A Chronological Backdrop of Malacca

The Doorway of the Most Significant Seaway of the World

The seashore is exceptional in its loveliness and neatness

The grand traveler of Venice City, Marco polo served the King Kublai Khan of China for 17 years. He was not only the extraordinary counselor of the King but also the core of his allowances. Kublai Khan was the great power of his era and his court was the great court. But Marco Polo was getting despondent of this court and recollecting his home to great extent.

He appealed the King for departure, which was accepted unwillingly. Then he began his expedition with his father, uncle and 600 people in yachts to his way back home to Venice city of Italy. He went into from China to the Indian Ocean all the way through Malacca, since it was the barely way that links Indian Ocean to South China Sea.

It was also the most imperative seaway 8 centuries ago as it is at the present, where gigantic trading ships used to transmit supplies from China, Japan and other countries of the Pacific Ocean to India, Middle East, Europe and African countries. That’s why it is also recognized as “World’s Seaway”. One of the doors of this seaway is “Malacca”, which is also the city of Malaysia and on the other side is “Sumatra”, the significant city of Indonesia.

The chilly snow-white gust still drives the similar way as used to in 1292, when Marco polo had to inhabit for five months along with his sea convoy in Sumatra waiting for the calming down of the weather. But even the most horrible thing that Marco polo had to handle was the sea piracy, which he had to come across a lot of times. This trouble is still present, but at that time the armaments was not as complicated as they are at the moment.

Marco polo writes, “Merely 18 people could arrive alive and well to Venice among 600 people. My father and uncle were also amongst them. Although our clothes were turned into rags but diamonds were still fixed on them, which Kublai Khan had bestowed us at the time of our exodus”.

The Malacca is located 148 kilometers west of Kuala Lumpur. There is a never endings succession of jungles between these two cities. The trees in the jungles are primarily rubber manufacturing trees. A mark has been made on the tree trunk and a container akin to catering pot has been fastened next to that mark for gathering rubber in the shape of chunky juice which afterwards turns into rubber.

Rubber is the chief export of Malaysia but the influx of synthetic plastic has condensed this export to much degree because of its inexpensive prices. The path from Kuala Lumpur to Malacca is not a Motor way relatively it is a Highway having very low traffic. Few undersized cities stretch out amid Kuala Lumpur and Malacca. Malacca in reality is the smallest city of Malaysia. It is completely an independent state.

After the rebirth in Europe the explorers and travelers started towards East. They were in the exploration of novel worlds and also sought to produce lot of money. Marco polo, the great explorer had already described in his explanation of expeditions that Europeans were always engrossed in the treasures.

That’s why the invention of America, the detection of the remains of primeval city of Latin America, hunt for treasures in Africa and even the exploration of the relics of pharos are all reliant on the European’s treasure hound mania. These fortune-hunters used to go out in hunt of treasures with the aid of old decomposed maps and scripts and perceived dreams of becoming rich quickly.

They began their exploration from Portugal and Spain due to the truth that the then Muslim Arab governments who were outfitted with the then most modern shipping and sea journeying practices, used to educate the populace about these procedures.

This is the cause that the fortune-hunters of the European revitalization stretched in the world from these two countries (under the manipulation of Muslims’ sea awareness) and not only ruled the world but also given birth to a fresh western culture, which is still present. It can simply be reviewed at this moment that how huge society becomes supportive to others, if optimistically applied instead of sheer antagonism.

Alfonso de Albuquerque, the well-known Portugal’s buccaneer of the history, started this way on 15^th April from the newly shaped Indian Portuguese settlement Goa along with 1200 people and 17 boats. After reaching Malacca, he obtained control of it till the end of August. Prior to Alfonso de Albuquerque, Malacca stayed under Muslim rule for long, since Arab sailors and merchants arrived there in advance, spread Islam and set the Muslim government in this Far East area which was under the rule of the local Sultans.

Arab’s Muslims were very proficient in shipping practices and thus established much recognition in Spain. They were completely conscious of the sea and its routes. Their sharper eyes predicted the significance of the Strait of Malacca and its doorway. They had the sagacity that for trading from Far East and China all the way through sea, it would be indispensable taking control of this seaway.

