"People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones," is a proverb not usually taken literally, but anyone brave enough to live in architect Carlo Santambrogio's glass house (designed by Ennio Arosio) may want to do so. They'll also need to not be the shy and retiring type, have a fair amount of money in the bank, and own a plot of land with no close neighbors or easy points of access. Not for the faint-hearted then, but a property we can all aspire to one day live in ... if we ignore the obvious practical concerns.
This is at present merely a concept, with the all of the images being artist's impressions of the glass house. The primary cause of the project is to promote Santambrogio's range of glass furniture called Simplicity, much of which can be seen sitting in the concept home.
However, the house is reportedly an option for those visiting Santambrogio's showrooms in London, Milan, and New York. At £4,000 (US$6,200) per square meter, any sizable structure is likely to break the bank for anyone not super-wealthy, and finding a plot suitable to build a glass house upon would also not be easy or cheap.
There are some obvious questions that a potential buyer of such a house would need to ask ... What about the plumbing, the unsightly elements of which are usually hidden behind solid walls? How much would a house like this cost to heat (it's possible that as with glass roof tiles, the house could cut energy bills)? Would it survive intact and blemish-free when exposed to the elements, especially in the kind of settings Santambrogio envisions it will sit?
Perhaps these questions are too practical, and take something away from the sheer beauty of a house designed for the minimalist living many of us aspire to but few ever achieve ... or perhaps this is better suited to remaining a mere concept, however interesting a concept it may be.
Source: Santambrogio via The Daily Mail