Modern House Exterior Ideas and Designs
HollandGreen Architecture, Interiors & LandscapesModern new build overlooking the River Thames with oversized sliding glass facade for seamless indoor-outdoor living.
Tye ArchitectsClient’s brief
A modern replacement dwelling designed to blend seamlessly with its natural surroundings while prioritizing high-quality design and sustainability. It is crafted to preserve the site's openness through clever landscape integration, minimizing its environmental impact.
The dwelling provides five bedrooms, five bathrooms, an open-plan living arrangement, two studies, reception/family areas, utility, storage, and an integral double garage. Furthermore, the dwelling also includes a guest house with two bedrooms and one bathroom, as well as a pool house/leisure facility.
Programme
The original 72-week programme was extended due to COVID and lockdown. Following lockdown, there were issues with supplies and extra works were requested by the clients (tennis court, new landscape, etc.). It took around two years to complete with extra time allocated for the landscaping.
Materials
The construction of the building is based on a combination of traditional and modern techniques.
Structure: reinforced concrete + steel frame
External walls: concrete block cavity walls clad in natural stone (bonded). First floor has areas of natural stone ventilated facade.
Glazing: double glazing with solar protection coating and aluminium frames.
Roof and terraces: ceramic finish RAF system
Flooring: timber floor for Sky Lounge and Lower Ground Floor. Natural stone for Upper Ground Floor and ceramic tiles for bathrooms.
Landscape and access: granite setts and granite stepping stones.
Budget constraints
The original project had to be adjusted which implied some value engineering and redesign of some areas including removing the pond, heated pool, AC throughout.
How the project contributes to its environment
Due to the sensitive location within the Metropolitan Green Belt, we carefully considered the scale and massing to achieve less impact than that of the existing. Our strategy was to develop a proposal which integrates within the setting.
The dwelling is built into the landscape, so the lower ground floor level is a partial basement opening towards the rear, capturing downhill views over the site. The first-floor element is offset from the external envelope, reducing its appearance. The dwelling adopts a modern flat roof design lowering the roof finish level and reducing its impact.
The proposed material palette consists of marble and limestone; natural material providing longevity. Marble stone finishes the lower ground floor levels, meeting the landscape. The upper ground floor has a smooth limestone finish, with contemporary architectural detailing. The mirror glazed box on top of the building containing the Sky Lounge appears as a lighter architectural form, sitting on top of the heavier, grounded form below and nearly disappearing reflecting the surrounding trees and sky.
The project aims to minimize waste disposal by treating foul water through a treatment plant and discharging surface water back to the ground. It incorporates a highly efficient Ground Source Heat Pump system that is environmentally friendly, and the house utilizes MVHR to significantly reduce heat loss. The project features high-spec insulation throughout to minimize heat loss.
Experience of occupants
The clients are proud of the house, the fantastic design (a landmark in the area) and the everyday use of the building.
Find the right local pro for your project
Architectural CollaborativeWe designed this 3,162 square foot home for empty-nesters who love lake life. Functionally, the home accommodates multiple generations. Elderly in-laws stay for prolonged periods, and the homeowners are thinking ahead to their own aging in place. This required two master suites on the first floor. Accommodations were made for visiting children upstairs. Aside from the functional needs of the occupants, our clients desired a home which maximizes indoor connection to the lake, provides covered outdoor living, and is conducive to entertaining. Our concept celebrates the natural surroundings through materials, views, daylighting, and building massing.
We placed all main public living areas along the rear of the house to capitalize on the lake views while efficiently stacking the bedrooms and bathrooms in a two-story side wing. Secondary support spaces are integrated across the front of the house with the dramatic foyer. The front elevation, with painted green and natural wood siding and soffits, blends harmoniously with wooded surroundings. The lines and contrasting colors of the light granite wall and silver roofline draws attention toward the entry and through the house to the real focus: the water. The one-story roof over the garage and support spaces takes flight at the entry, wraps the two-story wing, turns, and soars again toward the lake as it approaches the rear patio. The granite wall extending from the entry through the interior living space is mirrored along the opposite end of the rear covered patio. These granite bookends direct focus to the lake.
Passive systems contribute to the efficiency. Southeastern exposure of the glassy rear façade is modulated while views are celebrated. Low, northeastern sun angles are largely blocked by the patio’s stone wall and roofline. As the sun rises southward, the exposed façade becomes glassier, but is protected by deep roof overhangs and a trellised awning. These cut out the higher late morning sun angles. In winter, when sun angles are lower, the morning light floods the living spaces, warming the thermal mass of the exposed concrete floor.
