Technology: Structural Utilization of Wood and Glass
From both the technical and the architectural standpoints, extensive glazing in the building envelope has great potential: with selective transparency, considerable solar gains can be achieved - making solar energy the most important factor in the building's overall energy gains. Buildings with passive solar standard take advantage of the glasshouse effect and, thanks to the extensive glazing, no longer require a conventional fossil-fuel-based heating system. However, the reduction - or complete lack of - walls presents a structural challenge. Horizontal forces created by, for example, wind or earthquakes can no longer be transferred through opaque walls.
