THE GLASS HOUSE
The multi-award-winning French architect and urban planner designed a luminous haven in Carantec, Brittany, for a client suffering from progressive and irreversible vision loss. For Odile Decq, "housing should follow people's lives, not the other way around." This glass house, shaped like an opalescent parallelepiped, is a prime example. Natural light is central to the architectural process. The patio acts as a transition between exterior and interior, opening onto the double-height living space that includes a living room, an open-plan kitchen, and a dining room. Two bedrooms are located on the ground floor, and a third, with its en-suite bathroom, is upstairs, accessible via a glass staircase. To create a radiant, comfortable, and seamless atmosphere, translucent walls were used between the facades and the roof, constructed from two insulating double-glazed panels that diffuse the light. These panels eliminate shadows while providing solar protection. Echoing the homogeneity of natural light, Odile Decq also studied artificial lighting, fixed to the roof structure, while peripheral spotlights, installed along the facade, emit a soft, diffused light at nightfall. The landscaping completes the beauty of this glass house, harmonizing with local plant species.
