A House Made of 8,000 Glass Bottles
SALT HOUSE – A mother and daughter have built a house on the island of Itamaracá in Pernambuco, Brazil—known for its beautiful beaches and rich biodiversity—using recycled glass bottles.
Edna Dantas, 55, a socio-environmental educator, and her daughter, Maria Gabrielly, 27, a sustainable fashion designer, created the Salt House: a home built from over 8,000 recycled glass bottles, wood, and other discarded materials. They live in the heart of an environmental protection zone, where the growing tourism industry has also led to large amounts of waste—especially glass bottles left behind after peak seasons.
The idea for the Salt House came during the pandemic. After seeing bottles piling up on the beaches, Edna was inspired to act. “I want to build a house with glass bottles,” she said. What followed was two years of hands-on work. Together, the mother and daughter collected bottles, cleaned and reused them using their own techniques, and carefully signed each one to add personal value.
The house features seven rooms. Its walls are made entirely of bottles, with recycled wooden pallets as dividers, and even toothpaste tubes used for the roofing. The first room—only 20 square meters—served as a sewing studio while the rest of the house was still under construction.
Beyond the physical challenges, Edna and Maria faced social barriers. As women working in a traditionally male-dominated field, they were often underestimated. Maria shared how male workers would try to “correct” them or take over, assuming they lacked the skills to build a house. “They don’t realize this requires skill, management, vision,” she said.
In a country where 5.8 million people still live without proper housing, the Salt House has sparked public debate. Critics say it highlights the government’s failure to provide decent shelter and to manage the environmental impact of mass tourism.
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