Usually deemed brittle and temperamental, glass is being used by architects and engineers who are making a career out of using it not only for self-supporting applications but also for structural uses. It only makes sense, says Graham Dodd, an engineer with Arup’s London office: In spite of its lack of ductility, glass matches aluminum alloys in density and stiffness. It resists heat and cold and is nonflammable – claims that even the best new plastics can’t match.