Glasshouse is another term or name for a greenhouse. Greenhouses are considered structures or edifices with various kinds of casing materials (like plastic or glass roofs) and usually have plastic and glass walls as well.
This design allows the greenhouse to heat up because the inward visible solar waves from the sun are being absorbed by the soil, plants and other things within the glasshouse. The glass is see-through to this solar waves or radiation and in the process traps the head inside the greenhouse. This process allows a conducive or favorable venue for some plant species to grow and thrive properly.
This plant and vegetation cultivation was first used during the Roman era. According to some accounts, Tiberius, a Roman emperor would always like to have in his diet a cucumber-looking vegetable daily. His Roman gardeners then devised an artificial system (closely related to the greenhouse principle) of growing these vegetable making sure they would be available all year long.
It was described that these cucumber-like veggies were planted in wheeled carts and they were placed under the sun everyday and then taken inside to maintain the heat. In order to preserve the heat, these cucumbers were places under frames or glazed structures with either sheets of selenite or oiled fabric.
However, the first modern greenhouse that was built the used was during the 13th century in Italy. This modern prototype of greenhouse was used to take care of the exotic plants from the tropics that were carried by the explorers.