see everything," says Ms. Antani, a 23-year-old graduate student. But "the sun's just in your eyes; you can't focus. Everything is so bright."

her new $1.5 million dollar condo with $20,000 imported designer sofas. Manhatten - international country club for the wealthy only - all others keep out.

Aug 29, 08 12:20 pm  · 
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Apurimac

tell me about it

Aug 29, 08 12:22 pm  · 
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futureboy

this article just points out to me how stupid rich kids are......

Aug 29, 08 12:28 pm  · 
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"The Co-op Guy"

How does a 23 year old grad student afford a 1.5 mil condo in manhattan?? Mommy and Daddy must love her very much.

Aug 29, 08 12:37 pm  · 
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in los angeles, glass cladding is a dying art! it will forever define early 2000's design trend though.
i am also interested in the other aspect of living in glass palaces...elseplace

Aug 29, 08 12:42 pm  · 
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Apurimac

That's nothing. At my old job we were still punchlisting a multi-million dollar condo building in soho for a very long time after completion. One of the private 3-bedrooms (4 bed plus maid's quarters, private elevator, terrace, whole 9 yards) was given to an NYU student as her graduation present. They even gave her a maid who would follow about 6 feet behind her at all times picking up whatever she left around. She would just sit on her couch petting her little dog while we were trying to fix the HVAC system. The condo smelled perpetually of weed.

Aug 29, 08 12:42 pm  · 
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cou2

What a shock - they need shades... what did they expect? Even smaller windows usually need them.

Aug 29, 08 1:12 pm  · 
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sharkswithlasers

i guess i'm missing why some basic horiz and vert sunshading seems so uncommon?





Aug 29, 08 1:13 pm  · 
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sharkswithlasers

as part of the architecture, I mean...

Aug 29, 08 1:14 pm  · 
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Apurimac

Because these condos are designed to be sold and not inhabited it seems

Aug 29, 08 1:25 pm  · 
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Jayness

All Glass on the West Facade. Couldn't the Grad Student have been aware of this before plunking down 1.5 mil. There will always be problems with Glass, and yes the tech is developing, because Dubai, etc, they want the Windows. Shading, of course, the ultimate solution. Still, its kinda of pathetic how little or unaware this Grad student was of basic Sun patterns. Does she drive out to the Hamptons to see the sun set.
Sorry, this article gets the blood boiling.

Aug 29, 08 1:37 pm  · 
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conormac

all I can say is thank god for people that are willing to pay for condos like that, cuz it pays architects (meagre) salaries... altho it would be nice if some were more discerning i guess

Aug 29, 08 1:57 pm  · 
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mantaray

You guys are missing the jem at the end...

Then there's the trouble with birds. Houston artists Dana and Hana Harper live in a 1960 house by architect Harwood Taylor with "wall-to-wall windows," says Mr. Harper. The couple enjoys looking out over a wooded bayou, but they don't like that birds periodically crash into the glass and die.

"Yes... yes... we love our wildlife-viewing retreat! Yes it's right in nature like we always wanted! ...But damned if those idiot birds don't positively insist on dying in droves on our porch. Something must be done about them, they're staining the ipe!"

Aug 29, 08 7:41 pm  · 
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NoSleep

^^WOW! they saved the best for last! that's awesome!

Aug 29, 08 11:09 pm  · 
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fine line

I remember seeing a series of photos somewhere (i think the online version of an american magazine) of dead birds that had been collected from new york. Apparently it's one guys job to collect them all. There were several hundred a year if I remember correctly.

Aug 30, 08 9:22 am  · 
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zoolander

Houses are not meant to comprise of wall to ceiling glass.

Again these dumb peope have bought into the fashionalble lifestyle and are paying their dues.

Aug 31, 08 5:26 am  · 
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