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Houzz Tour: Realising the Dream of a Modernist Glass House
Architect Sarah Waller designed her dream glass house in the Sunshine Coast hinterland
Architect Sarah Waller has long been fascinated with modernist glass houses, such as Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House (1945-51, Illinois, USA) and Philip Johnson’s Glass House (1949, Connecticut, USA). Both houses are designed as single volumes, with two horizontal planes for the roof and floor, and walls replaced with glass wherever possible. By minimising the houses to the essential minimum, they have relationship with their site – the transparency of the home diminishes the barriers between indoor and outdoors, and immerses the occupants in the landscape.
This is the model that inspired Waller’s dream house. Hailing from the UK, Waller and her family moved to Australia in 2006. They live on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, and when the opportunity arose to buy acreage, Waller put her dream into action.
This is the model that inspired Waller’s dream house. Hailing from the UK, Waller and her family moved to Australia in 2006. They live on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, and when the opportunity arose to buy acreage, Waller put her dream into action.
The Wallers’ house sits below road level to maintain privacy despite the transparency. It faces north-east, with views across the site and a neighbouring golf course.
The kitchen, dining and both indoor and outdoor living areas are arranged along the central wing of the house. Four bedrooms are configured in the wing that extends towards the swimming pool, with the Waller’s bedroom and ensuite at the end. Their studio with two offices is in the opposite wing with a separate entrance. “We don’t have far to walk to work,” says Waller.
The kitchen, dining and both indoor and outdoor living areas are arranged along the central wing of the house. Four bedrooms are configured in the wing that extends towards the swimming pool, with the Waller’s bedroom and ensuite at the end. Their studio with two offices is in the opposite wing with a separate entrance. “We don’t have far to walk to work,” says Waller.
The principle of the design is based on two horizontal planes (floor and roof) to give the sense of the house floating on the land. The glass walls allow a view through the home, dissolving the boundary between indoors and out.
Dreaming of your own visionary home? Find an architect near you on Houzz to bring it to life
Dreaming of your own visionary home? Find an architect near you on Houzz to bring it to life
A black box in the centre of the living wing divides the kitchen and dining areas from the living space. There is a butler’s pantry within the box, providing storage and amenities, thereby reducing what is needed in the kitchen. There are no overhead cupboards in order to maintain the openness and transparency.
Two island benches face opposite directions. The black island is for cooking, while the white island is for socialising. Vents above each island combine task lighting and air conditioning.
White porcelain panel benchtop: Artedomus; black benchtop: Fenix
Two island benches face opposite directions. The black island is for cooking, while the white island is for socialising. Vents above each island combine task lighting and air conditioning.
White porcelain panel benchtop: Artedomus; black benchtop: Fenix
Because walls and obstructions have been minimised, Waller defined the footprint of the kitchen with a dropped ceiling, rather than breaking up the white terrazzo flooring.
The home’s floor plan, which is a single room wide from one end to the other, allows light to filter into every room promotes cross ventilation with louvres. “We are reliant on mother nature for air conditioning and it’s free of charge,” says Waller.
Custom pendant light: Elettra
The home’s floor plan, which is a single room wide from one end to the other, allows light to filter into every room promotes cross ventilation with louvres. “We are reliant on mother nature for air conditioning and it’s free of charge,” says Waller.
Custom pendant light: Elettra
Waller selected a black-and-white palette for its timelessness and popularity in modern mid-century houses, such as the famous Case Study Houses.
A striking table with a driftwood base and glass top subtly denotes the entrance to the house, and timber furniture offers warmth and texture in the otherwise monochromatic space.
The sliding doors’ floor tracks around the outdoor lounge are flush to create the seamless space.
The sliding doors’ floor tracks around the outdoor lounge are flush to create the seamless space.
The alfresco living area sits beneath a six-metre roof overhang, which obstructs summer sun and reduces solar heat gain.
It’s a closed-in, intimate and protected space, that looks out over the long terrace, lawn and pool. Custom outdoor sofas made overseas add a relaxed vibe and comfortable seating.
The Wallers’ master bedroom with walk-in-wardrobe and ensuite is at the end of one wing, surrounded by glass and garden. “We wake up in the morning and look out over the swimming pool and palm trees,” says Waller.
A black blade wall divides the bedroom and ensuite, and serves as the bedhead. A recessed niche shelf lends itself to styling and displaying decor, and the floating plane around the bed (brought over from the UK) is aligned with the aesthetic and concept of the house.
Peter Maly bed: Ligne Roset
Peter Maly bed: Ligne Roset
There is a floating vanity and mirrored cabinet on the back of the blade wall. “All the vanities are floating. The more space you can see around a vanity or piece of furniture, the bigger the room feels,” says Waller.
The bathtub has a view into the outdoor bathroom. “The bathroom is a place for us to wind down and recharge, and the bath signals the end of the day for me,” says Waller.
The outdoor bathroom, complete with a shower and bathtub, epitomises the resort feel that Waller wanted to create, having the sense of being on holiday year-round.
The bath is clad in travertine, which has natural wavy lines, like sand along the waterline of a beach.
A 17-metre-long pool also evokes the beach with a 0.5-metre-deep shallow end with a sand-coloured bottom. “We love to float around in bean bags and dangle our feet over the edge,” says Waller.
Waller has become a gardener since moving into the house, and has taken an approach to planting that is also quite opposite to the traditional English style. Instead of elaborate plantings of different types, she has simplified it with mass planting of tropical flowers, such as heliconias around the swimming pool. “I wanted the house to give the vibe of a holiday resort, where we switch off and relax,” she says.
Waller has become a gardener since moving into the house, and has taken an approach to planting that is also quite opposite to the traditional English style. Instead of elaborate plantings of different types, she has simplified it with mass planting of tropical flowers, such as heliconias around the swimming pool. “I wanted the house to give the vibe of a holiday resort, where we switch off and relax,” she says.
Indeed, not only is it like a resort, it is also Waller’s dream come true, which showcases her architectural ethos and style.
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Your turn
What do you admire most about this design? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the renovation conversation.
More
Craving more great design? You’ll love this My Houzz: A New Home Renovator Finds a Passion for Design
Who lives here: Sarah and Paul Waller and their two daughters, aged 16 and 20. Even their colour-coordinated white cat, Tilly, and black dog, Boo, match the house
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Size: 660 square metres with four bedrooms and four bathrooms
Architecture and design: Sarah Waller Design
As Waller explains, a glass house would have been a challenge to build in England. “Councils in the UK have input as to what a house looks like and building such a contemporary house in a rural environment would have been difficult to get through council,” she says.
A glass house is also the opposite to a traditional English home – typically closed and inward-looking with compartmentalised rooms and division of formal spaces. A glass house, in comparison, is the epitome of openness with large, outward-looking and informal spaces.