“All the locals think that I’m freezing behind glass walls, but I’m warm,” says Vadim, the owner unusual house. He “invented” it and built it himself: without technical education or construction skills. It turned out just like the pictures in glossy magazines - colorful, spacious, light. The most modern engineering solutions were used in the house, while the owner managed to save considerable amounts (6 thousand euros on glass systems alone).
Vadim says that when creating the project, he already had an idea of what he wanted, so he drew the house in detail himself. I borrowed the glazing systems from a magazine and “implanted” them into the project (further the narration will be in the first person).
- When they ask me: how did you master it all, build it, create it, how did you come up with it, I answer that this is the material realization of my inner world. I am just like this house: voluminous, spacious, roomy, with character and modern style, light and comfortable. And at the same time, he is budget-minded and tight-fisted, like all Belarusians.
According to this project they built
Designer Daria Lapitskaya helped me in the design. I coordinated all decisions and ideas with her, asked for her comments on every issue related to aesthetics and design. The project itself, believe it or not, was drawn on an A4 sheet. Already when the house had to be put into operation, an architectural project was needed. It was made in the architecture of the city from a ready-made building.
House layout
The house was built in the Kobrin district, in a village, on 22 acres. The geometry of the site is quite convenient: 53x40 meters, the difference in horizon level is 45 cm. The house project was “planted” on a site oriented to the cardinal points.
The trenches were dug with a chain tractor, then the accuracy of the dimensions was adjusted with shovels. I was lucky with the materials for the foundation: I had support concrete columns 50*50 cm in size with a huge margin of safety (they used to have a concrete roof at one of the production facilities). I saved a lot on concrete, but I had to incur costs for loading, unloading, laying columns and their delivery. The rest of the trench was filled with concrete from a mixer. For greater savings, I bought several machines for breaking concrete (instead of rubble stone), also with industrial production. As a result, the savings on concrete turned out to be very significant.
The part 60 cm above the ground was laid out with demoler blocks, and in a double wall: on the outside there was a brown facing block 10 cm thick, then an air cushion of 5 cm and a standard block 20 cm thick.
Looking ahead, I would like to note that I really wanted to build a foundation using German technologies, with insulation, waterproofing, but at that time it was prohibitively expensive and labor-intensive, and this design of the above-ground part of the foundation made it possible to avoid “cold bridges” in the area of the junction of walls and floors and significantly reduce the cost of the project. The foundation is filled with white sand and compacted, with water shrinkage. Before the walls were erected, the foundation was given time to “mature” for a whole year.
Tips on the foundation: it may sound trivial, but it must be reinforced (I know that some builders do not do this). I would personally recommend that before pouring the foundation, lay a small gravel pad, 5 cm thick, into the trench and compact it. In case of construction without a design of engineering systems, provide plugs in the foundation for openings for the introduction of communications. When buying demolition blocks, be careful when choosing a manufacturer, since I almost bought blocks from a private seller, instead of cement they contained only dye, and they crumbled right in my hands.
Regarding the material for the walls, there was a choice between gas silicate blocks and wooden beams from an old village house (realt.tut.by has just this topic, and I fully support and share the author’s conclusions). The fact is that at that time (2010 - the time of construction of the walls), gas silicate was for some reason extremely expensive, so I was looking for a solution on how to save money. But there was a “planned collapse” of the ruble, and the blocks became more accessible. As a result, I purchased GSB from the Berezovsky plant, size 60*30*30, considering the thickness of 30 cm to be quite sufficient for our latitude with the future prospect of insulation. The blocks arrived in perfect quality, so installation was easy and simple. My friend laid the blocks, at prices below market prices at that time, and I was his helper. I had to take direct part in the construction for several reasons. I immediately planned to pour a warm (hidden) armored belt around the perimeter of the walls, and U-blocks were not on sale at that time. So I cut them myself from standard blocks using a drill with a long bit and a grinder. Apart from me, this operation was not successful for any of the tested hired helpers.
Mauerlat rests on a “warm” monolithic belt In the end, I saved on a helper, on U-blocks, and at the same time checked the quality of my friend’s work during installation. Yes, the presence of the customer on site allows us to improve the quality of the work performed and avoid irreparable mistakes by builders, especially if the project is complex.
If we somehow managed to cope with the walls, then the roof was my headache. It is 8-slope, hip, combined with two reverse slopes, a second light. I’ll be honest: the drawing (if it can be called a drawing) was drawn on an A4 piece of paper by one village guy with 8 grades under his belt. I just turned out to be a talented person in this field.
