Glass bearing walls – a case study

Mark DuBois, Ohlhausen DuBois Architects

Glass is used as an unbraced, primary load bearing element in a residential project in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The intent was to create a pure wall of glass that would seamlessly integrate with the architecture, and to explore the perceptual and psychological impact of
a load bearing glass wall.

The glass bearing wall measures 3.5 m high by 8.6 m in length and transfers the loads from a steel framed roof into a concrete foundation. What is typically referred to as structural glass is a system incorporating fins, tension systems and/or steel frames to support a glass facade. In this project there are no exposed connections or fasteners so the sheer, crystalline nature of the glass can be fully appreciated.

Throughout the evolution of the 20th century modern house the structural system has for the most part remained unchanged from the conventional model of flat floor and roof plates
supported by a grid of columns, with non-load bearing facades. Load bearing glass was used in the Santa Fe project to challenge the preconceptions of what constitutes a structural element and make the viewer aware of how we take conventional structure for granted.

The specification, fabrication and installation of this glass bearing wall system required a high degree of collaboration and flexibility, particularly given the remote site and desire to
work with local contractors and glass installers.

This presentation describes the process of design and realization from the architect’s point of view, with an emphasis on the aesthetic and perceptual aspects of the load bearing
glass system. The author proposes that load bearing glass does not have to be an exotic specialty item and can be readily used as a highly expressive part of the architect’s vocabulary.

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