With this experimental research we have conducted in the glass studio at Tongji University Shanghai, we scrutinized a huge range of opportunities and constraints to combine glass and pigments. We were able to demonstrate that having full control of pigments within glass is possible with basic techniques, but can be largely improved with the use of sophisticated tools and machines. (Industrial printer (2D) and highend drill or carving machines.) At the end, our ultimate goal was to show that our experiments can be achieved in architectural elements and facades, with the use of different sorts of pigments depending on the desired results.
Besides the technical methods, we believe that the next step of research would concern a research on the different pigments that can be used, especially those sensitive to external factors (light and temperature) and able to react quickly and during a longer period than the ones we used. (For example, the use of UV or thermo-sensitive pigments can make windows go darker and thus work as curtains during a sunny day.)