Consequently, Muslims sustained rule over there since 1300 when at last in 1511 Alfonso de Albuquerque took control over there. Alfonso de Albuquerque overpowered the then Muslim monarch Sultan Mehmood Shah and turned Malacca into a Portuguese colony. But Portuguese could not get grasp of it for long and soon in 1641 Holland captured the Strait after overpowering him.

They ruled till 1741 until renowned British East India Company got hold of it. Now, Britain had been the Super Power and it was completely conscious of the sea secrets. The Britain was organizing to be in command of the world and thus their grasp over the strait was indispensable. The Indian Ocean and the nearby countries was its target. They could get the raw material from there that could run the industrial units of the new world and new society. 

Malacca seaway is 805 Km long. It is today considered the most imperative trading and martial center. You can effortlessly conjecture its significance by a single oil product that around 18 million barrel oil bypass through it on a daily basis. It would be worth citing here that currently one more island Singapore has achieved much trading and martial significance on this seaway. Its seaport lies prior to Singapore.

More than 10 million ships bypass throughout Malacca Strait yearly and more than 1/3 of the trading merchandises of the world pass through this Strait. America, China, Russia, India, Britain, France and all the nearby countries take care of this Strait, particularly American 7^th and 6^th Sea fleet play an imperative role in maintaining it open, since America is Nuclear Power and have completely ammunition laden ships and submarines that remains undersea.

Malacca city have seen the variations of ruling states again and again in the last five centuries. Consequently, in addition to Muslims Mosques, you can see Churches, and other worship places of Portuguese, Dutch and Britain fashion. Likewise, populace also consists of many nations, but the mainstream is of Malay inhabitants who are Muslims, whereas Christian and Sikhs also dwell there.

The Malaysian government has taken special care in protecting the remnants of Portugal, Dutch and Britain so as to build the city more eye-catching for the visitors, especially for the European visitors. That’s why European tourists are seen here and there visiting the city cheerfully.

Possibly the most striking thing in the tourist industry can be that there would be something available for the outsiders that could assist them fetching close to their culture.  For this reason the Muslims states who have kept the earliest recollections safe are earning pounds, dollars, Euros and Yen from them and making their countries flourishing.

If the Nation has self-confidence, the old remnants cannot damage its individuality. These old relics are the doorway of the history and even if smashed, they will stay secure in the books.

Malacca is an undersized city. The most attractive center of it is an old citadel named “A’ Famosa”. It is nostalgia of Portuguese age. Apparently it portrays the Western Culture, but people who are conscious of the building art, can notice the foretaste of Spanish Muslims knack in it as well. Malacca city is located on both sides of the River Malacca. There is so breathtaking landscape of old and new constructions that cannot be sought elsewhere in Far East or South East Asia.

Therefore UNESCO titled it as “The Great Work of Global Heritage”. Another magnificent thing is that all the people of different states and religions are living there very calmly. Any type of chaos is extinct here. A’ Famosa citadel might have stayed the middle of war sometime in the history but nowadays it is the most striking place for the world’s tourists, because all kinds of amenities like Hotels and Theaters etc. are present here under one roof.

Conversion of military fortresses into monetary citadels is frequent in today’s world. It is frequent in Europe as well. This practice has been taken up by many advanced Muslim countries that have unlocked the doors of employment and earning foreign exchange. These fortresses are also a magnificent resource of fetching harmonization and accord among nations. But, regrettably, weak, scared and anxious nations reflect it their great achievement demolishing such type of fortresses and others similar antique memoirs.

Alfonso de Albuquerque, after gathering treasures and affluence from Malacca went back to Goa. The name of the ship he was traveling in was “Flor Do Mar”, which sank in the Indian Ocean due to grave rainstorm with all his assets and riches. The replica of this ship has been set aside at one of the crossings of Malacca so that every tourist must witness and take instruction from it.

Malacca city has an immense involvement in thinning out Islam in the Far East, since Muslims’ dealers and merchants from India and other Muslim countries first arrived there for trading reasons and also carried their culture and religion with them. Huge number of Malaya people accepted Islam in 1500.

