April 15, 2026
The Origins of Structural Gass design
In this video, Tim Macfarlane, a structural engineer in London, traces structural glass from its hesitant beginnings in 1989 to its role in contemporary architecture. Glass is unique not because it is new, but because of its magical simplicity: a thin sheet that keeps weather out while connecting inside to outside. Through constant innovation, glass has undergone numerous processes such as lamination, toughening, or coatings that, while improving performance, also reduce reusability and raise environmental questions about whether large, complex glass is truly sensible. Early projects with architects Eva Jiřičná and Rick Mather forced Tim to question fundamental issues the industry had not addressed: how strong glass really is, how to calculate it, and how to make it safe, information once treated as private intellectual property. His role became one of moral integrity, negotiating between market pressures and client ambitions. Tim advises young engineers to keep an open mind, love life, and have fun with curiosity. True intelligence comes from within, not from AI. The journey of asking questions and fulfilling yourself as a human being is what matters. The video was produced by the Open GLASSroom project. Special thanks to Tim Macfarlane for contributing to the Open GLASSroom OER collection. The creation of these resources has been (partially) funded by the ERASMUS+ grant program of the European Union under grant no. 2022-1-DE01-KA220-HED-000089750. Neither the European Commission nor the project's national funding agency DAAD are responsible for the content or liable for any losses or damage resulting of the use of these resources.