Mecanoo, the Dutch architecture firm behind the world's largest performing arts center and the award-winning Library of Birmingham, has added the finishing touches to a stunning new home in Lechlade, UK. As the name might suggest, the Glass Villa on the lake is big on transparency, with its walls largely consisting of panes of glass designed to leave residents with the impression of floating on the water.
The two-story home is built out over the lake and separated from the adjacent plot and street by a skinny finger of land covered in tall trees, which block out lights from the road and creates a sense of privacy. The huge glass windows offer uninterrupted views of this "green oasis," as the firm describes it, and this theme continues right around the perimeter to create panoramic views out over the lake.
This transparent shell also makes for a well-lit interior, aided further by a central atrium that both illuminates the sunken basement and connects the inside to a rooftop terrace via a central staircase. The surroundings can be enjoyed from that rooftop decking, along with a lower two-level terrace jutting out over the water.
Every room in the house is designed to connect the interior with nature through high ceilings and glass walls, while the open-plan living areas with minimal walls are also intended to the bring that scenery indoors.
Materials used throughout include dark wood and metals contrasted with bright white walls, ceilings and doors. Elements of the exterior facade that aren't made from glass consist of timber charred through the Japanese technique known as Sugi Ban, offering fire resistance and a long-lasting finish without the use of chemical preservatives and paints.
Sustainable elements include an air thermal heat pump, solar panels, heat recovery systems and triple glazed glass, which Mecanoo says makes for an energy consumption that is "very low."
To see more of the Glass Villa on the lake, check out our gallery.
Source: Mecanoo