However, none of professional builders I didn’t want to take on the roof according to this drawing, even for a lot of money. As a result, the roof was assembled by the children from the village.
The rafter system is assembled from pine lumber. Only in one place (above the dining room, in the reverse slope area) was an I-beam laid for additional structural rigidity. It is located on the edges of the walls in the dining room, and in order to prevent the edges of the walls from suddenly being destroyed under pressure, the corresponding unloading heels were filled in gas silicate.
Waste OSB
The village roofers turned out to be talented guys. And they took payment from me at that moment absolutely according to market prices, without a “surcharge” for complexity and level of responsibility. The material was cut so competently that out of 240 m² of OSB, only a few strips and small pieces remained, in a total area not exceeding 2 square meters (!!!). After work, I myself came to their aid as a helper and spotter. Designer Daria also approved the design in terms of proportions and geometry.
The extension of the roof onto the walls is 95 cm, which was unusual at that time, but now this is done everywhere. I recommend that everyone under construction use wide roof overhangs, but do not lose sight of the proportions of the entire roof and the building. This allows the walls and foundation to remain dry. It has been noticed that even with slanting rain, the façade is only partially moistened.
For such complex roof Of all the roofing materials with minimal waste and reliability, there could only be one, so I bought TechnoNIKOL tiles, the Jazz collection. It was laid on an OSB board according to all the rules: with an underlay carpet, greasing of the starts, vapor films from the inside, installation of aerators and other nuances. The additional elements are made of brown matte tin to prevent glare in the sun.
Was immediately installed drainage system Hunter. Water discharge is provided by five risers with direct output to the local storm drainage system. The roof overhangs were covered with soffit from Brest production “Vox”. The soffit is fixed on 5*5 cm slats. Then this allowed me to relatively easily and painlessly implement stylish lighting for the terraces, a welcome light in the parking lot and on the porch of the house.
All windows and doors are made of a five-chamber profile, with external dark oak lamination and Roto fittings. The inside profile was left white. Double-glazed windows, with an 8 mm frame, with low-emissivity glass. There are windows in two children's rooms and one bathroom. standard sizes- 150*150cm. In the master bedroom, instead of a window, a double-leaf, hinged glass door with symmetrical doors measuring 155x240 cm was installed. Two identical windows measuring 95x145 cm were installed in the second bathroom and kitchen.
The entrance door is also glass, hinged, 150x220cm. It is asymmetrical in the width of the doors: the entrance door is 80 cm wide, the second auxiliary door is 63 cm wide.
The hinged design of the doors allows you to easily bring any furniture into the house. Moreover, such a door is an element of a barrier-free environment - a person in a wheelchair can easily enter the house.
The glass system in the dining room is two stained glass windows, three meters high, installed at an angle of 90 degrees.
When it came to installing the clear wall glass system, the roofing didn't seem so complicated anymore. It was necessary to solve the problem of how to cover the opening of a large bay window with glass: the height on the larger side is 512 cm, on the smaller side - 350 cm. Width - 390 cm. This glass wall hung like a “sword of Damocles” over my head for almost a year. Implement it using PVC profile I was afraid - a large area, a huge sail load during the wind, the “breathing” of the structure when opening and closing the doors.
It was decided to assemble it from an aluminum system. I turned to a well-known Minsk company that had experience working with such material. Sent the dimensions of the opening. But when I received the answer, I was very upset - the price was “atomic”. I called my designer, who oversaw the project, and explained that there was a miscalculation in the project, in particular, the glass system of a large bay window was financially prohibitive... On the same day I decided to lay the wall with gas silicate blocks and install windows three times smaller in size.
The designer showed technical and professional audacity: he responded with a categorical refusal to my proposal to block the opening by two-thirds. Daria did not accept my attempt to divide the structure into two parts by placing a concrete lintel in the middle. The verdict was this: the structure should be from floor to ceiling, without crossbars or lintels, light and floating, crushed into no more than 8 parts. And she proposed a new solution: we install the frame from metal, durable, 100 by 50 mm, with a wall of at least 5 mm, we buy only overhead elements of the glazing system, I do the installation myself, I order double-glazed windows to the required dimensions. And so it was done. I welded the frame myself from pipes and painted it. The glazing system was implemented on an aluminum profile with a thermal break AGS 500, bought in Minsk. I assembled and installed it myself. To further limit heat loss and prevent sintering and galvanization of metals among themselves, I laid a paronite strip between iron and aluminum, thereby creating another thermal break.
