During the design and construction of a private house, everyone wants their future home to be not only functional and reliable, but also attractive in appearance. To realize a luxurious private home, there are many different design ideas and solutions that can make the building unique in appearance. IN Lately Modern-style houses with panoramic glass are very popular.
However, recently the most original idea steel glass houses. Until recently, the crystal palace existed only in the imagination and fairy tales, but now it is a reality that can be realized thanks to high modern technologies. New types of heavy-duty glass have the same technical, physical and operational properties, like popular Construction Materials, so a glass house is not only a dream, but also a reality.
Glass strength
In addition to the chic appearance a private house, made of glass will have another advantage - saving time on its construction. Glass forms are produced at a fantastic speed, thanks to which it is possible to build a house like in a fairy tale in a minimum period of time. It is worth noting that glass walls have ideal sound insulation, retain heat well inside the room, are soft and silent in use. Operating temperature range – from -40 to +50 degrees Celsius.
During construction, glass walls are easy to join and move easily and safely. Modern material has a long service life due to its high strength. Caring for the glass walls of a building is not difficult; it is similar to caring for ordinary glass. The fittings of modern building materials can be completely different; glass can be transparent, colored, matte, mirrored, embossed, etc.
Modern glass house design
A house made of glass is the home of a modern and progressive person who has no fear of openness. The homeowner will always be able to enjoy the surrounding landscape, sunrise and sunset. The glass house is new sensations, feelings that captivate the mind. Such a building will give you a feeling of airiness and fabulousness, because it will never be boring here. It may seem to many that the building is fragile and delicate, but in reality everything is far from being so, because multi-layer pressed or tempered glass, which has high strength and reliability, is used for construction.
On this moment a glass house is a rarity that not everyone can afford, and many are still afraid of this idea. However, the fashion for such buildings is actively gaining momentum in the countries of America, where there are already a number of glass houses. The most famous architect who is involved in their construction and design is Philip Johnson.
When creating a building from glass, you can make not only walls, but also steps, partitions, stairs or gates. More courageous people decide to take much more serious steps using a glass floor and roof. With all this, you need to remember that such a building will not only look gorgeous, but also be expensive, because only selected professionals, of whom there are still very few, will be able to implement such a project.
Rooms glass house filled with light, making them appear more spacious and airy. And sitting down in a chair, you can enjoy the whisper of foliage outside the window, clouds passing by or the surrounding landscape.
The first idea for a glass building came from the Englishman Joseph Paxton, who built a glass pavilion in 1851. This idea seemed crazy at the time, but 80 years later a glass house appeared, the design of which was created by French architects. It was this house that made this direction famous and popular, because soon the most courageous connoisseurs of beauty began to erect similar buildings for permanent residence in them.
The construction of a glass house is based on frame technology, which is used in German half-timbering. Half-timbered translated from German language- a cell, a rigid wooden frame, including braces and beams, forming large sectors. The half-timbered structure is not only attractive appearance, but also increases the reliability and stability of the building.
Advantages of a glass house
Among the main positive aspects of a glass building are the following advantages:
- Original, modern and attractive appearance. Such buildings will become ideal solution for extravagant and extraordinary individuals who want to express their originality.
- Glass has unique qualities, thanks to which interior design has no restrictions, other than financial ones.
- The use of modern technologies in the construction of a private house. The use of sealed and energy-saving materials, solar collectors, smart home systems, etc. Due to all this, the construction of the highest quality and reliability is obtained.
- Relatively fast construction.
- Energy savings – natural light there is always a lot here. This creates a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere. Using special glass you can protect yourself from ultraviolet rays and reduce the cost of heating and air conditioning.
- Excellent communication system hidden inside the structure.
- High degree of fire safety.
- Service life – 100 years or more.
- Resistant to moisture and corrosion.
Disadvantages of a building made of glass
Like any building, a glass house is not without its drawbacks. In his case, experts highlight the following negative points:
- High price - only high-tech materials are used for construction, which greatly affects the final cost of construction.
- Large costs for cleaning the outer surface of the glass from snow. When cooling, condensation forms on the inside, which can be eliminated using expensive dehumidifiers.
