The simple yet elegant cherry-framed window that Marvin unveiled last week at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas has a remarkable pedigree.

The window was designed by Sarah Susanka, acclaimed architect and bestselling author of the Not So Big House series. The window includes a large circle of glass inside a square frame, held in place by four small squares of beveled glass that Susanka says will refract light around the room as the sun moves across the window.

Susanka's message -- don't build bigger houses, build better houses -- has driven the anti-McMansion movement for more than a decade and this window exemplifies her philosophy.



For inspiration, Susanka looked inside her own family room which includes a large picture window that cannot be opened for ventilation. Without natural air flow in the room, the room heats up earlier during summer days than do other rooms in the house, requiring the need for air conditioning. In the green-home philosophy, the less artificial heating and cooling a house needs, the better for the environment, for human comfort and for utility bills.

For her window, Susanka incorporated a pop-out feature she saw developed at Marvin, where hardware allows a section of glass to pop out a few inches to allow airflow into the room. See Susanka demonstrate the pop-out window

The window is part of the MyMarvin program, in which the family-owned company in Warroad, MN. asked several artists to design their ideal windows. Each window reflects the artistic sensibility of its designer. Susanka's window is simple and sustainable (made of sustainably harvested cherry), the window by photographer Mark Laita evokes a series of photo frames, and the window created by garden designer P. Allen Smith includes metal vines and leaves. See the five artists and their windows.

Susanka's window and those of the other artists can be ordered in a variety of sizes and materials by contacting a local Marvin dealer. You can find a dealer at the Marvin Vendor Locator.