Even though it was governed most of the time by Portuguese, Dutch and Britain but the majority is of Muslims. Islam reached to all over Malaysia from there and the earliest Mosques are proving about it even nowadays.

The Malacca seashore is exceptional in its loveliness and neatness. Blue sea is witnessed just in front, the dazzling sand and high sanitation makes the beach charismatic. Its seashore has now gone beyond from the sea as land has been taken to make room for the residents, but the innate attractiveness of the shore has not been concentrated even an inch.

The same brawny soaked breezes of the period of Marco polo provide visitors a new sense of freshness. These winds are blustering from America, Japan, Australia, China or Indian Ocean. Truly a small city of Malacca and its Strait that links many parts of the world is now amongst one of the wonders of Nature.

By Muhammad Irfan Zafar

Content Writer

Singapore – The end of terrorism and fundamentalism

Singapore is a small country of South East Asia. Its population consists of 5 million people. But it is the business and economical centre of the area. This country rises as an independent state in 1965 when its partnership comes to an end with Malaysia. Then only in 1/4^th of the century period, it progressed from third world category to first world category. The behind the scenes factors of Singapore’s fastest progress and getting rid of terrorism are lessons for many of us. Let’s find out the reasons of Singapore’s success. I will also put light in this article that how in the least 46 years Singapore solved its internal, safety, security, political and economical problems.

The Singapore was facing tremendous difficulties when in 1965 it appeared as an independent state. Some of its problems were the disputes with Malaysia, its weak defense system, riots between Chinese and Malaya groups, lack of mineral and natural resources, dependence on Malaysia for its survival etc. But the first Prime Minister (Lee Kwon Yu from 1965 – 1990) of Singapore faced all these challenges and risks with his strong and foresighted leadership. Therefore, it would not be wrong saying that since 1965 the preferences of Singapore leadership have been public welfare, internal peace and economical progress.

 

Singapore, which was the weaker country in 1965 and was the victim of racial and religious anarchy, how dealt with fundamentalism? How Singapore developed multi culture and what is the reason that this country is an emblem of religious tolerance. The most important factor is foresightedness of the leadership.

When we examine the challenge of fundamentalism in Singapore, four cardinal factors come to light. Firstly, the state policy of Singapore does not provide an opportunity to fundamentalist groups, to create anarchy, crisis or fundamentalism in the society.

In order to develop religious tolerance, the law enforcement organizations and intelligence agencies have adopted a policy to isolate the fundamentalists’ groups from the society. Under this policy the Singapore government has tried that the Islamic Fundamental elements could not mix up with the Muslim population.

Secondly, the Singapore government has developed an educational system which helps in developing tolerance and brotherhood.

Thirdly, discouraged the racial and religious contradictions and encouraged the economical and business activities. Besides, their government tried its level best to provide the basic needs to the public. Government of Singapore eradicated disappointment from the society by giving priority to talent, merit and honesty.

Besides, the government used the soft power to eradicate the fundamentalism, but where it was necessary to use the hard power, didn’t hesitate in doing so.

Fourthly, the Singapore government didn’t make decisions in the scenario of majority or minority, due to which racial or religious groups couldn’t grow. The fact is that when Singapore got freedom, the Chinese majority groups proposed to make Chinese the only accepted language of the country but the Prime Minister Lee Kwon Yu didn’t agree to it because this thing was against their country’s multi-nations policy.

Therefore, there are four national languages which are English, Chinese, Malaya and Tamil. The Internal affairs department played vital role in facing the challenge of fundamentalism. This organization not only deals with the internal security issues but also supervise the activities of groups who create racial or religious anarchy.

After 11^th September, 2001, the internal affairs organization of Singapore tried its level best to stop the activities of Muslim Fundamentalist group “Jamat-ul-Salamia”. In 2002, few of the people of this group who were making plans of terrorism, were arrested. During investigation it reveals that this group has strong relations with Al-Qaida. If the risk of terrorism was not dealt properly in Singapore, their circumstances would be different from now.

There government is taking actions like implementing great educational system, guidance to competent people, providence of uniform style of living and the enforcement of law so as to curb the religious and racial fundamentalism with wisdom.

