I made this glass enclosure around 2000 when I moved in my first house. This is on a downdraft electric cooktop. It can also work with an updraft by taking off the top piece of glass. The dimensions have to be customized for each application.
The main function of the enclosure is to block the splatters when cooking stir-fry dishes. It also establishes a low-pressure zone, and make the draft more effective. To cook Chinese food in a typical American residential kitchen, we need to do two things, draft (removing the greasy and smoky air out of your kitchen), and confine the mess (blocking the splatters).
Visually, it does not block sight lines. The appearance is recognized by visitors.
It is easy to clean with a scrapper, and then applying grease cleaner.
Over the years, some neighbors and friends have fitted one for their homes, followed by their neighbors and friends, and so on. If you see a similar one in Sugar Land, TX and Katy, TX area, it is likely traced back to this one.