Glass villa on the lake

Text & Images: Courtesy Mecanoo

Read Time: 2 mins

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Mecanoo designs a home that combines transparency with sustainability, and forges a strong relationship with the landscape…

The harmony between landscape and interior, architecture and nature, is a key design determinant, particularly regarding sight lines, materials, colours, and lighting. Designed from inside out, the home creates uninterrupted views to the surrounding nature while providing shelter and intimacy. All these aspects work together to ensure a sense of timelessness.

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Situated amid a green oasis of trees and plants that hide the house from view, aqua plants along the waterline alternate with stepping stones that lead to other parts of the garden. On the water side, the villa has an optimal view over the lake. Terraces on two different levels connect the villa to both the land and the water, anchoring the house in nature and giving it a welcoming presence. 

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Glass corner windows in the living room, kitchen and other rooms, make the residents feel like they live on water. Between the house and the adjacent plot, a hilly finger of land with tall trees ensures privacy. By curving the bridge that connects the villa to the main road, the row of trees remains intact. This further increases the sense of privacy and blocks disturbing lights from the traffic.

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Interior elements such as the fireplace and storage cupboards, divide the house into different spaces, creating more intimate and private areas within the large transparent volume. In the heart of the house, a full-height void connects all levels and creates another series of diagonal and vertical sight lines. 

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The staircase sews all the rooms together into one interior space. The central atrium brings abundant daylight into the sunken basement and connects the interior to the roof terrace. From the roof terrace, one can enjoy panoramic views as if floating quietly over the expanse of the lake.

Fact File:

Programme: 600 sq. m. three-storey house with one level below water with cinema, games/bar area, wellness/spa area, 80 sq. m. roof terrace and 176 sq. m. ground floor terrace

Client: Private

Development: Boheme Development S.L.

Concept Design: Mecanoo architecten

Developed Architectural Design: Arquitectura y Ordenación Urbana S.L. AOU SL

Location: Lechlade, Gloucestershire, England