- A transparent house is not suitable for everyone, because there is no sense of security in it, it seems that you are constantly in everyone’s sight, and not everyone will like this.
The idea of using glass in the construction of residential buildings originated at the beginning of the last century, gradually gaining very wide popularity. Over several decades, engineers and builders have developed a lot various technologies, which allow you to implement almost any design solutions, implying the use of translucent materials in construction.
Modern two-story glass house
If the owners shopping centers, offices and banks, when choosing a house with glass facades, are guided, first of all, by the prestige of such buildings, then the owners of private houses and apartments pay attention to a number of other characteristics. For example, in a residential area there must be required amount sunlight, since its deficiency can cause headaches, fatigue, bad mood, depression, etc. in residents. Translucent facades not only provide the required level of lighting, but also allow significant savings on electricity, which is spent on artificial light in the premises. It is also worth noting that such walls do not create any obstacles to the view of the landscape surrounding the house (due to which you can always keep an eye on children walking in the yard without any inconvenience).
Many people think of concrete and glass houses as boring and uninteresting, but in reality, these materials allow you to create structures that stand out from the crowd. Concrete provides excellent stability of the building structure, and glass provides high-quality insulation of the premises.
The simplest projects are economical country houses made of glass and concrete Concrete, which today is produced using all kinds of special additives, has high quality, which allows you to significantly expand the scope of its application. Currently, more than 1000 types of this material have been developed, among which you can easily choose the most optimal option for yourself. The most widely used is cellular concrete, which has a porous structure. The volume of these pores directly affects specifications material. Another equally popular material is rustic concrete, which perfectly imitates some types of natural materials. Now you can even find a type of concrete that can absorb various harmful substances from the air, which is especially important for people who care about their health.
Modern glass also has many advantages. For example, it easily allows you to maintain the necessary temperature regime indoors throughout the year. In addition, on sale you can find glass with built-in solar panels or a self-cleaning system.
Original project houses made of glass and concrete (USA) Another, no less popular material includes glass blocks, which have high performance sound absorption, light transmittance and strength. The glass block structure is not afraid of exposure to fire, so the fire safety of the structure fully meets all necessary standards.
Read also
Projects of country houses in Scandinavian style
Based on all this, it turns out that houses made of glass and concrete can be safely described as durable, reliable and very economical buildings.
It is also worth noting the external attractiveness of this type of house, since glass blocks amaze with a rich selection of textures, shades and light transmittance. Project of an economical house made of glass blocks
- Advantages of a house with a glass facade
- High-quality room lighting. The use of glass in the design of the façade of a building allows the level of insolation to be increased so much that the use of artificial light can be reduced to a complete minimum.
- Energy efficiency. According to experts, by using glass in housing construction, it becomes possible to save about 7-10% of the energy that is spent on providing heat and light in the house.
- Naturalness. The main difference between glass and many other materials is that it is environmentally friendly, so you don’t have to worry about your health or the health of your loved ones. Attractive appearance
. Beautiful tinting of house windows will guarantee a stylish, unusual and chic look for your home. The range of products on the glazing services market is simply amazing in its diversity. Today there are many different technologies: structural and semi-structural, mullion-transom, additional facades, spider and planar glazing. One or another option, along with a number of other factors (brand name, work of specialists, quality of products used, complexity architectural forms
etc.) directly affect the cost of the finished glazed facade. In addition to the above factors, the pricing is influenced by the following components: the shape of the double-glazed windows, the aluminum system, the size of the mullion-transom mesh, the number and type of openings (tilt-and-turn, bottom- and top-hung, hinged and sliding).
Wooden house with glass walls
Currently, glass house projects designed in the Scandinavian style are becoming increasingly popular. The most pleasant feature of such structures is that they fit very beautifully and easily into the surrounding landscape, thereby achieving a unified composition between the home and the garden.
