Windows in Ancient Greece and Rome
Windows have been around for centuries and have been used in many different ways over time. In ancient Greece and Rome, windows were made of wood, but with time, more and more people started to use glass in their windows as it was much clearer than wood. This was also when architectural frames for glass windows made of wood or metal appeared. There were many different variants for frame design to prevent airflow from the inside to the outside through the window opening.
These frames started to be used in palaces, churches, and other important buildings to give a special effect to their look—they could be carved with artistic designs or just painted. They were an essential part of the architecture, situated not only on big buildings but also on small houses with wooden or stone plates as well.
In addition to wooden windows, there were also stone window frames, which were used in more primitive times on dwellings. Window openings in these cases were surrounded by stone slabs, and the frames were of simple wooden design.
Windows in Middle Ages
By the time of the Middle Ages, glass windows made of clear glass became popular, and this is how they evolved into today's greenhouses. Despite the fact that they were not used as windows but as a form of art, people started seeing them as windows to keep out the hot air and light. But even before that, because of the importance of glass, it was used by people to create beautiful stained glass windows. We can also see the same trend in today’s architecture — architects often use stained glass in their designs.
The earliest designs appeared in Egyptian architecture, where they were mainly used inside palaces and temples. They were made of limestone and marble slabs with lots of detailed decoration on the surface. Later, they evolved into windows, such as Roman and Gothic ones, which were used in churches and palaces.
Roman windows were the first to combine both glass and wood in a single frame, often supported by metal bars, making them quite heavy.
This was also the period when window frames gained popularity among rich people who started to build bigger houses with many big windows. In these times, non-wooden designs appeared since it was not possible for long frames of wooden or stone to fit in all these windows. Therefore many of them were made from metal or iron.
Later, in the Middle Ages, it became common for windows to be fitted with different patterns and shapes of leaded glass. One of the biggest contributors to these innovations was the church, but wealthy noblemen also started to use more creative methods for decorating their windows.
At this point in history, many examples of stained glass windows and window frames started appearing in architecture. Stained glass, as we know it today, originates from ancient Rome, where they were made using lead that was produced by smelting. Many different types of leaded glasses started appearing in the Middle Ages — they could be found not only in churches and palaces but also in common houses with small windows.
By the end of the Middle Ages, iron and glass windows started to replace the ones made of stone due to their heavier weight, but they also started to be used as walls in castles. By this time, iron and led glass windows became enhanced with very detailed decorations — we can see many examples from palaces and churches.
Windows in the 18th century
In the 18th century, when there were many new inventions, such as steam engines and farms, people started to use greenhouses for agricultural purposes. These greenhouses were often built with large windows in order to allow sunlight into them. People started realizing that both inside and outside could be heated with these greenhouses, which had much bigger spaces for air exchange.
Inside these greenhouses, artificial light and ventilation were also needed in order to grow plants inside them. In order to achieve this, people started using glass windows — some of them were made using iron bars, but mostly they were clear glass.
After the French Revolution, new windows appeared in houses and palaces which were fitted with metal frames and glass panes (especially in France). These windows also included decorative features such as figures of saints or animals on them.
In America, numerous houses from the 18th century are preserved from when their owners had a passion for antique furniture — they often used old window frames fitted with stained glass pieces.
People started to use leaded glass in their architecture by the end of the 19th century. As time passed and new inventions appeared, many glass windows appeared in different areas — some people used them as wall decorations, and others used them for display purposes (such as street signs or architectural elements). It was also at this time when architects started using stained glass to decorate their buildings — they were produced from glass windows with very detailed designs such as those we find today.
Windows nowadays
In the 20th century, new types of lighting became available, which could be installed directly on window panes without any support needed (such as low-voltage lamps that could be installed without wires).
We can see a huge number of windows in different designs nowadays, but many of them have roots in previous eras, so a lot of their origin and history is still preserved. And as we can see from these examples, there are numerous types and variations which have been developed throughout the years.
What's more interesting is that even though we still use most of the same types of frames and understand how they operate, we've never stopped trying to improve on the traditional elements we build with — new materials like glass, aluminum, and plastic are among the top materials used nowadays.
That's why they are constantly changing such that they fit in with our needs at any given time. For more information, visit Dako Windows.
