The Experience

There are houses that impress. Then there is The Glass House.

Sitting directly on a private lake within the 850-acre Lakes by Yoo estate in Lechlade-on-Thames, this is one of the most extraordinary holiday homes in England. Designed by award-winning Dutch architects Mecanoo, the 6,000 sq ft retreat does not simply sit beside water — it hovers above it. Every principal room is framed by floor-to-ceiling glass walls up to 7cm thick, so the lake, the sky, and the seasons are your constant, ever-changing backdrop.

You enter over a bridge. Swans drift past your windows. The bass notes of silence replace the city. Within minutes, everything else falls away.

Architecture & Design

The exterior is clad in Sugi Ban — an ancient Japanese technique of charring timber without chemicals, creating a fire-resistant, sustainably preserved finish that ages beautifully with nature. Inside, the palette moves through Negro Marquina and Carrara marble, dark wood, 500-year-old carved oak stairs from Slovenia, and signature lighting from Tom Dixon, Bocci, Davide Groppi, and Philippe Starck.

Ceiling heights reach 2.8 to 3.5 metres. The glass-roofed central atrium floods three levels in natural light. Every design decision, from sight lines to materials to the angle of the bridge entrance, was made to deepen your sense of being cocooned in nature.

This is architecture that works for you — not just around you.

Accommodation

4 bedrooms (1 king, 3 queen) | 6 en-suite bathrooms + 1 WC | Sleeps 8

Three bedrooms sit on the first floor and one on the ground floor, each with its own en-suite bathroom, rainfall shower, and spa-grade Rituals and Lafco New York toiletries. Open-plan living areas cascade across the ground floor with panoramic lake views from every angle. A glass-roofed staircase connects three levels — basement, ground, and first floor — culminating in a roof terrace accessible via an electrically operated skylight.

Private Amenities — In-House

Wellness
- Private Harvia sauna and indoor jacuzzi / hot tub
- Spa-style bathrooms with walk-in rainfall showers

Entertainment
- 9-seat private cinema room with state-of-the-art AV technology
- Full-size snooker table and a fully themed entertainment bar
- Sonos multi-room sound system throughout
- 2 Smart TVs with Netflix
- High-speed Wi-Fi

The Kitchen
- Varenna designer kitchen with professional Gaggenau appliances and marble worktops
- Integrated tandoori oven, steam oven, pizza oven, and full domestic suite
- Ideal for private chef events or self-catered entertaining

Comfort & Climate
- Smart home automation throughout[6]
- Daikin air conditioning and MVHR heat-recovery system (year-round)
- Underfloor heating + wood-burning feature fireplaces

Outdoor Living
- Private wrap-around terrace (40 m²) with outdoor furniture and lakeside garden
- Roof terrace with panoramic Cotswold views
- Private barbecue
- EV charger on site

Family & Safety
- Cot, high chair, children's books, toys, and board games[6]
- Smoke and CO detectors, fire extinguisher, first aid kit[6]
- Fully soundproofed[1]

Estate Amenities at The Lakes by Yoo

Described by Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Spaseekers as "Center Parcs for the A-list", the Lakes by Yoo is a 24-hour gated, private estate — and every facility is open to Glass House guests.[9]

The Spa by YOO (bookable, chargeable)
- 17-metre heated indoor pool with views over Marley Lake
- Sauna, steam room, plunge pool, cryotherapy chamber, and spa garden
- Treatments by Dr. Barbara Sturm, Wildsmith Skin, COSMOSS by Kate Moss, and Moss of the Isles
- Longevity programmes, deep tissue massage, bespoke facials, reflexology

The Lakes Bar & Kitchen
- On-site lakeside restaurant, open for brunch, lunch, and dinner
- Open to guests and the wider community — relaxed, nature-inspired dining

Guest Services Team
- 24hr concierge, housekeeping coordination, itinerary planning, private picnic hampers, mixologists, and flower arrangements on request

Activities (Add-Ons, Chargeable)

Off-site (bookable via concierge): Polo at Cirencester, gliding at Cotswold Gliding Club, clay pigeon shooting, water skiing, hot air balloon rides, golf at Wrag Barn and Burford Golf Club.

Nightly Rates & Availability

Minimum stay: 3 nights. Rates apply per night.

Book Direct — No Platform Fees

Getting Here

Glass House, The Lakes by Yoo, 2 Huntsmans Causeway, Lechlade GL7 3GE
Google Maps: search "Glass House by the lake" | Coordinates: 51.735011, -1.659285

- By car: 2 hours from London via M4/M40
- Nearest mainline station: Swindon (~30 min taxi)
- Bristol Airport: ~92 km
- Private parking for 2+ cars on site

Security deposit: £3,000 refundable
Check-in: 16:00–20:00 | Check-out: Before 10:00

Cancellation: Penalty-free up to 61 days before arrival

Nest Seekers International is a global real estate brokerage at the nexus of technology and media. Founded in 2002 by industry visionary and current president and CEO, Eddie Shapiro, Nest Seekers evolved at the forefront of the digital media revolution, reaching a new generation of clients and gaining international exposure through groundbreaking media partnerships, revolutionizing the industry and fuelling Nest Seekers’ rapid growth. Over the past two decades, Nest Seekers has continuously expanded and has become a household name across multiple key metropolitan and luxury destinations. Today, with well over $100B in transactions and representations globally, Nest Seekers has 70 offices and 2,000 agents and employees across North America, the United Kingdom, Canada, the EU, Southeast Asia and the UAE. Aspirational and mid-to-high net-worth consumers rely on familiar and trusted brands with similar principles and identities; the Nest Seekers brand is synonymous with luxury and excellence. In every market, Nest Seekers has established itself as a market leader, specializing in Ultra Luxury and New Development. Our professionals are frequently featured as experts on the highest-rated media outlets such as CNBC, the BBC, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Additionally, the firm continues to gain global exposure with its television series, "Million Dollar Listing New York," the Shapiro Executive Produced Netflix hit "Million Dollar Beach House," and "Selling the Hamptons" on Discovery+, all made possible through our media arm 'Nest Media' which has ascended to the top of the Real Estate programming market. As a privately held company with no reliance on shareholders or investors, every aspect of our business is conceptualized, designed, and built in-house. Nest Seekers’ mission is to take what it has established in its key markets and continue to cross-connect with the key metro megacities of the world through sophisticated and revolutionary digital platforms that increase efficiency, quality, and conversions –– solidifying our business as the primary solution for high-quality real estate services across all markets. Finally, as well as serving the global real estate market, Nest Seekers is a trusted representative and advisor in accumulating, diversifying and preserving our client's portfolio of hard assets through our affiliated services, Nest Jets, Nest Yachts and Nest Fine Arts. Creativity, ingenuity, quality, and passion in service are the fundamentals of our success and growth.

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