Glass house is clearly fabulous
A developer is ready to begin construction of a 4,000-square-foot, all-glass home in Fort Lauderdale’s Las Olas Isles neighborhood. And, of course, the glass will be hurricaneresistant.
The view within this home will be — everything.
A developer is ready to begin construction of an all-glass house in Fort Lauderdale’s posh Las Olas Isles neighborhood.
Designed by Rex Nichols Architects, the home will feature an open floor plan with floor-to-ceiling, unobstructed views of the back garden. A wrap-around, L- shaped pool, Jacuzzi and waterfall will be accessible through exposed sliding glass doors at the back of the home.
The last house at the site, at 2309 Barcelona Drive, has been demolished, and the new home is expected to start rising in September. Once completed in 2019, the 4,000-square-foot home could be listed for $3.5 million.
“The walls are literally all glass,” said architect Rex Nichols. That includes all living areas such as the master suite, library and the bathrooms.
What about privacy? The pool will wrap
around the master bedroom and bathroom, and the landscaping will be a buffer. Landscaping and an “art wall” near the master bathroom is also intended to keep neighbors’ eyes out, Nichols said.
The glass “makes it feel imminently larger because your eye [doesn’t stop at] the walls of the house,” Nichols said.
The glass walls are part of an “interiorexterior interaction.”
“The house opens up — the outdoors becomes part of the interior,” said Nichols, who is working with lead designer Alex Penna.
Penna said the inspiration for the design came from architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who constructed a steel-and-glass house in Illinois. Built between 1945-51, the home was later designated as a national historic landmark.
Penna said creating a glass house is a “beautiful challenge.”
The idea has been done in South Florida before: A 13,367-square-foot estate in Miami Beach has unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay.
The glass mansion has an infinity-edge pool, outdoor kitchen and cabana, atrium, home theater and three-car garage. Corner opening and pocketing sliding glass doors allow the interior space to be completely open to the outside, blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor.
Jeff Hendricks Developers Inc. will construct the four-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom residence in Fort Lauderdale.
It “absolutely” will have hurricane-impact glass, said Jeff Hendricks, president of the South Florida development firm.
“Every home has its own identity,” he said. “It’s where art meets architecture, where it becomes one.”
Hendricks said “contemporary homes are evolving.” The key is be “creative with new design, be innovative with new design.”
“The outdoors becomes part of the interior.” Architect Rex Nichols