Metropolis Digital Optimism Talks logo

Join us every second Tuesday of the month for a dose of optimism with thought-provoking guests who are revolutionizing their fields. Innovators will lead virtual workshops for an hour of discovery, inspiration, and community. Led by editor in chief, Avinash Rajagopal, these workshops will be guided by our audience, where questions are not only welcome but encouraged.

Register Now
natural habitat cold spring home exterior

Metropolis Editors, Natural Habitat, sustainability, sustainable architecture

METROPOLIS Introduces Natural Habitat, a Sustainable Homes Video Series

The series debuts with a tour of a tranquil upstate New York retreat designed with Passive House principles.

Read more
A white bird sitting in front of a purple and white striped glass piece and a vase in the background.
Guardian Glass | Guardian Bird1st UV

July 23, 2025

3 Invisible Technologies Transforming Glass


New glass technologies from leading manufacturers are enhancing energy performance, safety, and comfort without compromising aesthetics.

By: Sheila Kim

From enhancing safety and security for both people and birds to controlling solar heat gain for occupant comfort and reducing energy consumption, glass coatings offer significant benefits yet rarely receive the recognition they deserve. Read on to discover some of these invisible workhorses that warrant a closer look for your next project.

Exterior of a geometrical building with one side made in bricks and the other with floor to ceiling blueish glass windows.

Solarban 72 Starphire

Vitro

With a reputation for high solar-control performance, Solarban was an easy choice for the LEED Platinum Rockwell Integrated Sciences Center at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. The project’s designer, Payette, specified Solarban 72 Starphire, which maximizes daylighting—transmitting 67 percent of visible light—while minimizing solar heat gain with a coefficient of 0.28. 

vitroglazings.com

2 pieces of glass, striped purple and transparent.

Guardian Bird1st UV

Guardian Glass

Across the U.S., more than a billion birds crash into glass each year—whether on houses, skyscrapers, or bus shelters. Fortunately, some glass manufacturers offer patterned solutions that significantly reduce the number of these collisions. Among them, Guardian Bird1st UV features a UV coating with a striped pattern that’s nearly undetectable to the human eye but visible to our avian friends, ensuring safety without compromising design. Guardian now offers the product in jumbo sizes of up to 130 by 204 inches. 

guardianglass.com

A conference room with large transparent glass and tan leather chairs.

RealTone

SageGlass

Self-tinting dynamic glass is a cutting-edge technology, but it’s often accompanied by a blue hue that can diminish the visual appeal of interior spaces, building exteriors, and views of the outdoors. In response, SageGlass developed a game-changing solution: Its newly launched RealTone is currently the most neutral electrochromic glass on the market. Providing truer-to-life views and rendering interior colors more accurately, it delivers excellent glare control while seamlessly shifting between four tint states. 

sageglass.com

Would you like to comment on this article? Send your thoughts to: [email protected]

Latest