The important point is the presence of good and sincere leadership. The Singapore government priority is the welfare of the public. Fundamentalism, whether, racial or religious prevails when there is social or economical contradictions and leadership fails to curb it. The Singapore government tried prevailing tolerance and brotherhood on the level of community.

According to the census of 2010, the population of Singapore was 5.8 millions, where Chinese were 75%, Malaya 13% and Indians were 9.2 %. The Muslims population is 15%. When Lee Kwon Yu becomes the Prime Minister of Singapore in 1965, its yearly income was 400 USD per person but when he left his rank in 1990, this income was reached to 22 thousands USD yearly.

Now-a-days this income has been reached to 36 thousands USD yearly. The foreign exchange deposits of Singapore are 400 Millions USD and its rate of yearly economical progress is more than 10%. The rate of education is 100% in Singapore.

In Singapore, there is no corruption because of the most severe law enforcement in this regard. It is also a fact that when in 1965, the Singapore elevated as an independent state, there were issues of anarchy. Even people were facing the problems of basic requirements of life.

Today Singapore is on the third position in the world in regard to level of human progress. The amazing progress of Singapore has been discussed in the book “World before Third World – the story of Singapore 1965-2000” written by Lee Kwon Yu. In this book he states, “We were facing many problems for our survival. Singapore was just like a body without heart.”

Singapore adopted the on-going policy against fundamentalism. The Singaporean government is very much sensitive against the fundamentalism and terrorism. Therefore, they established the world top organization there. The purpose of this organization is to research on aggravation and terrorism. This organization was established in “Nanyang Technological University” in 2007 where experts from all over the world are working against fundamentalism, terrorism and political aggravation.

By Muhammad Irfan Zafar

Content Writer

Contact

mzirfanblogs@gmail.com

10 Summer Home Mistakes

Ian and Barbara White-Thomson are selling their dream summer house, an oceanfront five-bedroom on Peaks Island, near Portland, Maine.

They bought it only three years ago. But it's become a 4,208-square-foot burden.

Maine Dilemma

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Bob Delaney

Ian and Barbara White-Thomson's second home on Maine's Peaks Island.

The couple, who make their home in Pasadena, Calif., sunk nearly $1 million into renovations–on top of the $1.8 million they paid for the home in 2006. They gutted the kitchen and redid the living room. They opened up views to the Atlantic Ocean by removing a fireplace that separated the living and dining areas, putting a glass screen in its place.
They say they're still smitten with the place. Nevertheless, last June they listed it for $2.5 million and have since cut the price to $2.3 million.
"The house is really too big for us," says the 73-year-old Mr. White-Thomson, who retired as CEO of Borax, a borate technology company, 10 years ago. "The house is terrific for the one week a year when we can get all of our family and grandchildren there," he adds. He and his wife have three adult children and five grandchildren. "The rest of the time, it's too big, and when we are not there at all it has to be heated and it has to be gardened."

