Welcomea to Glass House

pre-cast concrete wall, complimented by abstract art from scrap metal pieces, the type one usually finds disused and abandoned. What we normally term rubbish has found use. The way the pieces blend with the house’s superstructure is inexplicable. It defies magazine hyperbole.
They call it the Glass House.
At this point, it is probably important to roll back. Before independence in 1980, it was a rare feat for a black man to graduate in mechanical engineering, let alone from an institute in Germany, in yonder Europe.
Such a man would have beasts slaughtered on his graduation day and everyone would expect him to work for a huge conglomerate and earn much more than the ordinary professional Zimbabwean.
But this was never the story for Felix Gora, who has applied his engineering skills at his house in Braeside, Harare, and nowhere else!
The odd thing about this house is that while most people would opt for cutting-edge designs each time they think of building a house, Gora is using his engineering skills to make a                  dream home with what is often referred to as junk.
Oner of the house Peter Gora took us on tour of this magnificent artifacte they call home and of interest was how the two combine their creative geniuses to come up with somewhat awkward settings
After all, the main purpose of building a home is to provide an enjoyable and practical living space for the family. In the spirit of innovation and perhaps style, the two Harare-based designers have become the talk in their neighbourhood.
A visit to their Cranborne house usually sends shivers down the spines of many passers-by due to the collage of different themes ranging from wild animals, glass and metal.
Inside the house it looks like a pure work of art, which though a bit confusing to the ordinary person and regularly labelled “gothic”, it proved to be an eye-full.
The “Glass House” can easily compete with the world’s renowned art galleries with life-size metals sculptures mounted on its walls and the floors.
On one side, there are endless glass panels tied up by scrap metal frames which have been transformed into beautiful artefacts.
Besides the stove and the fridge, the rest of the furniture is home made.
The materials used include glass, wood and a lot of scrap metal.
“We design everything to suit our needs, we try to save space in all our designs,” said Gora.
But most of their designs are inspired by what they see on the internet.
“We can spend the whole day here without worrying; we only get to know what’s happening outside through television and the internet, he said.
In one of the bedrooms there is a bed called “Adam and Eve” named after a painting which depicts the biblical first people to live on earth. The room made up of glass, give one a clear view of the sky while a small fish pond adds colour to an otherwise bright lit room.
“One can enjoy a full view of the stars, the moon and all the nocturnal animals while the person outside can not see the inside,” said Gova.
Another bedroom called the “Reflection” is used for soul-searching and meditating and has a glass closet.
The house has both the upstairs and down- stairs, which makes it one of its kind in the neighbourhood.
“We are currently working on what we call aqua pond where we want to surround the house with a fish pond and trees, we believe in going green,” added Gora.
The house has more than 20 doors!
Among the many entrances, there is the Queen’s entrance, where the gate is made up of a piece of art with the queen on her throne. Other gates are made up of different animals. The other gate is called the “Calabash” and another one the “Honeybee”.
There is also the braai area and the basketball court.
“We are currently constructing a tree house for the children.
In fact, there are many projects we want to fulfil in the next months,” said Gora.
The two who are devout Christians admitted that people view them as atheist because of their unique designs.
“People will always say what they want to, but I am a UFIC member and we live here with Apostle Tichaona Makwara of the Higher Life Believers Ministry, so spiritually we are covered,” said Gova.
The two are single but with children who live somewhere in Harare.
“We earn a living through being hired to design people’s homes,” said Gora.