This all glass aesthetic has been popularized by European buildings which utilize glass atriums and double skins facades for energy performance and occupant comfort. Someone thought that all glass meant "Green," or that the general populace doesn't know any better so now this is what we get with over half of the new buildings in America.
As an example here are a couple of office buildings recently completed in Washington DC.
Look at the one on the left, the only one currently occupied. Notice the full height glass, all the clutter on the floor, and the blinds mostly drawn. How's the cooling bill?
Now look at some European examples:
This last building, the Blackfirars Tower in London by Ian Simpson took a while to receive planning approval. London traditionally won't accept skyscrapers but they've recently been granting approval to projects with exceptional green design merit. In this case the city of London held off approval until the architect produced full details of how the curtain wall would look and function.
In all of these images there are really two strategies being employed which both rely on user operability: the glass atrium and the glass double facade. The atrium can be used for natural heating in the winter and for ventilation in the summer. The double facade can be used for ventilation but is more often a way to protect an operable sun screen, allowing users to optimize daylighting, block direct solar gain, and not worry about the maintenance issues associated with exterior operable shading devices that are exposed to the elements.
In my opinion a building which is all glass without any performance based function is the worst case of Greenwash architecture.
