ARCHITECTURE

Designed by world-renowned architect Thomas Phifer, the public space-living and dining rooms of Taghkanic Glass House are housed in a finely-detailed glass and steel pavilion. The structure is light and has sweeping views. An open porch on three sides acts as a transition space, mediating between exposure and enclosure. The solid materiality of the lower level contrasts with the light-filled pavilion it anchors. These spaces are organized along sky-lit corridors with views on either side - the western mountains and eastern garden. The intimate scale of the private spaces distinguishes them from the public ones above.

The transparent structure fulfills the clients desire for a 360-degree view of the surrounding landsacpe, while the operable sunshades modulate sunlight and provide privacy. The sunshade panels are calibrated to the sun and easily adjusted to block rays throughout the year. The system’s variability produces a complex composition of built environment sunchronized with the ever-changning natural surroundings. Shadows from the trees and forest animate the surface of the building, while the screens transform the house into a beacon when illuminated at night.