But we had to tinker with double-glazed windows - none of the companies wanted to take on double-glazed windows with a height of 2500 mm - most manufacturers did not have the technical capabilities at that time. And no one wanted to tinker with such bulky bags by hand.
The director of the Steklolit company came to the rescue and agreed to produce such bags on his own responsibility. Now this is normal, but then it was a novelty. The double-glazed windows are made on the 16th frame, two-chamber with low-emissivity glass. Made specially on Friday evening so as not to stop manufacturing process in the cutting shop. On Saturday everything was ready. The installation of double-glazed windows was also carried out on my own.
Here they started laminating the aluminum decorative overlays of the glass system in the color of “dark oak” - no one else wanted to do this. The lamination engineer gave his word that the coating would not “peel off” under any circumstances. He held back. As a result, the frames of all glass systems, windows and doors are the same color.
Due to the fact that they were used steel racks, not aluminum, system aluminum profiles was purchased directly from the importer, and not from the dealer, the double-glazed windows were purchased without extra charges for complexity, and I did all the assembly and installation work myself, I saved about 6,000 euros. This is the most significant savings in the entire construction of my house.
I am grateful to designer Daria for her support and ideas, for adapting the project to Belarusian realities, for her professional audacity. It was very difficult to decide to implement all these ideas. It was hard to be an innovator: it was 2008, gable slate houses were being peacefully built around them, lined with white sand-lime brick, arched openings were installed in the corridors, and here there was a glass facade. Fellow villagers, acquaintances, passers-by opened their mouths, curious, would I die there and how could I walk in such a house in shorts? But I wanted it like it was in the West, like in the pictures in glossy magazines - colorful, spacious, light.
To the owners personal plots Questions often arise about the type of facade to choose for building your own home. After all, the field of design and architecture is so changeable that from the entire range of proposed calculations it is difficult to choose what would be to your liking. Of course, first you need to decide on the main finishing material, glass is becoming increasingly popular. Not only are mirrors and other decorative elements made from it, but it is also used as a basis when drawing up glass house projects. True, the pleasure will not be complete without significant financial investments.
Timber-framed buildings can be constructed with various frame/frameless systems. They can be post-transom, structural, semi-structural, combined, frame, facade, roof, planar and spider. The latter type is a real squeak of fashion, being the most modern due to the presence of a hidden, invisible frame, which gives the maximum effect of transparency and airiness of the entire monolith of the structure.
There are several variations for glazing extensions, differing from each other in functional features and range of possibilities. In particular: cold and warm glazing. Choosing the first, in winter temperature regime inside the house it will be only 5-7 degrees higher than outside. Therefore, if you are not going to extend your autumn in this way, it is better to choose the second option. This will allow you to use the veranda/terrace all year round. After all, who doesn’t want to have their own space - cozy and warm, where you can easily spend the winter holidays and just a weekend with loved ones.
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The answer depends on the height of the walls and, in principle, their presence. When the walls are completely covered, a partial method is suitable; when there is a roof and a frame, then panoramic windows will be the ideal choice for creating an attractive, aesthetically rich terrace.
You will need to decide whether wall or roof glazing will be used based on the type of construction. If there is no roof or any kind of canopy, then you cannot do without a roof. In vertical planes it is better to focus on wall design.
Here everything depends mainly on the customer’s individual sense of taste and aesthetic perception. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of each option, it can be noted that with a frame it will be cheaper and easier to implement, but the appearance is quite banal. Frameless glazing looks very aesthetically pleasing and elite, which is what many owners crave. But you cannot do without such disadvantages as insufficient degree of tightness, low level of thermal insulation, and lack of space for installing a mosquito net. And so, it’s all a matter of personal preference, because in the design of a veranda/terrace you can give free rein to your imagination and bring your bold ideas to life with sufficient financial resources.
Glass cottages have more modern look, attract with their originality and elegance. At the same time, they are well protected from atmospheric phenomena, which are quite aggressive in large cities and outside the city. Inside such premises it is much easier to maintain a comfortable living environment with a constant microclimate and the possibility of its economical control. First of all, savings are noted on heating systems, air conditioners and more. The shell itself, where the supporting structure of the structure is placed, is protection from strong winds, various precipitation and the influence of UV rays. It is also convenient that in these buildings you can control and regulate the degree of illumination in different ways.
The demand for glass buildings is also due to the fact that they have a high speed of installation and production. Small structures have a smaller thickness, so their assembly is even faster, including “dry”.
