Windows make us aware of the beauty of changing light
This 70-year-old Japanese house is lined with European-style push-out windows, Japanese shoji screens, stained-glass windows, and bamboo windows reminiscent of those found in tea rooms. Who would have thought that windows could be so free?
"This house is a place for me to experiment, creating the spaces and functions I want. Windows are especially important, because they are devices related to light, which is important to us as glass makers."
Glass artist Peter Ivy explains. He acquired a private house in the Toyama countryside around 2015 and began a DIY renovation. When the house was first demolished, the walls were bare and there were no windows. He brought a hammock into the wind-swept, exposed room and slept there, studying the changes in light and the path of the wind, and came up with a plan.
"From what height does the light stream in in the morning? Where does the breeze blow in comfortably? Rather than making use of the existing openings, we carefully considered from the ground up what kind of windows were needed in what locations."
The first major experiment was to tear down the roof and open up a skylight. Old houses are dark inside, making it difficult to see the beautiful beams and pillars. By raising part of the roof and installing a high sidelight, light could reach the center of the house.
A south-facing window on the second floor. "For me, windows are a way to let in the breeze, so they need to be able to be opened. There are no fixed windows in this house; most are removable and washable." 
The sunroom is shaded by blinds and has Moroccan tiles on the floor. "I'm drawn to the beautiful fluctuations that occur when light reflects off the glass windows and the green scenery is reflected in it." 
The south-facing exterior of the first floor, where the living room and children's room are located. The rhythmically opening and closing wooden-framed bay windows and the Oya stone covering the extension are an appealing combination.
The bathroom window faces the garden. Thin, homemade glass plates are arranged in a wooden frame. The wind passes through the gaps between the plates. "When I was walking while looking at the rice paddies, I felt like the scenery was moving along with me. This window recreates that feeling. I really like it." 
A bay window in the children's room. The window frame is made of Douglas fir, and the metal fittings are deadstock found overseas and remodeled. "The old metal fittings take some effort to fasten and unfasten, but the process is fun in itself." 
The living room window combines the ideas of a European-style "oshidashi window" and a Japanese "yukimi shoji screen." "The shoji screen can be opened in half, creating an upside-down yukimi view. I like to sit on the floor in the living room and look at the sky." 
A corner of the kitchen counter facing the garden. To brighten the area while cooking, a row of glass blocks that he himself blown was fitted in. There was also another small window to let in soft natural light. 
The corridor connecting the entrance and the main house has a reed-like window that allows a faint glimpse of what is on the other side. "I didn't want to completely close off the boundary with the surrounding area. The windows are made from bamboo that has been split flat by bamboo craftsmen in Kyoto, with the knots aligned and stacked on top of each other." The knots look like a pattern, which adds to the charm.
Furthermore, in the living room where the family relaxes, shoji screens are installed to control the view from the window, a handmade stained glass window is used in the gallery that also holds glass exhibitions, and a large window is installed in the kitchen so that you can cook while looking out at the garden... each space was carefully considered to have an appropriate window.
The stained-glass window, made by Peter using glass-blowing techniques, is located at the top of the wall separating the children's room from the gallery, allowing natural breezes to flow from the children's room, which has a window facing the outdoors, to the gallery, located in the center of the building. 
A corner of the glass workshop adjacent to the house. A backless shelf was built in front of the glass window, and flower vases and other works are displayed on it. Japanese paper is pasted on the back of the window glass to soften the light from outside. 
Skylight in the second-floor bathroom. The renovation was carried out after checking the light and breeze flowing in while living in the house. The bathroom skylight was placed in an optimal position, allowing pleasant natural light to pour in in the mornings and views of the starry sky and moon. 
The window between the living room and the bathroom consists of a wooden-framed glass window and a double-lens window. A double-lens window is a window that opens and closes by sliding one side of the vertical latticework that is stacked front to back. Depending on how open or closed it is, it can serve as both a ventilation window and a privacy screen. 
His studio is a renovated farm barn. "I attached an old shelf in front of the original window. In other words, it's a shelf with its back to the window. Next, I'm thinking of making a bay window with a shelf that projects outdoors." He displays his own glassware and antiques that serve as inspiration sources.
"The morning sun reflecting off the pond in the garden and shining brightly on the kitchen window is a very pleasant moment. I also like how in the evening the light streaming into the living room gradually fades and before you know it, it's already dark outside. No matter where I am in the house, I love being able to feel the changing light through the window."
Peter calls this feeling "ephemeral," meaning something fleeting or fleeting.
The window fittings are mostly deadstock found in Denmark and the US. They are brass fasteners, and the click they make when opening and closing is very satisfying. 
Iron fittings that secure windows near the ceiling. 
Made of brass. "The mechanism that allows you to adjust the opening angle of the window is interesting. I'm thinking of using this as a reference to make one myself."
"Light reflected on window glass appears beautiful, but it changes and disappears in an instant. The scenery on the other side of the window glass is constantly shifting, and it can seem like another world, with a different flow of time. The same can be said for the glass works I aim to create. I want to create objects that are clearly present in front of your eyes, yet are infinitely thin and delicate, and that as you look at them, become one with the world around them. How can I make that ephemeral beauty my own? I'm always thinking about this while gazing at a window."
The living room. There are four bay windows facing the outdoors, and four inverted snow-viewing shoji screens on the inside (one of them is open in the photo). Lined up in front of the shoji screens are miniature bonsai trees in glass jars, one of the artist's signature pieces. 
The kitchen. A large window was installed in front of the sink and counter. On the other side of the window is a sunroom and a garden with a pond. The glass pendants were all made by Peter. The living room continues to the right.
