How do we really use our living space? Every time I start a new project, I begin with that question. So when I set out to build a house for my own growing family – my wife and I have three young children – I wanted to make sure the interior was as much of a reflection of our needs as the exterior. When I said that I wanted to build a glass house for our family, people questioned how I could take that concept and turn it into a real family home. Working with my wife – who was a true partner in this project – the answer came in the form of balanced rooms, warm materials and high technology. All rooms in our home are built on a 16 square-foot grid with 8 feet wide connectors for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical devices, which keep the rooms pure and uncluttered. Every aspect of the house’s technology runs with an easy-to-use digital touch button – from lights to blinds to HVAC to communication. It’s so simple even the kids are learning to use it. The house is also my own experiment with transparency and reflectivity, removing borders and edges from the outside to the inside of the house, and depicting flowing, endless space. And our friends and family are amazed by the warmth the interiors radiate. So are my peers. In fact, the American Institute of Architects recently recognized us with an honor award for interior architecture. Its jury said our home’s “…transparency from the outside in and the inside out is a strong design concept. Not only does transparency unite the functional space of the floor plan with the environment, it informs the canvas about the use of color – the yellow structure, red core walls, and cherry floors tie directly to the seasonal vegetation, bringing the landscape into play as design elements.” Of course, if you ask my kids why they like living in a glass house, you’ll get a slightly different answer than the AIA jury’s response (they say, “It’s fun, daddy!), but it all comes down to the same idea; the house complements us, not vice versa.