In addition, in the construction industry there has been a tendency to increase the size of structures, especially if it is retail and office real estate. And that’s why today more and more spacious glass complexes are being created, while their construction time is being reduced.
Due to the fact that high-quality, reliable components are used during the construction process, up to 50 square meters of facade can be built per day, which significantly reduces construction time.
Another advantage is the naturalness of the material used. Since it is considered environmentally friendly and not at all harmful to human health. Translucent surfaces are distinguished by their insignificant thickness, due to which the area of \u200b\u200bthe rooms that perfectly transmit sunlight is increased. Although for some this is a disadvantage, because for this reason furniture and textiles fade.
Workers in such buildings improve their well-being and performance, so for office buildings this is the best option, instead of the usual ones made of concrete.
First of all, the high price for the construction of such structures is noted, because this pleasure is not cheap. There are also a number of nuances that prevent the implementation of such plans. In particular:
Visibility of what is happening inside the building. Many people don’t like to put their lives on display, but for those who don’t mind this, there is an additional opportunity to “hide” a little from prying eyes. This can be done by tinting the windows or applying a mirror film.
Panoramic window systems, located on the sunny side, transmit too much light, which in turn negatively affects the condition of furniture and curtains.
Difficulty in caring for the surface. All accumulated dirt and dust must be promptly removed from the entire area of the glass building, which is a labor-intensive process. This requires a lot of time and effort, which is often so lacking.
The heat inside is retained quite poorly.
Additional costs for various equipment, for example, heating devices with automatic start to avoid condensation on the base material.
High level of energy efficiency, which in most cases is taken as a disadvantage.
The need for legal registration, since the glazing of loggias in a panoramic way includes the availability of permits, which are either long or expensive to obtain.
Speaking about the demand for such cottages, of course, one cannot fail to note their presentable, rich appearance, which attracts attention at first sight. This aesthetic is much more modern and original than the wood or concrete we are used to.
One of the features that stands out is the possibility of saving up to 10% of consumed electricity, since a large area of the building transmits sunlight from the outside, necessary for proper lighting and heating of the space. And completely transparent walls allow you to fully enjoy the beauty of nature around, forgetting about city worries and problems. You see the world, and the world sees you - it's simple!
The main thing is that the double-glazed windows used are absolutely environmentally friendly and do not emit harmful substances. No allergies this material does not cause any problems if you choose a quality manufacturer. For those who have allergic reactions, the half-timbered project will become ideal solution, protecting from the harmful effects of the environment.
Half-timbered structures come from Germany. Initially, they were used as a basis wooden frame, where the glass panel was inserted directly. Now the market for modern building materials can significantly reduce construction time, leaving the structure just as environmentally friendly. You can easily choose an individual, exclusive frame for yourself during the design development process.
Transparent glass is in considerable demand. The frame for such material is laminated veneer lumber with rubberized paint, which is reliable and wear-resistant. The main element is double-glazed windows. Based on the design concept, they can consist of one box or include partition walls. This technique allows you to achieve the maximum effect of unity with the outside world.
It can also be either one- or two-story glass House. It all depends on the customer’s budget and wishes. The main thing to consider when choosing materials is the degree of their protection from exposure sun rays. An equally significant role is played by the dimensions of surfaces and their ability to transform, which determines the expansion or, conversely, reduction of space at the discretion of the designer.
To increase the strength of the main component, a considerable number of manipulations are used. One of them is the use of wear-resistant raw materials with special processing and a special composition. For example, laminated material consists of layers of various thicknesses and types glued together. Hardened is 5 times stronger than usual, and reinforced is distinguished by the presence of a retaining metal mesh inside, which is necessary in case of accidental damage.
Composite materials, polymer, plexiglass, transparent slate and much more are also common. They increase the strength of the structure when properly selected and installed.
How reliable the building will be depends on the selected profiles - wood, plastic, aluminum and steel. If the raw materials are manufactured in a carefully organized production facility in compliance with all technologies, then with their use you can count on a faster and more comfortable construction process.
Such solutions are quite reliable and no less practical than conventional buildings. Often, wood, aluminum, steel and plastic are used in their construction. The glass elements themselves can be either laminated, reinforced, or tempered, as you have already learned about above. Cover it with special protective film, and thanks to the use of modern technologies, the material provides the maximum strength required for residential structures. Also, the main raw materials are often supplemented with strong metal inserts, if these are houses made of metal and glass. So worry about this building will be fragile and unsafe for living, it’s not worth it.
