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Allowing way more natural light than traditional fireplaces, and with some not even needing a vent, metal fireplaces are a major improvement

A truly wonderful product came on the market a few decades ago. The prefabricated, metal fireplace insert and metal flue changed the way architects design chimneys. Chimneys can now be light, thin and luminous instead of massive and monstrous. Important views going out and sources of natural light coming in no longer have to be closed off. Rather, the new metal flues allow architects to open up and make fully transparent any exterior wall — even those with a fireplace.

The double-wall construction is what makes these work. While there's an inner steel flue from bottom to top, there's also an exterior steel liner with a space between the two. The enclosure for these flues — whether a decorative metal skin or a wood and drywall box — is independent of the actual functioning of the flue, giving architects and designers much more freedom in how to treat the visible part of the fireplace.

So the next time you're building new or remodeling, consider one of these fireplaces to let the view in. Here are a few ways to use them. 

Let the fireplace float. By placing windows around the fireplace (and placing the metal chimney on the outside), there's little to block the light and view, so the interior stays more open and bright. The fireplace seems to float in the wall rather than being anchored to one spot by a heavy masonry chimney.

Keep the glass box glass. On the outside the metal chimney remains the vertical totem it has always been. But now the glass wall can span up, over and in front of the chimney. There's no need to have a chimney that breaks up and separates the elevation into pieces.

Let it go through the roof. These flues can rise up and through dramatic roof overhangs with minimal impact. Just make sure you allow for the proper clearances by following local building codes and the manufacturer's specifications. 

Avoid architectural features. The flue can also bend and be rerouted to avoid architectural features such as overhangs. Again (this can't be stressed enough), follow the building codes and manufacturer specifications when doing any chimney installation. 

Bring it inside. These types of chimneys aren't just for exterior wall applications. Metal chimneys are ideal design elements for two-sided fireplaces, where they help keep the interior spaces more open and connected. This interior wouldn't be nearly as open, bright and spacious with a boxy chimney rising up from the fireplace.

Make it sculptural. One of the great advantages to using a prefabricated metal fireplace and metal chimney is the ability to place a hearth just about anywhere in the home and treat it as a sculpture.

Use a metal chimney with any style. Though more commonly used and associated with a modern aesthetic, a metal chimney flue can be used in any room where a more open and light-filled space is desired.

Let it spin. Metal chimney technology also allows the fireplace to be a floating object unconnected to the ground. The Fireorb by architect Doug Garofalo takes the prefab metal fireplace to a whole new level. Allowing a 360-degree rotation, this is a fireplace that can be placed anywhere in a space — it's like something out of The Jetsons.

You decide: To vent or not to vent. Many of the new prefabricated, metal fireboxes don't even require a chimney. Only if the fireplace is meant to be wood burning is there a need to vent smoke up and out. If it's solely a gas-burning fireplace, a direct vent (directly outside behind the fireplace) or a no-vent solution works just fine.

There's no need to feel uncomfortable with a no-vent fireplace — think of it as a gas appliance, like a stove. These fireplaces can burn the gas so efficiently that no venting is needed. Just make sure to install the fireplace in accordance with all local building codes and the manufacturer's specifications.