Stairwell Landing Window 4.4' x 4.3' (1.3 x 1.3 m) Architecture: Howard Meier, Dallas When the heating and cooling costs for this International Style residence continued rising, the owners replaced the existing flat gravel roof with a single-ply insulating roof. They then had to consider options for countering the glare produced by the new white roofing material. Curtains or screens were out of the question. This was the window through which morning sun and the trees beyond greeted the family each day upon arising from the upstairs bedrooms. At this point I was commissioned to address this dilemma with stained glass.
In addition to the rich horizontal detailing of the architecture, an incredible art collection of original 20th century paintings including Mondrians, Albers, Lichtensteins and others awaits inside. Overall, this collection relies almost exclusively on black, white and primary color for its palette. This is echoed in the stained glass palette (remember, green is actually one of the primary colors when considering light as opposed to pigment). Black glass and denser colors are used in the lower areas of the window to block the offending glare, while sparkling clear glass in upper areas preserves views to the tree canopies beyond. Red triangles and vertically lined clear glass acknowledge an impressive stairwell of triangular hardwood treads and an impressive steel railing.