Building a glass house requires careful planning of how the house will be framed. Large sections of glass must have good structural support in any type of building. Start the design process by sketching a house with lots of glass that is pleasing to the eye. Transfer to graph paper as details are worked out further, and have the design reviewed by a building expert before construction begins. The beauty of glass walls is that a picturesque outdoor setting becomes part of the interior living space. Glass houses work best in milder climates, but you can incorporate special shading and natural solar heating techniques into the design.
Step Two
Design a house with exterior walls using lots of pre-made windows. Place six or eight windows side by side with only strong wood or metal framework between them. Plan to construct a living room wall, for example, out of several 60-inch-high windows. Add an exterior wall to the design to create a courtyard in order to ensure more privacy. Design any wall of windows on a house facade that doesn't have neighbors in close proximity.
Step Three
Incorporate multiple units of sliding glass doors to add light. Install, for instance, three sets of double sliding doors along one wall of a kitchen sitting area. Install three additional sets of sliding glass doors along an adjoining wall. Design the glass walls to accommodate large curtain rods for privacy draperies at night. Consider constructing an outdoor shade roof built of lattice if the wall receives a lot of daytime sun.
Step Four
Design entire walls of glass by planning to use a metal framing structure. Create a plan to place sections of glass reaching from floor to ceiling, if the house faces a lake, for example. Plan to install copper-tinted sheets of reflective vinyl to the interior of the glass so that it's difficult to see inside when the sun is shining. Design a house with this much glass from a manufactured home software program, as an option to planning it from scratch.
Step Five
Design wall areas of master bathrooms, hallways or balconies to be made from glass bricks. Use this solution for opening a wall in areas where no automobile or foot traffic is present. Plan to place glass bricks in the lower half of wall areas with clear glass placed on upper sections of walls. Incorporate porch coverings or generous overhangs on the home's exterior to keep out too much sun.