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Elements that can spoil the entire design are the heating system, water supply and sewerage. Therefore, you should carefully consider their installation. Thus, the pipes responsible for the flow of water into the building, as well as the removal of waste, should be used to a minimum. The optimal solution would be to install communications under the floor, which is very practical and beneficial for preserving the intended interior.
As for saving heat inside, during construction you need to take into account the fact that it is best to locate the building on the south side of the site. If you need to install a heating system, it is recommended to use “warm” floors, which, depending on the type of power supply, can be electric or steam. Such pipes or tapes will be placed in the floor, so they will not cause any trouble. And in order to hide them and enjoy the warm floor for a long time, ideal option coatings for glass and concrete house projects (photo below), will become ceramic tile. If your budget allows, you can choose a 3D epoxy floor, which can be ordered with any composition. By following all the design technologies, you can use the heating function all year round.
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This modern design is located in Germany and bears the title of the first structure in the world that fully complies with the “three zeros concept”. It was designed by Werner Sobek.
The living rooms here are on the ground floor, with utility rooms in the basement. On the north side of the building you can see a spacious double garage, which also has an entrance from the basement. A staircase leads into the house from the common living room. In order to give additional volume to the space, the architects made sure that the white color of the rooms plays with various shades during the day and at night. The feeling of the building is more lively, moving, and natural light subtly softens the white interior aesthetic.
It’s surprising that you don’t even have to think about the issue of wall decor. It is located on the shore of Lake Lugano, on a hillside, as a result of which it consists of rooms of different levels, taking into account landscape features. The polygonal pavilion includes a dining room, living room, kitchen and utility rooms, the lower level in turn consists of a bedroom, bathrooms and a garage. There is a separate entrance to both the lower and upper levels.
When creating this project, much attention was paid to the problem of ecology, which is why geothermal energy is used here, the garden is located on the roof, and there is also a special system for collecting rainwater.
The central lacquered block contains additional options, while at the same time serving as a kind of wall that separates the kitchen from the living room. It has a bath, kitchen, stairs and important equipment (mechanical, technological and audio-visual). Similar houses made of glass and wood, photos of some of which can be seen below, are impressive at first glance, you will agree.
Chinese architects Neri and Hu created this project, consisting of two halves in L-shape with a courtyard in the center. The design was based on traditional buildings from northern China. There are three floors, and a family lives on each, and one is hidden underground.
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The building is located in an unusually beautiful place, full of trees and no place for the bustle of the city. The authors of the project planned to use as few materials as possible during construction, and took the Farnsworth house as the concept, from which this structure is distinguished only by the existing symmetry and a different type of foundation. The entire space of the building is made of glass, the frame of which forms a cube with a limit in the form of a black metal frame. Therefore, you get the impression that you are as if under a roof, but outside the house.
An original and interesting design with blue walls. Located in Maastricht, H House was created for a creative couple. Its constructive openness of the facade draws attention to the interior decoration. Thus, transparent and opaque glass is harmoniously and elegantly combined here along with sliding and fixed parts, so the structure “plays” with light differently, depending on the time of year and day.
A transparent building, more reminiscent of a small city office. Those who are not afraid to open up their pastime to others can safely try to live there. This “House NA” is an abundance of light and air, but the absence of any secluded places, since the concept of living on a tree was taken as the idea for its construction. There are four floors in total, with a staircase in the center that spirals through the various rooms. Area – 85 sq.m.
As you can see, glass houses, the designs of which fascinate and surprise, can be brought into reality, however, it cannot be done without large time and financial investments. After all, such original designs require special attention and careful selection of every detail.
Today we will visit thirty amazing houses. Maybe some of you would like to remodel your home by adding more light to it through huge windows.
The idea of glazing one of the walls of the living room, combining the veranda with the room, has many advantages: the space of the room visually increases, it seems that there is more air in it, in winter you can enjoy an abundance of natural light, and in summer you can remove the glass and turn the room into a covered terrace and the best place for outdoor recreation.
Traditional house with modern glass veranda
The old house was renovated to accommodate the dynamic lifestyle of a family that needed more space. The new veranda is designed as a small extension with floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows.
House in California
The extension with huge floor-to-ceiling windows that can be opened gives the house a spacious feel. You can endlessly admire nature at any time of the year.
Neither rain, nor wind, nor snow can stop you from doing this. Glass facades are always relevant; they seem to be timeless and fashionable.
House in Dakar
Situated on a hillside. The Atlantic Ocean is clearly visible from the windows. Villa Sow in Dakar was built in 2011, designed for a Senegalese businessman and his young family.
