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Fougeron Architecture wins 2000 DuPont Benedictus Residential Award for private house in Palo Alto, California

Fougeron's winning design: A laminated glass 'floor plane' emphasizes the circulation spine and allows light to penetrate deep into the dining and family room space and extend the language of a glass stair tower that penetrates the house's skin.

Fougeron Architecture of San Francisco won the 2000 DuPont Benedictus Residential Award for the design of a private house in Palo Alto, California. The laminator for the project was TempGlass of Freemont, California.

Laminated glass is used throughout the two-story, 465 m² (5,000 sq ft) house. Architect Anne Fougeron told LGN: "The use of laminated glass was an integral part of our design concept as it allowed us to create a translucent floor plane which acts as a beautiful light filter for the rooms around it."

The laminated glass floor emphasizes the circulation spine and allows light to penetrate deep into the dining and family room space and extend the language of a glass stair tower that penetrates the house's skin. A laminated glass bridge on the second floor overlooks the living room and extends the floor plane; the top of the bridge is sandblasted for safety and discretion while the underside is smooth.

The transparent quality of the home's central living area draws in the front and back gardens. The play between the translucent, transparent and reflective palettes and the natural light that seeps in throughout the house adds visual dimension to the home's uncomplicated and inviting living spaces. As the Benedictus jury summed up: "Light is what this house is all about."