‘Windows’ in the less conventional sense, have been around since humanity was erecting mud structures in which they would eat and sleep. The Romans are the first known instances of using glass in their windows in the west, first produced in Roman Egypt in 100AD. The East Asia’s were more prone to paper windows as this was more economical in China, Korea and ancient Japan.
Throughout the UK, the modern style ‘glass’ window only started becoming common in homes from the early 17th century, whereas previously windows were made up of panes consisting of crushed and flattened animal horns. Originating from the Old Norse word ‘vindauga’ which literally translates to wind eye, modern windows as we know them have been around for hundreds of years, but they have certainly changed in their own right since they were first introduced in the 17th Century.
17th Century Stuart Styles
The start of the 17th century saw the return of a number of artists, bringing over their own impressions and experiences of the Italian Renaissance. Because of this windows becan to conform to new ‘classical ideals’ as they started to be built taller as opposed to wider, with width to height ratios like 1:1 or 1:2. Throughout the 17th Century these windows were more and more commonly constructed using timber in a ‘cross casement’ style window. Smaller windows were still short and wide, although timber was also used on these small windows.
At the start of the Seventeenth century we saw a number of stone mullions with an ovolo or egg shaped moulding, however as the century progressed it became more common to see shorter and narrower mullions that followed the shape of each window, as inspired by the Italian Renaissance style of windows.
Towards the end of the 17th century, around 1675 we saw the invention of ‘crown glass’ which led to a cross-casement window design that used larger panes of glass, which would become a staple found in many window styles from then on.
Georgian 18th Century Windows
The turn of the century saw the invention of the glorious sash window, consisting of two glazed timber frames made up of smaller panels. A grid of timber glazing bars was often used to hold the glass and would be up to 35mm thick. As the 18th Century progressed, sash windows were more commonly made from pine and the glass panes became thinner, sometimes as little as 10mm.
In the late 18th century, early plate glass was introduced, making glass panes even larger and reducing the number of glazing bars. The usual Georgian window style was known as a ‘six over six’ and although sash windows became less expensive as their design was perfected, they were still more common among the rich than among the working class.
The Regency era and the Victorians
Throughout the 19th Century window makers and designers tried to break away from the grid arrangements of previous window designs, redesigning the patterns of glazing bards in order to create something new and original. As a result of this, margin lights grew in popularity and were often filled with colourful panes of glass in a stained glass effect.
As plate glass had become far more available, with improved methods making it less expensive to produce and frame, glass plate windows became more common for all classes of folk. The second half of the century saw some experimentation with iron frames for plate glass, however this was not very popular and is often only seen inc conservatories and industrial buildings.
Moving forward to the Present Day
As a result of the war throughout the early 20th century, window designs were equally split between traditional methods and the more modern methods we have grown to know today. Timber framed windows were repaired and renovated by classical enthusiasts while the modernist windows were now made from hot-rolled steel.
A more minimalist style became popular towards the end of the 20th century, producing simple, functioning windows with quality over appearance at its core. In the 1980’s ‘planar’ flazing was introduced, where the glass was attached by bolts or vacuum pads to an internal armature instead of being held in frames. This armature could have been made from steel tubing with a silicon sealant placed between the panes to seal them from weather effects.
Double-glazing and uPVC windows were also developed in the late 20th century, with more efforts made to increase insulation and decrease the carbon footprint of the average household. In today’s modern glass market we see a number of different traditional styles often combined with more modern insulation methods.
As with anything developed by humanity throughout the ages, the styles and makes of windows designed has changed drastically since the Stuarts. Every year our best glassmakers and contractors are working together to create new and beautiful windows for us to enjoy in our homes and commercial buildings for years to come.
While it is important to look forward to the future when it comes to state of the art technologies created to improve insulation and safety as well as maintaining the aesthetic beauty of windows, we should not forget the past and each stepping stone that has brought us to our accomplishments today.
This article was provided by www.thewindowshuttercompany.co.uk, a Sussex based Specialist Company providing beautiful, bespoke window shutters to transform and enhance your living space.