Nicholson's residence in Sydney
Design studio MAC Interactive Architects has completed the renovation of a 1970s brick building in Sydney, Australia.
Extensive reconstruction carried out in modern practice: The reuse of an existing building, adapted and modified to meet the modern needs of its owners.
Beach house in Peru by Longhi Architects
When constructing the glass extension, the columnar foundation structures were first strengthened. The facility is located surrounded by desert dunes and coastal cliffs on the coast Pacific Ocean 117 kilometers from the Peruvian capital.
Rooftop Residence
In the Chinese city of Shenzhen, a modern penthouse was installed in a high-rise building on the 48th and 49th floors. The authors of the project are architects Filippo Gabbiani and Andrea Destefanis.
House in California
Built after the model of the famous architect Kaufman Palm Springs in California. Sliding windows allow you to turn the glass extension into a terrace.
Private residence. Location: Haifa, Israel
Kedem surprises us with this wonderful residence in Haifa, largest city in northern Israel.
A modern mansion built in the center of a historical avenue and in the heart of the French Carmel district of Haifa.
Russell Hill Road
The reconstruction of the house transformed the appearance. It's more spacious inside. The building visually merges with the surrounding natural environment.
Cassowary house
Designed by Peruvian architects. The mansion is built from two separate blocks, connected only by a bridge on the second floor, and between them there is a pond with plants and a fountain.
There is a large terrace on the roof. An elongated pool is a special decoration of the courtyard.
Villa chalet in Madrid is amazing
Rising above a large pool and reminiscent of a Swiss chalet in a modern design. It makes a fantastic impression.
Puristische Villa
In Germany, a suburb of Darmstadt, there is a villa with an area of 378 square meters. The house occupies a favorable location and fits into the landscape. The main finishing is glass, which adds elegance.
Amanzi, Thailand
Luxury villa located on the seafront near Original Vision Ltd.
It is the personification of an ideal home in paradise. There are many terraces. Very interesting pool configuration.
Jarson by Will Bruder + Partners
This is a creation made of steel, copper and glass. A two-level residence with a simple shed roof.
Offers magnificent views of the ocean. This residence is the creation of a Peruvian architectural company.
The light colors of the interior are complemented by abundant sunlight, which penetrates into the rooms through the windows and glass sliding panels on the roof.
Sagaponeck in the USA
The picturesque area offers fantastic views of the sea, and the landscape design complements the architecture of the house.
Residence in Tunisia
In the very center of the desert landscape, an amazing house called Riverfront Residence was built.
It was designed by Taylor Design + BUILD. The main goal of building this house was not only to open up a view of the stunning desert area and organically “merge” into it, but also to successfully use the surrounding resources and build a luxurious energy saving house in the heart of the desert.
One of the most important points can be called how the house depends on eco-friendly and environmentally friendly aspects.
Forest house near New York
The house was built on a wooded plot. The main goal was to minimize the impact on nature and the landscape.
The maximum ecological purity of this area made it possible during the construction process to completely use all the extracted stone and soil at the site.
Georg Spreng House in Germany by C18 Architects
The simple façade hides a luxurious studio. The atelier of the famous jewelry designer is also his home.
Huge windows with silver curtains along the entire perimeter emphasize its severity and, at the same time, soften it with their shine.
Residence in Gramercy Park townhouse in Manhattan, New York
The brick walls of the two main floors of the residence disappeared, replaced by a glass curtain equipped with tiny diodes, invisible during the day but sparkling like a private constellation at night.
Residence on Miami Beach
Modern hotel located in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. Multi-level terraces and wide windows allow you to enjoy panoramic views of the beautiful bay.
Cutler House in Montauk, New York
The best holiday home where you can relax and dream.
Modern glass can decorate an 18th century house
Talented and renowned architect Michael Wigginton has restored an old 18th-century country house near London, expanding the premises with modern glass.
House made of double glazed windows
Steps from the beach on Bainbridge Island built new house on the old foundation.
Has 3100 square meters of living space. Constructed from environmentally friendly pure materials and three-layer double-glazed windows.
House with a brick facade in Israel
This modern minimalist home is built in a small rural community 20 minutes from Tel Aviv.
Glass house by architect Martin Howlab
It is important to note that the house seems to complement the surrounding park, being an integral part.
White House in Florida
The house was built by Touzet Studio architects and was named North Bay Road Residence.
The most interesting thing is that this house is all white: both the facade and interior interior. The pearl effect is enhanced by the blue water in the pool and the surrounding greenery.
