Is Modern Glass House Design Worth Investing In

When you hear a glass material before, the first thing that comes into your mind is it is fragile. But who would have thought that glass house design is now a trend into luxury homes?

Glass houses are becoming a trend to luxury homes. Take a look on the glass houses’ ideas and advantages.

History of the First Glass House

Architect Philip Johnson’s glass house is the first ever glass house design built in 1949 at Connecticut. It has become his signature work and has become a standard in their nation’s architectural projects. It is a one-story house with an open floor plan of floor to ceiling glass width of 18 feet. In between the glasses are black steel and H-beams that keep them in place.

Philip Johnson lived in the glass house until his death in 2005. Since then, the original design and structure were never changed.

Are Glass House Designs good?

Aside from the aesthetic feature of a modern glass house, it comes with many advantages for the home design, environment, and even health. Below are some of the reasons and benefits of investing in a glass house design:

• Ambient

Glasses allow natural light inside the house which makes your home more welcoming and sets the mood. In some studies, it has been proven that bad lighting affects the mood of a person. The probable reason is that without a proper lighting, it is hard to see things clearly, which has a bad effect on vision and posture that lead to a person’s bad mood. In the brighter side, the good lighting in your glass house increases the productivity. Additionally, putting glass windows can light up the room and the accents inside it like your hung paintings or the wall color.

For you to appreciate having glass walls, you must first consider the surrounding environment because it lets you see the spectacular views around your house whether it’s in front of a beach, surrounded by trees, or around the mountain views.

• Environment Friendly

Glass production is one of the most environmentally friendly processes. During the making of glasses, it does not produce toxic fumes or the smoke that is bad for the environment and brings health risks. The excess cut from the production of glass can also be recycled. With that being said, glasses are biodegradable materials which can immediately be recycled if you plan to dispose it in the future. It is because most glasses are made of sand and recycled glass waste.

• Lower Electricity Cost

The advantage of a glass floor to ceiling windows is that it lets the sunlight inside the room. From the sunrise until the sundown, it gives a lot of benefits. The natural lighting helps save energy because you do not have to turn the lights on during the daylight. With that, to save more energy, you can convert to solar-powered lighting for the night energy consumption. Also, during cold season, the heat from the sunlight will be trapped inside the room and will stay until the night so there is no need to use artificial heating.

Just be sure that the glass panels are installed properly by professionals and ensure that there are no gaps and are properly sealed to achieve all of these benefits.

• Beneficial to Health

The evolution design of glass house architecture has proven to provide a lot of health benefits. Noise reduction is achieved when living in a glass box house design. If your house is around a congested area, it will never be a problem because it does not allow external noises to pass through. This will help you get a more restful sleep as it helps with your psychological and physiological health.

The scientific reason why having a glass house design is good for your health is because the body responses to light. The body in response with light activates a type of internal body clock called the Circadian Rhythms. When this rhythm is activated, it helps with the body system’s function to have a good and better sleeping cycle.

Suggested Read: The 5 Unexpected Benefits of Using Glass Wall Designs for the Home

• Durable and Strong

Though glass may seem easy to break, glass homes are actually competitive in terms of its durability. Glasses can only break through an intense heat tempering and strengthening of heat and chemical.

Is Glass Stronger than Concrete?

Surprisingly, the results from strength tests conducted by the Delft University of Technology show that glass is stronger than concrete. In many ways, glass have withstood multiple of tests and proved its durability. A full glass with home construction-standard can still be standing with a force up to 42,000 Newton.

Modern Glass Houses in the World

1. Architect Donald and Helen Olsen House

Berkeley Architect Donald Olsen has designed their perfect glass house design in 1954. It has a contemporary design that is preserved until today and has been considered as a landmark in Berkeley Hills at California. It has also been registered as one of the Historical Places in 2010. The house is designed with a garage and utility space on the first floor and the second floor is surrounded with transparent walls of glass.

2. Ryan and Mary Finley House

The family home of the Finley was designed by Boora Architecture firm. The house has a breathtaking view and surrounding landscape of the Pacific Ocean and Oregon’s coastal forest. One of the unique features of this 3,330 square foot modern home include a green roof.

3. The Hi House

This next glass house modern design is originally designed by Architect Francis Leighton. It is a 604 square foot property and looks like a tower house. Why? Because it is like a levitating house with a foundation made with thin steel columns. All the floors are also made of mood making it more cozy and cool-tempered.

4. Mission District

The San Francisco couple wanted to have a home that oversees the view of Mission District. Wood, polished concrete floor, and glass are the only materials that stand out in the architectural masterpiece.

5. The Costa Residence

This glass house in California is built in the foothills of Mount Santa Cruz. It was designed by Architect Craig Steely. The entrance of the house is the second floor and under it are the living quarters with floor to ceiling glass that allow the visitors to view some oak trees.

6. Toshiko Mori Glass House

Harvard Professor Toshiko Mori is a Japanese architect that designed a modern architecture with explicit glass windows and glass walls. The owners wanted to have a home that has a deep connection with the natural beauty of the surrounding environment.

7. Hudson Valley House

Located near the New York City and is constructed in the middle of the rolling hills. It gives the benefit of a privacy to the visitors. Also, Forbes has called the house as the “World’s Most Beautiful Tiny House.” The house has a welcoming amenity including pool areas, wine cellar, and sports areas.

8. Noosa Valley House

This last glass house design is located in Queensland, Australia. The home was designed for Sarah Waller and her family. The style is like a glass pavilion and has a polished concrete floor. Its view is in front of the Noosa Valley golf course and is the perfect spot during the sunset.

Read more: 50 Jaw-Dropping Glass Houses That Shatter Expectations

How These Glass Houses Influence Philippine Architecture

The creativity and expertise of other architects from different countries have inspired many local architects here in the Philippines.

Brittany has renowned architects which have also designed luxurious living spaces. In the south, Forresta offer house and lots that has a modern design from the dining room, the bedroom, up to the living area.

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