A house made of wood and glass requires very careful design of the interior and proper selection of each piece of furniture (ideally, it should be in harmony with the glass, without standing out too much from the general background). The combination of glass and wood can rightfully be considered very original and unusual, which not every person will decide on. Ideal color scheme The layout of such a house will be in light colors, diluted with gray and beige. These colors will promote good rest and relaxation after a hard day at work. In most cases, glass is not made external walls, but internal ones, but if you want to create the illusion of the roof floating in the air, it is recommended to give preference to external glass walls. Such houses, quite suitable for permanent residence (and not just seasonal), blend wonderfully with the surrounding nature.
The latest technologies make it possible to use innovative building materials in half-timbered houses, which include energy-saving double-glazed windows filled with argon and glued structural timber, manufactured using high-precision woodworking equipment.
Modern technologies have made it possible to create real masterpieces in the field of country house construction, namely, they have allowed the construction of glass houses. On our website you will find projects in which there is an open layout and a transparent facade of the house. All this became possible thanks to such materials as laminated veneer lumber and special energy-saving double-glazed windows. And of course, we should not forget about the half-timbered house-building technology itself, which made it possible to create a glass house, which is becoming more and more widespread in Russia.
Construction of glass houses in St. Petersburg
Strong massive beams made of laminated veneer lumber form the load-bearing power frame of a glass house and thanks to this, it becomes possible to freely plan in absolutely any project, both standard and individual design of a cottage. Inside the house, you can also use transparent partitions, or solid partitions filled with the frame method.
Only thanks to modern technologies has it become possible to build a house with glass walls, using such environmentally friendly materials as laminated veneer lumber and mineral wool as insulation. The amount of facade glazing of your country house and glass depends only on your wishes and fantasies!
Glass houses, prices for glass houses, projects in St. Petersburg
Construction of modern houses made of wood and glass in St. Petersburg. The latest technologies make it possible to use innovative building materials in half-timbered houses.
Glass half-timbered structure: translucent frame house
Glass half-timbered structures - construction technology frame houses, common in Europe and gradually gaining popularity in Russia. In short, the frame of the building is erected (usually up to 3 floors in height), and all or most of the wall sections in the spaces between the frame elements are made of thick multi-layer double-glazed windows.
What are the benefits of frame glass houses?
The appearance of the building is very attractive. Even if it is a large house with 2-3 floors, it will seem very elegant and light, almost weightless. At the same time, the absence of opaque walls will visually increase absolutely any room in the house. All natural light will be used to the maximum extent, and it will not be difficult to protect yourself from its excess with various curtains and blinds.
As for the constructive advantages of this technology, the shrinkage of half-timbered buildings is minimal or absent altogether. Like any other frame house, such a house will be erected quickly, and due to its relatively low weight (compared to stone buildings), there is no need for a very powerful foundation.
In the interiors of glass half-timbered buildings, glass partitions and aluminum doors with double glazed windows. The presence of such elements is quite justified; in addition, glass transparent niches in the floor of the upper floor can also look quite organic.
Many people are concerned about the issue of safety, but with glass half-timbered windows everything is in order. Not just glass is used, but multilayer durable double-glazed windows. For home owners, this means that accidental damage to the walls, for example from a crashing bird, a fallen branch, careless movement or something similar, is unlikely. Of course, if you deliberately try to break the glass heavy object or special equipment, then in the end it will work out, but no building is immune from this.
The fire safety of the house is ensured by the use of laminated veneer lumber (which flares up more slowly and worse than solid wood) and its treatment with special impregnating compounds.
Disadvantages of glass half-timbered frames
It may seem like a half-timbered glass house - optimal solution for private construction. In fact, everything is not so perfect; this technology is not without some drawbacks.
First of all, this is a question of heat in such a house. In Europe, where half-timbered wood is quite common, severe frosts are not such a common occurrence. And in Russian -20? C and -30? C, a glass house will require much higher heating costs than an insulated wooden or stone structure. In addition, standard radiators with glass walls will look unaesthetic; accordingly, the main source of heat will have to be underfloor heating or air heating.
The next problem is the building frame. Specifics of manufacturing laminated veneer lumber and its processing protective compounds do not completely eliminate the wood’s susceptibility to dampness and pest damage. Accordingly, at intervals of several years, the house will need to be carefully inspected, if necessary, problem areas will need to be repaired and the application of antiseptics and paint coatings will need to be repeated.
