Glass Farmhouse by Olson Kundig Architects

Seattle-based studio Olson Kundig Architects has completed the Glass Farmhouse project on a rural site in Northeast Oregon. Surrounded by wheat fields on a high-altitude plateau stand a small glass house and a solid, traditional barn. The owners wanted a refuge that opens up to the prairie and mountains. The structures are conveniently close to each other and enjoy a sense of isolation at the end of a long country road. The roof of the wood-frame barn, which houses farm equipment below and guest rooms above, was inspired by the local vernacular and is echoed in the shed roof of the glass house.

Three sides of the house consist of high-efficiency glass framed with steel; on the north is a solid exterior wall. Inside the transparent shell, living, eating, and sleeping areas surround an enclosure that contains the bathroom, study, and storage. The house rests on a concrete slab supported on a concrete foundation. In this way, the heat-absorbing and—releasing thermal mass is isolated from the ground plane. The window system combines transparency with energy-efficiency. Heat loss and gain are managed largely by the orientation of the house: on the south side, an eyebrow, or light shelf, deflects midday summer sun but admits low-angle winter sunlight.