He Who Lives in This Glass House Should Always Wear Clothes

Douglas Elliman

A giant glass-and-steel box in East Hampton, NY, on the market for $5.5 million needs a special buyer who wants to live in a human terrarium. This see-through structure was designed by Jeff Smilow, the structural engineer of New York City’s Freedom Tower, the main building in the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in lower Manhattan.

The 5,000-square-foot house sits on nearly 2 acres and backs up to a 20-acre nature reserve, so the floor-to-ceiling glass walls look upon all variety of flora and fauna. It was built by Juan A. Figueroa, who lived in the house briefly last summer but never planned to make it his forever home, says listing agent Lori Macgarva of Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

The agent says the house, which officially hit the market last week, is already attracting artists, because of the great light. It’s also caught the interest of a few tech guys, because it’s a smart house controlled by a smartphone.

Exterior

Douglas Elliman

“I don’t think it’s for the mass buyer,” Macgarva says. “You have to know you’re living in complete openness,’’ she says.

The first floor includes an entertainment area, dining space, and kitchen with white counters sitting on chocolate-brown cabinets. A wall of windows opens onto a concrete patio and a saltwater pool with spa.

Living area

Douglas Elliman

The second floor features two wings: one with two master suites, and the other with four en suite bedrooms. The basement, which connects to the house through a tunnel, features a four-car garage and storage space that could become a media room.

All this steel and glass begs the question: How do you keep all those windows clean?

“You have somebody do it,” Macgarva says. “It’s not like you’re going out with a bottle of Windex.”

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