House in New York State designed by Pentagram Architects
The house is built from two components - a living area for permanent residence owners and small building next door, which is used as a guest house.
Both buildings have extensive glass areas that face the ocean and offer beautiful views of the endless expanses of water.
Country house on an island in the USA
The main part of the house is occupied by an area with panoramic views of Peconic Bay and the surrounding forest. A wonderful place to relax and recuperate.
Cozy family villa on the southern shore of the lake
Modern house on beautiful area off the southern shore of Lake Balaton, Hungary. This is a dacha with two separate apartments.
Categories:During the design and construction of a private house, everyone wants their future home to be not only functional and reliable, but also attractive in appearance. To realize a luxurious private home, there are many different design ideas and solutions that can make the building unique in appearance. IN Lately houses are very popular in modern style with panoramic windows.
However, recently glass houses have become the most original idea. Until recently, the crystal palace existed only in the imagination and fairy tales, but now it is a reality that can be realized thanks to high modern technologies. New types of heavy-duty glass have the same technical, physical and operational properties as popular building materials, so a glass house is not only a dream, but also a reality.
In addition to the chic appearance a private house, made of glass will have another advantage - saving time on its construction. Glass forms are produced at a fantastic speed, thanks to which it is possible to build a house like in a fairy tale in a minimum period of time. It is worth noting that glass walls have ideal sound insulation, retain heat well inside the room, are soft and silent in use. Operating temperature range – from -40 to +50 degrees Celsius.
During construction, glass walls are easy to join and move easily and safely. Modern material has a long service life due to its high strength. Caring for the glass walls of a building is not difficult; it is similar to caring for ordinary glass. The fittings of modern building materials can be completely different; glass can be transparent, colored, matte, mirrored, embossed, etc.
A house made of glass is the home of a modern and progressive person who has no fear of openness. The homeowner will always be able to enjoy the surrounding landscape, sunrise and sunset. The glass house is new sensations, feelings that captivate the mind. Such a building will give you a feeling of airiness and fabulousness, because it will never be boring here. It may seem to many that the building is fragile and delicate, but in reality everything is far from being so, because multi-layer pressed or tempered glass, which has high strength and reliability, is used for construction.
At the moment, a glass house is a rarity that not everyone can afford, and many are still afraid of this idea. However, the fashion for such buildings is actively gaining momentum in the countries of America, where there are already a number of glass houses. The most famous architect who is involved in their construction and design is Philip Johnson.
When creating a building from glass, you can make not only walls, but also steps, partitions, stairs or gates. More courageous people decide to take much more serious steps using a glass floor and roof. With all this, you need to remember that such a building will not only look gorgeous, but also be expensive, because only selected professionals, of whom there are still very few, will be able to implement such a project.
The rooms of a glass house are filled with light, making them seem more spacious and airy. And sitting down in a chair, you can enjoy the whisper of foliage outside the window, clouds passing by or the surrounding landscape.
The first idea for a glass building came from the Englishman Joseph Paxton, who built a glass pavilion in 1851. This idea seemed crazy at the time, but 80 years later a glass house appeared, the design of which was created by French architects. It was this house that made this direction famous and popular, because soon the most courageous connoisseurs of beauty began to erect similar buildings for permanent residence.
The construction of a glass house is based on frame technology, which is used in German half-timbering. Half-timbered translated from German language- a cell, a rigid wooden frame, including braces and beams, forming large sectors. The half-timbered structure not only has an attractive appearance, but also increases the reliability and stability of the building.
Among the main positive aspects of a glass building are the following advantages:
Like any building, a glass house is not without its drawbacks. In his case, experts highlight the following negative points:
From glass to glass
When glass appeared 2000 years ago, almost immediately people thought of covering the entrance to their homes with it. It never even occurred to anyone to make windows in the house: glass let in light, but did not protect well from cold, wind and rain.
Centuries passed, house building actively developed, many architectural masterpieces were born - but glass was still practically not used. Until the 20th century, when there was a sharp jump in glass consumption, the reinforced concrete frame was invented.
However, the frame was not enough to start a real glass building project. Having enjoyed the first delights of “glass walls”, the architects realized that in the summer it is unbearably hot in such buildings, and very cold in the winter. It is still possible to build an office as a sacrifice to art, but a private residential building is unlikely.
Meanwhile, already in the late 1940s, research began on how to improve the thermal insulation of glass. In reflection on this topic, the concept of double hermetic glazing was developed - what we today call a double-glazed window. And when in the 1970s Western Europe The energy crisis began, the production of double-glazed windows became widespread.
