2006-2007 - Glass House Concept Envisioned
The Glass House concept was fully envisioned and presented to the Menokin Board of Trustees by Preservation Architects Charles Phillips and John Lee in 2006 and 2007.
Cover page of Menokin Glass House Construction Study
The idea was received with interest due to its unique approach to preserving and protecting the original state of the ruin in tandem with panels of glass that would replace the missing spaces of the house itself. It was also the first project of its kind in North America to fuse a ruin and modern glass together as an interpretive approach to historical preservation.
During this time, Tim McFarlane joined the Glass House project to explore more deeply how the properties of glass would work with the ruin. He would furnish a report in 2007.
The concept was dynamic. Pulling it off would be a herculean effort in terms of deconstruction, re-stabilization, historical preservation, glass fitting, and of course the crucial aspect of funding such an immense undertaking for the long term.
This would lead to the establishment of the Menokin Advisory Council to assess and create a roadmap of how the Glass House Project (which was not the name of the project yet) might be realized.