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The White-Thomsons aren't the first couple to get stuck with a too-big house in a far-off locale. But now their problems are compounded by the downturn in the luxury home market.
Prices for high-end houses are the lowest they've been in some time. A good time to buy certainly, but also a good time to get swept away in a less-than-ideal transaction.
Here are some mistakes to avoid when you're looking to buy a summer house:
1. Buying on impulse: "There are residential brokerages with beautiful places on their windows hoping you make that mistake. Don't," says Glenn Kelman, the president and CEO of real-estate site Redfin.
2. Befriending the Realtor: Since many second-home buyers are new to town, often their only 'friend' is their real-estate agent, "who is going to make a boatload of money when they buy," Mr. Kelman says. "Work your connections to find somebody who knows somebody who already lives there." Those people can provide insight into the realities of living in the area and even about a particular property. "There are so many times where the only guy who would buy that house is the only one who has no idea what its history is," he adds.
3. Forgetting maintenance costs: "Often, [second homes] are in extreme places," says Mr. Kelman. "It's expensive to heat the pool in Whistler, British Columbia, and it's expensive to keep the locusts off in Costa Rica." Regardless of location, the costs of landscaping, mowing and pool maintenance must be considered. As the White-Thomsons learned, you'll have to pay those costs even when you're not there.
4. Not thinking about the weather: In some areas, such as Florida, extra insurance for events like hurricanes is an added factor. Storm damages can add to upkeep costs, as well.
5. Buying in a popular spot: A weekend home can pose a problem if it's in a very popular place, like New York's tony Hamptons. Traffic out to Long Island's east end can be a bear on a Friday–and not everyone has their own helicopter. "All of a sudden Friday at 6:00 comes along and they are piling everyone into a car," says Kathy Braddock, a co-founder of Charles Rutenberg Realty. "You spend the entire time talking about what time you should leave on Sunday to avoid the traffic," she adds.
6. Buying in the boonies: If air travel is required to get to the second home, it should be reasonably close to the airport, Mr. Kelman says. "You don't want to fly there and then rent a car and drive there for God knows how long," he says. "If it's in the boonies near where you live, you don't want it to be so far away that you can't get there without ducking out of work at 4:00." For the White-Thomsons having a second home closer to their primary residence in California may have allowed them to use it more, but they made a commitment to use the home at least two months a year. "If you don't use it, it's a tremendously expensive hotel," Mr. White-Thomson says.
7. Forgetting that you might have grandchildren: Empty nesters who buy a second home may outgrow it quickly when grandchildren start to arrive. "I hear lots of stories of people buying, say, a condo in Florida that they plan to retire in," says Amy Bohutinsky, a vice president of communications at real-estate site Zillow.com. A condo sounds great when the kids are in college, but soon enough you have grandchildren. "What used to be a family of four is now a family of eight and kids running around and all of a sudden you can't fit."
8. Forgetting that you might not want to see your grandchildren: On the other hand some empty nesters don't want to accommodate the entire family. "It's kind of a chance to cleanse" after years of needing ample storage space and extra rooms to accommodate a family, says Ms. Braddock. Rather than maintaining a larger home, it might make more sense to rent hotel rooms for extra guests, she says.
9. Not checking out the rental rates: Those people who use a home only for a few weeks a year and want to rent it the rest of the time should look into the property's rental history before buying, says Jim Oxnam, a broker with Brown Harris Stevens in the Hamptons. "If someone needs the money to pay the mortgage or to improve the house, it might be nice to rent the house for a season," he says.
10. Thinking you want a summer home: "A lot of people get very caught up with the idea that a weekend home would be a lovely thing to have, but I don't think they put a lot of thought into if they really want to go there every weekend," says Ms. Braddock, who lives in New York City.
When her children were young, Ms. Braddock and her ex-husband had owned a second home where the activities revolved around the kids. More recently she rented a cottage in Staatsburg, in New York's Hudson Valley, paying about $2,700 a month on a year-long lease. This time around her oldest was in college and the other in high school, and she and her partner were pretty bored. Looking at antiques, reading the paper and walking around nearby Rhinebeck take up only so much time, she says: "It was the greatest validation that I don't want a weekend house."

Joey Fatone Home Up for Auction

Former 'NSync singer Joey Fatone will auction his Orlando home on Sept. 11. It is currently listed for $6.5 million. The minimum bid for the auction is $3.7 million.
The 1999-built gated estate is on 4.4 acres of lakefront property. The 12,400-square-foot house has six bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. The home has a movie theater with stadium seating, a 10-car garage and a dock with a boathouse. The swimming pool has a grotto area with an enclosed spa and sushi bar, reachable by a small footbridge. There's also a 3,800-square-foot master suite that has a sitting room with a butler's pantry.

Fatone's Orlando

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Tour Factory

Joey Fatone property in Orlando.

Mr. Fatone rose to fame as a member of the popular boy band 'NSync. In 2007, he placed second on "Dancing With the Stars" and he was the host of an NBC game show called "The Singing Bee." Through a representative, he said he's selling his house because he wants to be more centrally located in the downtown Orlando area with his family.
The home was originally listed about a year ago for $5.5 million. A spokesperson for the listing agency says the asking price was raised to match the appraisal price. Sally Andy and David Warren of Stirling Sotheby's International Realty have the listing. The auction will be handled by Worldwide Auction Realty Services.