In addition, a glass house is not a cheap pleasure, not so much because of the work involved in its construction, but because of the price of construction materials.
What's the result?
A house built using half-timbered technology with glazing over most of the facade is certainly beautiful. But it makes sense to build it only if the plot area is large, because few people will like the fact that neighbors or random passers-by will see everything that happens inside. You should not choose this type of house design for permanent residence in cold climates. Of course, modern developments make it possible to reduce heat loss by sealing double-glazed windows and treating them with low-emission compounds that do not allow thermal radiation to pass out. But all this is not possible indefinitely, so in cold winters you will have to put up with low temperatures or seriously spend money on heating.
Glass houses with wooden frame
The original idea of making translucent (glass) enclosing structures in buildings for various purposes arose at the beginning of the last century. Gradually it became so popular that engineers developed many technologies that made it possible to implement glass structures with wood, stone or concrete. Moreover, the use of translucent structures made it possible to create not only prestigious facades of banks, offices and shopping centers, but also to create no less spectacular and original private houses. At the same time, the abundance of glass structures played into the hands of the owners, allowing them to save energy, because the degree of natural lighting in the room increased significantly. In addition, transparent enclosing structures made it possible to merge with nature, because now from the house you can view the picturesque surrounding landscape.
Advantages of glass houses
It is no coincidence that modern houses made of glass and wood are so popular. They have a lot of advantages:
- The level of natural lighting in the premises is greatly increased. Thanks to this, the well-being of household members improves, because a lack of light leads to apathy and depression; effective insolation of a room allows you to create a microclimate favorable for life.
- The energy efficiency of such a house is achieved by saving up to 7-10% of energy costs. In the summer, the use of artificial lighting can be minimized, which will allow significant savings considering energy prices.
- Ecological cleanliness. Glass is considered an environmentally friendly material that is safe for human health.
- Spectacular appearance. A glass house looks stylish in any combination. You can combine wood and glass, concrete structures with glass surfaces. Stone with glass looks no less impressive. Buildings using translucent enclosing structures will appeal to lovers of laconic and extravagant design.
- Glass has many unique properties, which make its scope of application in construction virtually unlimited. Using this material, you can bring any design idea to life.
- A glass house is a unique structure, which is characterized by its tightness and the use of energy-saving materials. Often in such houses they are installed solar collectors, smart home systems, etc.
- Often the frame of such a house is manufactured in a factory and delivered to the assembly site almost within finished form, so it takes a little time to erect the building.
- If you apply a special coating on the glass that blocks the sun's rays, you can save money on indoor air conditioning in the summer.
- Glass, like concrete and stone, does not support combustion, so buildings made from these materials are different high level fire safety.
- Glass structures are not afraid of corrosion because they are very resistant to moisture.
- The service life of a house made of this material is more than a century.
- Glass Vacation home creates a feeling of unity with nature. In any weather conditions, you can enjoy the picturesque landscape outside the window without leaving a cozy, warm room.
Disadvantages of glass buildings
Despite such a large list of advantages, glass houses also have some disadvantages:
- Although glass house projects do not differ in cost from the working documentation for the construction traditional house, the costs of constructing a building made of glass and wood or concrete (stone) are significantly higher. Therefore, only wealthy people can afford such a house. Such a high price is due to the use of high-tech materials and the latest construction techniques.
- The owners of such a house will have to come to terms with the high costs of cleaning the windows from sticking snow, as well as the costs of combating condensation, which often forms on the inner surface of the glass when the temperature outside significantly decreases.
Important: special desiccant absorbers are used to combat condensation.
- Houses with transparent enclosing structures are not suitable for conservative people who like to protect their personal space in every possible way and protect themselves from the prying eyes of others. A glass house is the choice of a cheerful, optimistic person who looks to the future with confidence and is ready for cooperation and communication.
The main disadvantage of a glass house is its price. The cost of a glazed facade is influenced by several factors:
- brand popularity;
- work of masters;
- product quality;
- complexity of architectural form;
- glass configuration;
- the presence of an aluminum frame;
- dimensions of the post-transom system;
- number of opening double-glazed windows;
- type of opening.
