Although most of us may think of a window as being a standard square shape, there are numerous windows around the world that don’t conform to this standard.
As bespoke window manufacturers, all of our windows are unique. With windows in period properties not abiding to any standard specification, our timber windows are all manufactured to suit your property and to be period appropriate.
Using the combination of technology and our experienced, skilled craftsmen, at The Sash Window Workshop we are able to produce bespoke timber windows which conform to the correct period of your home.
Although all our windows are made to be period appropriate, there are a number of properties around the world with windows that are unique and not designed to conform to any period style. In this blog we look at seven of these most unusual windows.
Somerset, England
This unusual window was crafted by a couple who built their own cob home by a small stream in Somerset. The walls are made from straw bale with sculpted swirls of cob, while the windows and doors are crafted from local timber. The windows seamlessly fit in to the surrounding swirls in the walls.
Wales
The house in Wales, nicknamed the Hobbit house by locals, was built by a family with no experience in carpentry or architecture. Materials to make the house were mainly sourced from the local area and rubbish skips. They installed their timber windows using straw to seal up any gaps around the windows.
Hiroshima, Japan
The Japanese house has wooden cladded walls. A slight up-levelled terrain in front of the house creates a small sand dune. The curved line of the sand dune affects the arrangement of the windows and the house façade, following the sand dune line.
The seaside property’s windows are designed in the shape of houses with pitched roofs.
Barcelona, Spain
These timber stained glass windows, designed by Gaudi, form part of the famous Casa Batllo in Barcelona, Spain. Gaudi loved the use of natural light, creating homes that had connections to nature.
The timber window bay fits perfectly with the theme of the property, with the wall of windows split into a number of smaller windows shaped with curved edges.
California, USA
This unusual home in California was designed by Santa Barbara architect, Michael Carmichael. Inspired by Gaudi, Carmichael based the home on waves and the Ocean. The windows curl to fit in with the wave theme of the property.
Moscow, Russia
Built by Russian architect, Konstantin Melnikov, the house was built from brick, timber and plaster. Completed in 1929, the property has nearly 60 windows, consisting of three different frame designs. The largest room, a 50 square meter workshop, is lit with 38 hexagonal windows.
Maastricht, Netherlands
Maastricht is thought to be the oldest city in the Netherlands, with a lot of Roman architecture still remaining. The wall symbolises where the old Roman wall stood around the city.
The glass sits directly against the brick wall, with the architects choosing to use the glazing to sustain the wall in a modern way.
With the windows appearing like a crack in the building, the design shows a clever combination of new and old.
Image sources: header image, top left image, second left image, bottom left image.
