Although glass homes have an ultra-modern, trendy look that is pointedly futuristic, the emergence of glasshouse design is older than you think. The use of architectural glass as a major element in home design dates back to the late 1940s when the Harvard Five, a group of American architects, was influenced by the Bauhaus movement started by Walter Gropius. The use of glass in homes today is growing in popularity as people long to be closer to nature and the calming green it offers. Add to that the hunger for natural light and, suddenly, architectural glass is a highly desirable design feature. As a result, many structures are influenced by the mid-century glass home, adding new elements that mark millennial architecture design. Here, we take a look at extreme glass home designs spanning many decades.

The Glass House

This simple home disappears into the landscape of its 47-acre site located in New Canaan, Connecticut. Designed and lived in by one of the Harvard Five, Philip Johnson, his first work represents the stunning legacy left behind by the architect. The house is now a heritage site, known as the Glass House. His minimal use of materials prominently features glass with a simple rectangular design that depends on the surrounding nature to create its impact.

Kekkilä Green Shed

Collaborators Linda Bergroth and Ville Hara designed this lovely little bedroom in the woods, giving it the appearance of a glass garden shed/greenhouse. The Kekkilä Green Shed is a meagre 4 square meters and works beautifully when plunked on the edge of a picturesque lake surrounded by nature. It’s the ideal retreat house, but can be used for many different purposes from an actual greenhouse or shed to an inspirational office for a fiction writer.

The Tea House

Architect David Jameson designed the Tea House as a backyard retreat used for entertaining, meditating, and other family activities. With glass walls on all sides and sitting atop a platform, it gives the illusion that it’s floating. Jameson combines glass with steel construction beams and beautiful wood that gives it a meditative Japanese pagoda feel. Tea house designs are popular, and Swatt Miers Architects have created their own take on the design using a combination of glass and concrete for a more industrial, grounded look. Once again, the glass construction allows these small buildings to blend in with nature to create a surreal, peaceful sense of serenity from within and without.

Tree in the House

Life-sustaining trees are featured prominently in the design of this “inverted” treehouse. Designed by A. Masow Architects, the structure wraps itself around a tree, offering a 360-degree view of the serene forest. The cylinder of the structure encloses a tree completely, creating a glass envelope that brings nature into the home. Almost entirely made of glass, all but the bare minimum of additional materials are used to make the building structurally sound.

Las Rozas

This Spanish home takes full advantage of its views from a slope in Las Rozas. The addition of balconies allows the homeowners to make the most of this secret pavilion retreat built into the hills to keep it private and peaceful. The modern design by Penelas Architects uses slightly different shapes and angles, depending on the glass walls and the surrounding forest, to add interest and create the feeling of spaciousness.

Glass Mountain Retreat

This home designed by Studio Santambrogiomilano is almost entirely made of glass, roof to floor and stairs to walls, creating a stunning crystal cube in the heart of the snowy mountains. Almost completely transparent, the gleam of the glass can be made opaque with the touch of a button, which turns the crystal-clear walls into a matt finish for privacy—not that it’s needed in this remote setting.

Poolside Pavilion

Set on an ultra-modern industrial concrete pad, this poolside pavilion’s minimalist design is the brainchild of Studio Dejaeghere. Located in Belgium, the glass walls and thin concrete roof create the ideal spot for a summer living room. The contemporary space provides an addition to the existing home, which is perfect for entertaining, relaxing, and poolside drinks.

California Dreaming

This showstopper home located in Santa Barbara, California was designed by Steve Hermann Architects. The illusion that the rooms are hovering between the roof and floor create a futuristic vision that is both elegant and dreamlike. Using a platform, the glass home design allows the homeowners to enjoy outdoor living, without losing the feeling of being one with nature when you are sitting deeper in the home. The results are stunning, with the modern white lines framing the floating interior like a piece of art.

The Sliding House

This interesting design allows the owners to slide the outer shell over the glasshouse below. Located in Suffolk, England, the designers, dRMM Architects, have divided the structure into three sections consisting of the house itself, the carport, and the annex. Although it’s rather utilitarian in its appearance, the idea that it can be slid out of its frame to create a peaked glass home is intriguing.

Warner House

Also known as the Bridge House, this structure might not be made completely of glass. However, it uses glass to create a clever architectural feature that spans the brook and waterfall over which it was built. Architect John Johansen, another member of the Harvard Five, took advantage of the building site, using the glass bridge and its curved roof to create an unusual feature to embrace the home’s peaceful setting.

The Division Knoll Residence

This glass home has design features including a curving copper roof and glass walls to maximize the mountain and ocean views. It incorporates copper and wood to make it more architecturally interesting. Designed by Sagan Piechota Architecture, the home is in an idyllic setting in Big Sur, California, overlooking the ocean with mountains as its backdrop.

Finley Beach House

This north Pacific home sits on the outskirts of Oregon’s coastal forest. Designed by Bora Architects, the glass walls combine beautifully with the metal and wood, topped by a green roof inspired by the green of the North Pacific landscape.

These glass home designs offer inspiration for your own customized home. Whether you want to add an entire outer wall of glass, create customized glass walls, floors, staircases, or add glass balustrades, Glass Showers and More can help. Click here to contact us today.