Great Houses

After researching the Glass House by Phillip Johnson, I drew a floorplan, a section, and some perspectives to showcase his design. The use of glass in Phillip Johnson’s own house accentuates the idea of pullingelements of the outside into the interior. With the entire structure exposed, natural light enters all angles of the space and serves as the main light source.


The beautiful scenery surrounding the building brings playful reactions on the glass windows and results in interesting shadows among the interior spaces. The glass exterior allows the
structure to look light and delicate and adds to the overall feeling of the space.

After completing this commission, Johnson hoped to engage other forms of modern
art onto this 47-acre plot of land. ese structures add to Johnson’s idea of minimalist
design, geometry, proportion, and light. Spread out across the entire plot, each small
structure contributes a unique shape, material, use of light. The site plan to the right
indicates the Glass House in black and the other structures in gray.




With the space as mostly one open room, Johnson identi es and separates used areas through the use of area rugs and low cabinets. The one private space in the structure - the bathroom - brings a quaint quality to the scheme as it stands just big enough for one person. The structure makes the user feel as if they sit outside and have no walls surrounding them. During the day, the scenery of the forest comes inside, but at night, the arti cial light extrudes into the forest.