Larry Gagosian Buys in LA

A Los Angeles home owned by David Bohnett, the philanthropist and technology entrepreneur, has sold to art dealer Larry Gagosian, according to public records. The home, which was originally built for actor Gary Cooper, was listed for $18.9 million. It could not be confirmed what Mr. Gagosian paid for the property.
The 1955-built modernist-style home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood was designed by architect A. Quincy Jones. The 5,700-square-foot house has four bedrooms and 4½ bathrooms. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook a swimming pool, garden and wooded grounds. A representative said Mr. Gagosian couldn't be reached for comment.
Mr. Gagosian owns contemporary and modern art galleries and represents such artists as Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst.
Mr. Bohnett is the founder of GeoCities, which was later acquired in 1999 by Yahoo. Mr. Bohnett said he sold the home because he owns another place nearby, but declined to comment on the sale price or who purchased the home.
Linda May of Coldwell Banker Previews International had the listing.

Montana Ranch Asks $33 Million

A Montana ranch owned by the widow of Jay Call, the late founder and chairman of Flying J, a Utah-based fuel retailer, has hit the market for $33 million.
The property, known as Dancing Wind Ranch, is just outside of Livingston, Mont., in Paradise Valley, about a half-hour drive from Yellowstone National Park. It includes more than 1,750 acres of land and a 8,100-square-foot main house made of stacked stone and antique timbers. There are also a manager's residence and a guest house on property, as well as two barns.
Mr. Call died in a plane crash in 2003, and the ranch is now owned by his wife, Tamra Call.
Gwen Wagner, the owner of Legacy Lands in Livingston, Mont., has the listing.
—Email: privateproperties@wsj.com


 

 

 

 

 

It's a Mod World

Midcentury-modern-style homes priced under $2 million

PUTNAM VALLEY, N.Y.

$1.175 million

A 2,400-square-foot, three-bedroom, 2½-bathroom home on just under half an acre on Lake Oscawana, about an hour and 15 minutes north of Manhattan.
DETAILS: The 1958-built home sits on 100 feet of private lakefront and has a deck overlooking the water. The owner renovated fixtures with materials that are aesthetically in keeping with the era.
MIDCENTURY REMNANTS: The wood-framed house has large glass sliding panel doors and uses earthy materials like a wood-burning fireplace made of local stone.
MOD MEAL: The Tavern at Highlands Golf Club in Garrison, about a 15-minute drive, is open to the public and serves upscale comfort food.
FRIDAY'S FORECAST: Partly sunny, high 86 degrees.
SOURCE: Todd Goddard of Houlihan Lawrence, 914-406-0588, tgoddard@houlihanlawrence.com.

Mid-Century Modern Living

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Erik Grammer

Pasadena, California home.

PASADENA, Calif.

$1.65 million

A 2,760-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-bathroom home on about a quarter of an acre in the San Rafael neighborhood of Pasadena.
DETAILS: The 1951-built home is situated in a U-shape around a saltwater swimming pool. The home has several exterior walls of glass.
MIDCENTURY REMNANTS: Designed by well-known midcentury architects including Whitney R. Smith, the house is designed to integrate indoor and outdoor living.
MOD MEAL: A 5-minute drive away is La Grande Orange Café, housed in a historic 1930s rail station near Old Pasadena. The brunch menu includes prime-rib hash and huevos rancheros.
FRIDAY'S FORECAST: Cloudy then sunny, high 74 degrees.
SOURCE: Georges Rouveyrol of Sotheby's International Realty, 626-676-5368, Georges.Rouveyrol@sothebyshomes.com.

ATLANTA

$1.45 million

A 4,200-square-foot, six-bedroom, four-bathroom home on a third of an acre in Atlanta's North Buckhead neighborhood.
DETAILS: Though originally constructed in 1966, the home was completely rebuilt two years ago in a midcentury style.
MIDCENTURY REMNANTS: The home has an art studio that has 13-foot floor-to-ceiling glass walls. A backyard was also added when the home was remodeled.
MOD MEAL: 10 Degrees South is about a half a mile from the home and specializes in South African food. The menu includes items such as rack of lamb and vegetable curry.
FRIDAY'S FORECAST: Afternoon thunderstorms, high 96 degrees.

