38-year-old Argentine artist builds DIY heart-shaped house in under 1.5 years, upcycled car windshields into windows

A home with a heart-shaped outline, walls made from earth and windows fashioned from old car windshields may sound unusual, but for Argentine artist Mariana Di Pascuales, it is the result of a long journey towards a simpler life. The 38-year-old built the house herself in the Traslasierra Valley in Córdoba province, Argentina, using reclaimed materials and help from friends. The project took around a year and a half to complete.

How 12 Discarded Windshields Became Windows

According to Argentine newspaper Infobae, Di Pascuales used approximately 12 second-hand car windshields as fixed windows in her earthen home in Los Hornillos. She obtained the glass from an auction business that was closing in Tortugas, the town where she grew up.

Rather than buying conventional windows, she found a new purpose for materials that might otherwise have been discarded. The windshields let natural light into the house while framing views of the surrounding hills. She also embedded coloured glass bottles into the mud walls. These add splashes of colour and allow the morning light to filter into the interior. The home combines earth, wood and other natural or reclaimed materials, reflecting her interest in building with what is available rather than relying entirely on new products.

The Accidental Heart-Shaped Design

One of the home's most distinctive features becomes visible from above. Its floor plan consists of two joined hexagons, and the roofline creates the outline of a heart. According to ECOticias, the heart shape was not part of Di Pascuales' original plan. A friend noticed it while looking at the structure from above. Inside, the compact design makes practical use of limited space. Her son, León, has a raised sleeping area, while her own bed can be tucked away when it is not needed. The arrangement reflects her experience of living in a motorhome before settling in the valley.

A Difficult Build That Took 18 Months

The project was not an easy construction exercise. Di Pascuales carried sand, clay and stones up a steep path to the building site, working for hours each day. Friends also helped during collective work sessions, a community practice often known as minga. The process had to pause during a particularly difficult winter. She temporarily moved into a friend's cabin rather than continue working in freezing conditions.

In her account, she explained that she did not want the house to be built through sacrifice. She returned to the project in spring and continued until the home was ready to live in. Her experience was also shaped by years of moving between places, including a period in Uruguay and a journey through Patagonia with her son.

Can Reusing Materials Make Homes More Sustainable?

The house offers an example of how discarded objects can become useful parts of a new building. The US Environmental Protection Agency says reusing construction materials can reduce waste, conserve landfill space and help avoid the environmental impact of extracting and manufacturing new resources. However, reusing windshields does not automatically make a house energy-efficient. The thermal performance, safety and durability of the glass would need to be assessed separately. Di Pascuales' home uses a natural spring for water and a homemade biodigester to process wastewater, although the system was still being tested when she showed the house.

For Di Pascuales, the result is more than an unconventional building. It is a home shaped by resourcefulness, persistence and a desire to live closer to nature. Its heart-shaped roof may have been an accident, but the thought behind the project was deliberate: to create a small, personal space from materials others had left behind.