Providing abundant natural daylighting and blurring the boundaries between the interior and exterior worlds, a home boasting a massive glass wall — or two or three — can hold endless architectural appeal to those who don’t mind sacrificing a bit of privacy. Sure, you don’t have to bother stepping outside to enjoy the breathtaking natural scenery that may surround you, but you better pray that your next-door neighbor isn’t nicknamed “Pat the Peeper.” (There’s a good reason why glass-heavy homes are often erected on remote, woodsy estates and not in dense suburban neighborhoods or in close vicinity to golf courses.)

 

Glass-walled homes have been around for a while now — midcentury showstoppers such as the late Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, Conn., set the bar for glass-heavy private residences — and seem to have only gotten more boldly transparent as time has marched on. We’ve rounded up eight of our favorite glass residences from around the globe. Some of these homes are rather famous — fans of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” of course we didn’t forget about you — and some are situated in some very interesting locales. So empty your pockets of stones, grab a Costco-sized bottle of Windex, dig out that old Billy Joel album and join us, won’t you? (Text: Matt Hickman)