A new class of environmentally-responsive glasses has been designed, responding to different environmental stimuli. The glasses are prepared by the low-temperature, solution-based sol-gel process using a specially organically-modified bis-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine precursor. Starting from the molecular precursor, the sol-gel reaction yields a solid state glass, mechanically robust yet elastic, capable of generating dynamic responses when subjected to different physicochemical stimuli.