It is clear that in a double-glazed window there is also a profile, a spacer frame between the glasses and air or gas released inside, which provides that additional insulation. However, 80% of any window consists of glass. Protection from external noise (and restful sleep), temperature control in winter and summer, the appearance of the house, the safety of the home and even the health of its residents depend on the properties of glass. These window properties are provided by special glass.
I don't care about frosts
Do you still not believe that it might not be cold in a “glass castle”? It seems that Irkutsk architect Andrei Tiguntsev has dotted all the i’s once and for all: he built a residential building with glass walls on the shores of Lake Baikal, where it drops to -50 in winter.
How? For what? Why? Upon completion of construction, the miracle house was filmed by several television channels at once. And it turned out that the architect perceived the request of the head of a family of three to make “more glass and fewer canopies” as a challenge: to local traditions, mentality, and climate.
As a result, two facades facing sunny side, completely glass, and the facade from the entrance to the house, on the contrary, is almost completely blank. Stopsol Supersilver Clear glass from AGC was used in this house with a pyrolytic coating and improved solar control properties.
An alternative heating system—warm floors—fights the Siberian frosts. The air naturally rises from bottom to top, condensation does not form on the glass, and the windows themselves are not blocked by bulky radiators.
But the main condition for being able to build a “transparent house” in such a harsh climate is, of course, choosing the right energy-efficient double-glazed window.
Gases, metals and plastics
Energy efficiency is the next step in improving the thermal insulation of double glazing. The next one is after the idea of combining several glass plates into a single multilayer structure and pumping various gases into the gaps (experiments have shown that inert gases such as argon have the lowest heat transfer coefficient).
They moved from gases to metals: it turned out that applying a metallic - magnetron vacuum or pyrolytic - coating makes glass low-emissive, that is, it reflects absorbed heat back into the building. Compared with ordinary glass low-emissivity looks and transmits light exactly the same, but at the same time significantly - by 70% - reduces heat loss in the room.
Well, the latest thermal insulation development is a plastic spacer frame, including one reinforced with metal, which replaced steel and aluminum. The thermal conductivity of plastic is much lower than that of steel or aluminum, so the plastic spacer reduces heat loss in the edge zone of the glass unit.
Sun, stop!
With the help of a special coating, the glass is given not only thermal insulation, but also sun protection properties. And we're not talking about tinting at all.
The fact is that the heat penetrating from outside to inside the room comes from total flow solar radiation, that is, visible light, ultraviolet and infrared radiation. Therefore, if we can learn to block UV and IR radiation, but at the same time transmit visible light, then the amount of heat can be limited and controlled. Glasses with such properties are called selective (“selective”).
It does not interfere?
Obviously, truly “smart” glass must be multifunctional: protect from noise and sun, control lighting and indoor microclimate, be durable and safe. And such glass already exists!
A typical example is Stopray Neo from AGC Glass: glass used, in particular, in all the cottages of the Seven Oceans village near Vladivostok. A nanocoating applied to the surface cuts off the entire invisible part of the spectrum, thereby limiting the aggressive effects of summer sunlight. And in cold weather, a layer invisible to the eye does not release heat from the batteries.
In summer, air conditioning costs are reduced, and in winter, heating costs are reduced, so windows with energy-efficient double-glazed windows pay for themselves within a year.
The enemy will not pass
It is difficult to imagine that a transparent-looking window can have properties similar to metal or concrete. It is even more difficult to believe that such characteristics are given to it by two layers of film enclosed between glass plates - Stratobel glass from AGC, constructed in a similar way, according to GOST, received the official status of “Safe glass”.
It is impossible to make a hole in Stratobel laminated glass with a glass cutter. And if a thief wants to break the glass, he will have to spend so much time on it and make so much noise that there will be no chance of remaining unnoticed. It turns out that such glass does not need additional grilles or roller shutters.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the soundproofing properties of Stratobel. It reduces any sounds from the outside to 34 dB - whereas according to GOST, permissible level indoor noise 40 dB during the day and 30 dB at night.
Finally, Stratobel glass takes on the function of protecting the interior from paint fading: two layers of film will not let harmful ultraviolet radiation inside. And if one of your own manages to break the glass, then the same film will prevent it from flying into small pieces, all the fragments will remain on it, and the risk of cuts will be minimized.
It turns out that today you can not only build a house from glass, but also make it a real fortress - modern, cozy and at the same time reliable.