Features of glass houses
When designing houses from a combination of glass, concrete, wood or stone, a layout is used with maximum open flowing spaces so that the surrounding landscape can be admired from anywhere in the house. In this case, the following rules are adhered to:
- the number of partitions should be minimal;
- the size of the premises is made as large as possible;
- Often several rooms are combined (dining room and living room, kitchen and living room, bedroom and office, etc.);
- in indoor and outdoor decorative finishing adhere to a certain conciseness.
When carrying out a project for a structure made of glass and wood or concrete, it is worth remembering that all load-bearing structural parts of the house and frame elements must ensure the possibility of repair work and maintenance.
As for the design of such a house, products from the following materials are used as a load-bearing frame and for the construction of some blank parts of the walls:
The following types of glass are used to make translucent structures:
- laminated;
- hardened;
- reinforced;
- plexiglass;
- glass with special coating.
Worth knowing: along with different types glass, to make such a house, all kinds of composite materials, polycarbonate plates (cellular polycarbonate), as well as transparent slate can be used.
In addition to the glass itself, many glazing options are used:
- structural technology;
- semi-structural technique;
- use of a post-transom system;
- doppel facades;
- planar glazing;
- spider glazing.
Do not think that the glass used to build a house is traditional material, characterized by high thermal conductivity. Modern glass used for these purposes has many advantages. For example, with its help it is easy to maintain the required temperature in the house throughout the whole year. Also, quite often, double-glazed windows with built-in solar panels and a self-cleaning system are used for such purposes.
An equally popular material for making light-transmitting structures are glass blocks. They are distinguished by high strength, good light transmittance, and increased sound absorption rates. Such structures are not afraid of fire, so the fire safety of the structure will comply with the standards. Glass blocks are distinguished by a large selection of colors, surface textures and degrees of light transmittance.
Options for combining glass and wood
In the photos on the Internet you can see a wide variety of houses made from a combination of wood and glass. We will describe several of the most common design techniques:
- Wooden doors with large glazing planes are actively used in country houses, allowing you to combine the space of the living room or hallway with the surrounding landscape. Often such doors are made at the exit to the terrace or veranda, less often at the main entrance to the house.
- A house with glass walls is becoming more and more popular every year. The buildings, designed in the Scandinavian style, fit harmoniously and naturally into the landscape surrounding the house. A building made from a combination of glass and wood requires very careful design of the interior and proper selection of furniture. Moreover, not only external walls can be made of glass, creating the effect of a floating roof, but also internal partitions. Thanks to this, a functional division of space is organized and its harmonious flow from one to another is ensured.
- For those who have not yet decided to make glass walls in the house, but want to give the structure lightness and originality, we can advise you to make a glass veranda for the house. Such a veranda can overlook a picturesque corner of your garden. The main advantage of this design is that there is no need to build a complex, expensive foundation.
Houses made of glass and wood: modern projects with stone and concrete
Advantages and disadvantages of glass houses. Structural features, options for combining glass and wood when building houses.
“All the locals think that I’m freezing behind glass walls, but I’m warm,” says Vadim, the owner of the unusual house. He “invented” it and built it himself: without technical education or construction skills. It turned out just like the pictures in glossy magazines - colorful, spacious, light. The house used the most modern engineering solutions, while the owner managed to save considerable amounts (6 thousand euros on glass systems alone).
Atypical project
Vadim says that when creating the project, he already had an idea of what he wanted, so he drew the house in detail himself. I borrowed the glazing systems from a magazine and “implanted” them into the project (further the narration will be in the first person).
- When they ask me: how did you master it all, build it, create it, how did you come up with it, I answer that this is the material realization of my inner world. I am the same as this house: voluminous, spacious, roomy, with character and modern style, light and comfortable. And at the same time, he is budget-minded and tight-fisted, like all Belarusians.
According to this project they built
Designer Daria Lapitskaya helped me in the design. I coordinated all decisions and ideas with her, asked for her comments on every issue related to aesthetics and design. The project itself, believe it or not, was drawn on an A4 sheet. Already when the house had to be put into operation, an architectural project was needed. It was made in the architecture of the city from a ready-made building.
