10 Dream Houses with Large Windows and Glazed Doors

Appreciating scenic outlook through widely opened window has always been the ultimate dream of every home enthusiast. While outdoor surroundings can be regarded as backdrops of our lives, on the other hand, the house can, many times, also be a perfect complement to the nature around us. Hence, good architectural design of a house is not only a reflection of owner’s thoughtfulness but also an architectural contribution, in socio-ecological aspect, to urban landscape.

Here are 10 dream houses around the world with large windows and glazed doors that will give you some fresh, creative ideas for home design, along with new perspectives on outdoor surroundings and urban landscape, so that  you can live in harmony with your surroundings.

U House : Canalli Arquitetura, Brazil

Like Thailand, Brazil is a tropical country; and this house is located in an upland area of the country, therefore, local climate reasonably takes priority over other factors in designing the house. Natural lighting, ventilation, and precipitation were all calculated to achieve thermal comfort. Most of the walls are installed with sliding glass panels, and are partly wood veneers covered. With u-shaped house plan design that helps controlling effects of the weather, glass walls were installed on every side of some rooms, resulting in 360-degree view within most areas of the house.

Baby Point Residence : Batay-Csorba Architects, Canada

This home plan features glazed façade and walls that align with roofline of the gables. With an attempt to preserve the air of nostalgia for the land’s history dated back to the early 1820s, the exterior design shows harmony with natural surroundings. While in contrast to the outdoor greenery, light interior details and all-white panels help create homey feeling. Moreover, roller blinds were installed over the door to filter the daylight as well as to ensure some privacy. Aside from daylight control, these blinds are like the final touch to the architecture as they neatly highlight the frame lines.

House of Pipes : Parallax, India

Built among coconut palms, House of Pipes simulates the towering trunk of the tree by using long poles to elevate its ground floor resembling traditional Thai house. In addition to giving incredible view aloft, the stilt floor improves indoor air circulation, especially within tropical climate zone. The main structures are framed in horizontal direction. The balcony is sheltered by thin and high-rise steel pipes along the platform. And next to the balcony, big sliding glass door is deliberately chosen as a partition between open area and indoor life. With such materials and design, external landscape can be fully appreciate from inside the house while the interior is still protected, from changeable weather, by the eaves.

H House : BAUM, Japan

Japanese house is famous for its design that focus on privacy, and H House by BAUM is no exception. Despite the frontage with large glazed wall and windows, personal space is hidden at the rooftop across the frontal section. In this area, family can closely connect to natural environment as believed in Zen Buddhism. This huge window is also the main opening that brings daylight and liveliness into the house. And the large and thick window frames go very well with wooden design theme, adding a tinge of nature to every corner of the house.

Elm Grove House : Ben Walker Architects, Australia

Box house can always be more than a simple and dull design as long as architects are able to come up with new ideas. Elm Grove House is the epitome of this statement. The veranda is extended to reduce rain splash; and the walls, made of glass and glazed windows, can be adjusted to serve various functions. For example, a sliding glass wall provides an access to backyard, and awning windows above door frames help improve ventilation and also ensure security of the building. Undoubtedly, the layout of window and door frames makes this house practical and stylish.

The Summit House : Architecture architecture, Australia

The most eye-catching component in this building is the group of geometric-shaped windows placed together to create a modern piece of architecture. Looking from the outside, you can see glasses and non-transparent walls in the form of an array of triangles. But once you get inside, both floors and walls appear to you as curved shape objects. The building’s layout is an open-plan concept. There are only few partition walls and swing doors used for space allocation, while glass walls and sliding glazed windows are installed all over the place, in order to create seamless indoor-outdoor connection and improve a sense of openness.

Old Brick New House : Wrzeszcz Architekci, Poland

Since the neighboring forests is the main environmental context of renovating an old barn to a new house,  the architect focused on the design of widely opening glazed doors and windows that brings daylight into the renovated project. While the gigantic sliding panel in the middle is the largest opening part, swing-opening casements are installed in other parts for different usage. On the second floor, the design of open masonry wall, which filters sunlight and secures owner’s privacy, boosts uniqueness of the house, as well as extends the functions of the materials.

The House of Jesus : Rubens Cortés Arquitectos + Raúl Rodríguez Ruiz (RRR), Spain

Appealing concept of this glazed box house begins with the idea of designing everything with thin and lightweight structures. The design concept thus underlies in every details of this building. For instance, Building’s columns are designed to be as thin as 25 centimeter in diameter while maintaining the ability to support cantilever extension, in order to achieve lightness. And the effort to minimize unnecessary lines is clearly visible through the selection of large sliding window and frameless glass walls. Even the smallest detail in this house reflects the underlying architectural concept perfectly.

Chimney House : Atelier DAU, Australia

When choosing glazed door and window of a house, sliding door and window are the most typical choice. However, if swing glazed door is to be chosen and installed, Chimney House is a good example that uses oversized swing door in its design. In this project, oversized swing glass door is a gateway to the backyard, which provides the sense of continuity. When opening the door, all living spaces are connected in a piece, starting from an area in the front to a gallery-like lofty hall, and all the way through to the natural space at the rear of the house. Lastly, despite perforated metal sheets on the façade, motions and liveliness within the house are noticeable through window panels.

 

Alley Cat Backyard Home : SHED Architecture & Design, USA

 

Alley Cat Backyard Home is situated in a residential area where house size and space are limited, so dwellers can only rely on walls as privacy barriers. Since the walls cannot be glassy or sheer for privacy reason, the roof becomes new windows. With low slope, the roof not only serves as typical windows but also a skylight. And in the backyard and patio area, an oversized sliding glazed door is installed, as the biggest door of the house, which aims to connect the back garden to a living room.

Reference: archdaily.com