Rex Nichols Architects-designed glass home coming to Fort Lauderdale

A modern contemporary, glass home designed by Rex Nichols Architects and developer, Jeff Hendricks Home, is coming to Florida.

The 4,000 square foot residency is awaiting permit approval in order to begin construction at 2309 Barcelona Drive in Las Olas Isles in Fort Lauderdale but that didn’t stop RNA from releasing its exquisite renderings.

According to the press release, “the Glass House” will cost about $5 million once its completed mid-2019.

Located less than an hour outside of Miami-Dade County, the house is within two miles from Fort Lauderdale beach.

In a press release, RNA says the home’s inspiration came from adding a contemporary aesthetic to a similar steel and glass house constructed in 1945 by architect Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe. He also says he’s influenced by the deconstruction philosophy of Jacques Derrida.

The four-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom, property will be an open-concept space with floor to ceiling unobstructed views of a private back garden.

An open plan kitchen, dining room, and great room create the ideal atmosphere for entertaining, while still obtaining a family living appeal.

A spacious office with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors in the front of the home offers a serene and sweeping space.

The abode will also include a wrap-around pool and jacuzzi, complete with an infinity waterfall, that’s accessible through exposed sliding glass doors.

What really distinguishes “the Glass House” from other residencies is the fact that’s its being built using LEED standards, a criteria seen in developments such as Midtown 29, Terminal B at PortMiami, and the eco-friendly, $28 million super yacht, Safira.

Alex Penna, the architect firm’s design leader who holds a grandfathered LEED AP® accreditation, is thrilled to be building Fort Lauderdale’s first glass house by LEED standards, notes a press release.

LEED AP accreditation is through the U.S. Green Building Council, a private, membership-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and operation.

In an exclusive interview with Curbed Miami, Penna explained that even though the project owner didn’t request a LEED certified home, his RNA team built it with LEED’s sustainability principles.

For Penna’s version of the “Glass House,” he focused on three LEED standards —energy-efficiency design, innovation in design, and recycled materials which, for all intended purposes, makes for a green design home.

“Because the project location is in Florida, we [were] inspired by energy-efficiency design, providing shading, daylight-efficiency, and cross ventilation,” Penna says.

For example, Penna and company used high-end daylight and sunlight computer simulator software to create a canopy that blocks direct sunlight at noon and during the summer to reach the interior of the home.

There’s more innovation.

For instance, in the living room, a sun-shelf redirects year-long direct sunlight beams that passes through the skylight to become a source of natural light to illuminate the space, Penna says.

“The redirection of the sunlight will enhance daylight levels, distribution and quantity,” Penna says. “This is a great way to save money on electricity for the entire year.”

The home also uses composite wood (a form of recycled wood with thermoplastic components), high energy-efficiency heating pumps, roof icynene insulation from renewable materials, and insulated low-e glass.

• 2309 Barcelona Drive on Seven Isles, Fort Lauderdale [Rex Nichols Architects]
• Midtown 29 awarded LEED Silver certification by U.S. Green Building Council [Curbed Miami]
• Mayor attends Terminal B groundbreaking at PortMiami [Curbed Miami]
• The eco-friendly $28M Safira super yacht is chilling in Downtown Miami [Curbed Miami]

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