House layout
Foundation
The house was built in the Kobrin district, in a village, on 22 acres. The geometry of the site is quite convenient: 53x40 meters, the difference in horizon level is 45 cm. The house project was “planted” on a site oriented to the cardinal points.
The trenches were dug with a chain tractor, then the accuracy of the dimensions was adjusted with shovels. I was lucky with the materials for the foundation: I had at my disposal concrete support columns measuring 50*50 cm with a huge margin of safety (they previously supported the concrete roof at one of the industries). I saved a lot on concrete, but I had to incur costs for loading, unloading, laying columns and their delivery. The rest of the trench was filled with concrete from a mixer. To save more, I bought several machines for breaking concrete (instead of rubble stone), also from industrial production. As a result, the savings on concrete turned out to be very significant.
The part 60 cm above the ground was laid out with demoler blocks, and in a double wall: on the outside there was a brown facing block 10 cm thick, then an air cushion of 5 cm and a standard block 20 cm thick.
Looking ahead, I note that I really wanted to build a foundation according to German technologies, with insulation, waterproofing, but at that time it was prohibitively expensive and labor-intensive, and this design of the above-ground part of the foundation made it possible to avoid “cold bridges” in the area where the walls meet the floors and significantly reduce the cost of the project. The foundation is filled with white sand and compacted, with water shrinkage. Before the walls were erected, the foundation was given time to “mature” for a whole year.
Tips on the foundation: it may sound trivial, but it must be reinforced (I know that some builders do not do this). I would personally recommend that before pouring the foundation, lay a small gravel pad, 5 cm thick, into the trench and compact it. In case of construction without a project engineering systems provide plugs in the foundation for holes for introducing communications. When buying demolition blocks, be careful when choosing a manufacturer, since I almost bought blocks from a private seller, instead of cement they contained only dye, and they crumbled right in my hands.
Old log house or expensive blocks?
Regarding the material for the walls, there was a choice between gas silicate blocks And wooden beam from an old village house (realt.tut.by has just this topic, and I fully support and share the author’s conclusions). The fact is that at that time (2010 - the time of construction of the walls), gas silicate was for some reason extremely expensive, so I was looking for a solution on how to save money. But there was a “planned collapse” of the ruble, and the blocks became more accessible. As a result, I purchased GSB from the Berezovsky plant, measuring 60*30*30, considering the thickness of 30 cm to be quite sufficient for our latitude with future perspective insulation. The blocks arrived in perfect quality, so installation was easy and simple. My friend laid the blocks, at prices below market prices at that time, and I was his helper. I had to take direct part in the construction for several reasons. I immediately planned to pour a warm (hidden) armored belt around the perimeter of the walls, and U-blocks were not on sale at that time. So I cut them myself from standard blocks using a drill with a long bit and a grinder. Apart from me, this operation was not successful for any of the tested hired helpers.
Mauerlat rests on a “warm” monolithic belt In the end, I saved on a helper, on U-blocks, and at the same time checked the quality of my friend’s work during installation. Yes, the customer’s presence on site allows us to improve the quality of the work performed and avoid irreparable mistakes by builders, especially if the project is complex.
Geometry lessons
If we somehow managed to cope with the walls, then the roof was my headache. It is 8-slope, hip, combined with two reverse slopes, a second light. I’ll be honest: the drawing (if it can be called a drawing) was drawn on an A4 piece of paper by one village guy with 8 grades under his belt. I just turned out to be a talented person in this field.
However, none of the professional builders wanted to undertake the roofing according to this drawing, even for a lot of money. As a result, the roof was assembled by the children from the village.
The rafter system is assembled from pine lumber. Only in one place (above the dining room, in the reverse slope area) was an I-beam laid for additional structural rigidity. It is located on the edges of the walls in the dining room, and in order to prevent the edges of the walls from suddenly being destroyed under pressure, the corresponding unloading heels were filled in gas silicate.