 

 

 

 

 

A Glass House in Farm Country

 After 20 years of planning, a couple build their vision in Oregon
On the outskirts of a tiny agricultural town, where hay bales and tractors are the usual roadside attractions, sits a 1,440-square-foot glass box.
Three sides of the house are transparent, made from triple-paned glass, leaving the living area, kitchen and bedroom visible. The fourth wall is clad in cedar siding to protect against the wind in the winter. The glass walls, which climb to 16 feet in some places, overlook the 80 acres of farmland the house sits on, plus vistas of field, sky and mountain.

A Glass House

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John Clark for The Wall Street Journal

Emerson Glass Farm House

Inside, the house is a single chamber of clean lines and cool grays. Rusted steel beams punctuate the glass, and a small oak box inside the home hides a bathroom and office. The kitchen, a Bulthaup unit, is essentially a sheet of silver metal.
The decor is modern and minimal; there are no paintings, photos or television sets. Storage units line the fourth wall. "You don't need pictures and paintings because the mountains change throughout the day with the weather," says owner Marjorie MartzEmerson, 58, who says she and her husband, Paul Emerson, wanted to create a home they felt was part of nature.
It's been more than six decades since architect Philip Johnson, inspired by Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House in Illinois, completed his iconic Glass House in Connecticut. But homeowners willing to follow that example are "quite rare," says Scott Frank, spokesman for the American Institute of Architects, adding that the population of possible owners is limited to "people that are very comfortable with themselves."
Completed in 2008, the house is testament to the determination of the couple, who spent two decades planning to build their vision. The couple, who work for Hewlett-Packard to minimize the environmental footprint of its products, drive a 25-year-old BMW and a 10-year-old Audi. Their primary home is a 900-square-foot apartment in Vancouver, Wash.
The idea for the glass house was born soon after the couple married in 1987, when Ms. MartzEmerson was captivated by a photo of Mr. Johnson's Glass House in a magazine. Though they began looking for a remote, mountain-adjacent lot over the next two decades, considering land in Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota and New Zealand, it wasn't until 2003 that they came across the 80-acre parcel outside Joseph. They bought the property in 2004 for $250,000, investing more to make the land buildable.
The couple screened four other architects before choosing Jim Olson of Olson Kundig Architects in Seattle, whose firm had designed several of the homes they had clipped from magazines over the years. "It's not every day that someone comes in wanting something so small," says Mr. Olson, whose residential projects usually range from 4,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet. "But I think there's a certain luxury to be able to live in a minimal space surrounded by this incredible amount of nature." The design and construction of the house and a nearby barn, used for guest and garage space, cost about $1 million.
A 78.5-acre parcel of land nearby, with a three-bedroom house, barn and other buildings, is listed for $1.5 million, according to Real Estate Associates.
At work, the couple evaluate emissions for products like printers. Their home is likewise eco-friendly. In the summer, when the sun is high, a ledge running along the south-facing glass wall blocks direct sunlight. Screened windows and patio doors circulate breezes. A set-back concrete slab under the home not only elevates the home off the ground, making it look as if it's floating, but also traps heat in the winter, when freezing temperatures arrive. Argon gas pumped between the panes of glass prevents heat from escaping (radiant heating and a fireplace don't hurt).
"Everybody said, 'How can you build a glass house out where it really gets cold in the wintertime?'," says Ms. MartzEmerson. "Well, it's warm and cozy inside." Monthly utilities for the home run around $35.
Walls of glass are challenging for a meticulous couple who remove their shoes before entering the house. The couple have the glass professionally cleaned once or twice a year (the exterior takes about 10 hours), and regularly clean a few panes during their visits.
Strolling around the property last weekend, the couple pointed out wild mustard and the yellow, frilly stalks of lamb's quarters amid green alfalfa fields. As gray clouds gathered, they speculated about the direction of the storm, then scattered to close windows and put away patio furniture when the wind picked up and raindrops began falling. One benefit of the sudden storms that regularly pass through: "It can help keep the glass clean," Mr. Emerson says.