Waste OSB
The village roofers turned out to be talented guys. And they took payment from me at that moment absolutely at market prices, without an “addition” for complexity and level of responsibility. The material was cut so competently that out of 240 m² of OSB, only a few strips and small pieces remained, in a total area not exceeding 2 square meters(!!!). After work, I myself came to their aid as a helper and spotter. Designer Daria also approved the design in terms of proportions and geometry.
The extension of the roof onto the walls is 95 cm, which was unusual at that time, but now this is done everywhere. I recommend that everyone under construction use wide roof overhangs, but do not lose sight of the proportions of the entire roof and the building. This allows the walls and foundation to remain dry. It has been noticed that even with slanting rain, the façade is only partially moistened.
For such a complex roof of all roofing materials with minimal waste and reliability could only be achieved, so I bought TechnoNIKOL tiles, the Jazz collection. It was laid on an OSB board according to all the rules: with an underlay carpet, greasing of the starts, vapor films from the inside, installation of aerators and other nuances. The additional elements are made of brown matte tin to prevent glare in the sun.
The Hanter drainage system was immediately installed. Water discharge is provided by five risers with direct output to the local storm drainage system. The roof overhangs were covered with soffit from Brest production “Vox”. The soffit is fixed on 5*5 cm slats. Then this allowed me to relatively easily and painlessly implement stylish lighting for the terraces, a welcome light in the parking lot and on the porch of the house.
“I thought I would give up glass structures”
All windows and doors are made of a five-chamber profile, with external dark oak lamination and Roto fittings. The inside profile was left white. Double-glazed windows, with an 8 mm frame, with low-emissivity glass. There are windows in two children's rooms and one bathroom. standard sizes- 150*150cm. In the master bedroom, instead of a window, a double-leaf, hinged glass door with symmetrical doors measuring 155x240 cm was installed. Two identical windows measuring 95x145 cm were installed in the second bathroom and kitchen.
The entrance door is also glass, hinged, 150x220cm. It is asymmetrical in the width of the doors: the entrance door is 80 cm wide, the second auxiliary door is 63 cm wide.
The hinged design of the doors allows you to easily bring any furniture into the house. Moreover, such a door is an element of a barrier-free environment - a person in a wheelchair can easily enter the house.
The glass system in the dining room is two stained glass windows, three meters high, installed at an angle of 90 degrees.
When it came to installing the clear wall glass system, the roofing didn't seem so complicated anymore. It was necessary to solve the problem of how to cover the opening of a large bay window with glass: the height on the larger side is 512 cm, on the smaller side - 350 cm. Width - 390 cm. This glass wall hung like a “sword of Damocles” over my head for almost a year. Implement it using PVC profile I was afraid - a large area, a huge sail load during the wind, the “breathing” of the structure when opening and closing the doors.
It was decided to assemble it from an aluminum system. I turned to a well-known Minsk company that had experience working with such material. Sent the dimensions of the opening. But when I received the answer, I was very upset - the price was “atomic”. I called my designer, who oversaw the project, and explained that there was a miscalculation in the project, in particular, the glass system of a large bay window was financially prohibitive... On the same day I decided to lay the wall with gas silicate blocks and install windows three times smaller in size.
The designer showed technical and professional audacity: he responded with a categorical refusal to my proposal to block the opening by two-thirds. Daria did not accept my attempt to divide the structure into two parts by placing a concrete lintel in the middle. The verdict was this: the structure should be from floor to ceiling, without crossbars or lintels, light and floating, crushed into no more than 8 parts. And she proposed a new solution: we install the frame from metal, durable, 100 by 50 mm, with a wall of at least 5 mm, we buy only overhead elements of the glazing system, I do the installation myself, I order double-glazed windows under required sizes. And so it was done. I welded the frame myself from pipes and painted it. The glazing system was implemented on an aluminum profile with a thermal break AGS 500, bought in Minsk. I assembled and installed it myself. To further limit heat loss and prevent sintering and galvanization of metals among themselves, I laid a paronite strip between iron and aluminum, thereby creating another thermal break.
But we had to tinker with double-glazed windows - none of the companies wanted to take on double-glazed windows with a height of 2500 mm - most manufacturers did not have the technical capabilities at that time. And no one wanted to tinker with such bulky bags by hand.
The director of the Steklolit company came to the rescue and agreed to produce such bags on his own responsibility. Now this is normal, but then it was a novelty. The double-glazed windows are made on the 16th frame, two-chamber with low-emissivity glass. They were specially made on Friday evening so as not to stop the production process in the cutting shop. On Saturday everything was ready. The installation of double-glazed windows was also carried out on my own.
Here they took up the lamination of aluminum decorative overlays glass system in the color of “dark oak” - no one else wanted to do this. The lamination engineer gave his word that the coating would not “peel off” under any circumstances. He held back. As a result, the frames of all glass systems, windows and doors are the same color.
Due to the fact that steel racks were used, not aluminum, the aluminum profile system was purchased directly from the importer, and not from the dealer, the double-glazed windows were purchased without exorbitant surcharges for complexity, and I did all the assembly and installation work myself, I saved about 6,000 euros . This is the most significant savings in the entire construction of my house.
I am grateful to designer Daria for her support and ideas, for adapting the project to Belarusian realities, for her professional audacity. It was very difficult to decide to implement all these ideas. It was hard to be an innovator: it was 2008, gable slate houses were being peacefully built around them, lined with white sand-lime brick, arched openings were installed in the corridors, and here there was a glass facade. Fellow villagers, acquaintances, passers-by opened their mouths, curious, would I die there and how could I walk in such a house in shorts? But I wanted it to be like there in the West, like in the pictures of glossy magazines - colorful, spacious, light.
More recently, we were all sure that a traditional country house should be built of wood or brick.
Such buildings meet the requirements of comfort and are warm for our climate. But the windows are small, so the rooms are usually a little dark. And you can admire nature only on the veranda, and even then only in the summer. Therefore, it is not surprising that now designers and architects offer us to live in glass houses.
Glass House
Thanks to modern construction technologies and the efforts of architects, fairy-tale “castles” made of glass have become a very real thing. It became possible to create not just buildings with glass facades, but also completely glass houses. In our country, such cottages have already appeared, where almost everything is made of this fragile, at first glance, material. The façade, roof, sliding doors, canopies, stairs, partitions, fences and even the floor.
Of course, a completely glass house will not be comfortable for every person. But individual details (for example, glass walls) may be of interest to most people. In such a house an extraordinary atmosphere is created, a feeling of lightness, airiness and pervasive light and warmth. These are completely new impressions when perceiving the space of your home. The boundary between home and nature seems to have been erased. Through the transparent walls you can admire the greenery of the garden; the glass ceiling allows you to watch the clouds. Thanks to the transparency of glass, rooms are filled with light and visually expand.
Particularly popular today French windows- This panoramic windows from floor to ceiling in the form of a sliding wall. They simultaneously perform the function of a window, load-bearing wall and doors to the garden or balcony. Despite their visual fragility, they retain heat well and are highly durable.
French windows in a glass house allow a person to be closer to nature. And in order to feel comfortable, automatic or manual blinds are built into them, which protect from too bright light or darkness at night. Also, special sun-protection or mirror coatings can be provided on the glass.
In modern glass houses, in addition to walls, other translucent structures are often used. For example, glass roofs, which can be installed over the entire house or over part of it. It is most appropriate to install them in halls and living rooms.
In the bedrooms on the upper floors, panoramic attic windows look good. Can be made entirely of glass winter gardens and tunnels leading to adjacent rooms. Glass is used to create entrance doors, stairs, canopies, terraces and balconies.
Strength of a glass house
Despite their apparent fragility, glass houses are very practical. When creating them, special attention is paid to safety. Many technologies are used to increase the strength of glass. During construction, glass is used that has a special composition and has undergone special processing.
- For example, laminated glass consists of several glued layers of different thicknesses and types.
- Tempered glass is considered to be 5 times stronger than regular glass.
- And reinforced glass has metal mesh inside, holding the fragments when broken.
Composite materials, polymer glass, transparent slate, plexiglass, and glass coated with a special film are also used.
The reliability of a glass house also depends on profile systems, which can be wooden, plastic, aluminum or steel. All parts of a glass house are manufactured at enterprises, so they are distinguished by the speed of construction.