ZeroEnergy DesignZeroEnergy Design (ZED) created this modern home for a progressive family in the desirable community of Lexington.
Thoughtful Land Connection. The residence is carefully sited on the infill lot so as to create privacy from the road and neighbors, while cultivating a side yard that captures the southern sun. The terraced grade rises to meet the house, allowing for it to maintain a structured connection with the ground while also sitting above the high water table. The elevated outdoor living space maintains a strong connection with the indoor living space, while the stepped edge ties it back to the true ground plane. Siting and outdoor connections were completed by ZED in collaboration with landscape designer Soren Deniord Design Studio.
Exterior Finishes and Solar. The exterior finish materials include a palette of shiplapped wood siding, through-colored fiber cement panels and stucco. A rooftop parapet hides the solar panels above, while a gutter and site drainage system directs rainwater into an irrigation cistern and dry wells that recharge the groundwater.
Cooking, Dining, Living. Inside, the kitchen, fabricated by Henrybuilt, is located between the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The expansive south-facing sliding door opens to seamlessly connect the spaces, using a retractable awning to provide shade during the summer while still admitting the warming winter sun. The indoor living space continues from the dining areas across to the sunken living area, with a view that returns again to the outside through the corner wall of glass.
Accessible Guest Suite. The design of the first level guest suite provides for both aging in place and guests who regularly visit for extended stays. The patio off the north side of the house affords guests their own private outdoor space, and privacy from the neighbor. Similarly, the second level master suite opens to an outdoor private roof deck.
Light and Access. The wide open interior stair with a glass panel rail leads from the top level down to the well insulated basement. The design of the basement, used as an away/play space, addresses the need for both natural light and easy access. In addition to the open stairwell, light is admitted to the north side of the area with a high performance, Passive House (PHI) certified skylight, covering a six by sixteen foot area. On the south side, a unique roof hatch set flush with the deck opens to reveal a glass door at the base of the stairwell which provides additional light and access from the deck above down to the play space.
Energy. Energy consumption is reduced by the high performance building envelope, high efficiency mechanical systems, and then offset with renewable energy. All windows and doors are made of high performance triple paned glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. The exterior wall assembly employs dense pack cellulose in the stud cavity, a continuous air barrier, and four inches exterior rigid foam insulation. The 10kW rooftop solar electric system provides clean energy production. The final air leakage testing yielded 0.6 ACH 50 - an extremely air tight house, a testament to the well-designed details, progress testing and quality construction. When compared to a new house built to code requirements, this home consumes only 19% of the energy.
Architecture & Energy Consulting: ZeroEnergy Design
Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design
Paintings: Bernd Haussmann Studio
Photos: Eric Roth Photography
Vetter ArchitectsThe client’s request was quite common - a typical 2800 sf builder home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living space, and den. However, their desire was for this to be “anything but common.” The result is an innovative update on the production home for the modern era, and serves as a direct counterpoint to the neighborhood and its more conventional suburban housing stock, which focus views to the backyard and seeks to nullify the unique qualities and challenges of topography and the natural environment.
The Terraced House cautiously steps down the site’s steep topography, resulting in a more nuanced approach to site development than cutting and filling that is so common in the builder homes of the area. The compact house opens up in very focused views that capture the natural wooded setting, while masking the sounds and views of the directly adjacent roadway. The main living spaces face this major roadway, effectively flipping the typical orientation of a suburban home, and the main entrance pulls visitors up to the second floor and halfway through the site, providing a sense of procession and privacy absent in the typical suburban home.
Clad in a custom rain screen that reflects the wood of the surrounding landscape - while providing a glimpse into the interior tones that are used. The stepping “wood boxes” rest on a series of concrete walls that organize the site, retain the earth, and - in conjunction with the wood veneer panels - provide a subtle organic texture to the composition.
The interior spaces wrap around an interior knuckle that houses public zones and vertical circulation - allowing more private spaces to exist at the edges of the building. The windows get larger and more frequent as they ascend the building, culminating in the upstairs bedrooms that occupy the site like a tree house - giving views in all directions.
The Terraced House imports urban qualities to the suburban neighborhood and seeks to elevate the typical approach to production home construction, while being more in tune with modern family living patterns.
Overview:
Elm Grove
Size:
2,800 sf,
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Completion Date:
September 2014
Services:
Architecture, Landscape Architecture
Interior Consultants: Amy Carman Design
OSCAR E. FLORES DESIGN STUDIO, LLCTwo Story Ultra Modern House style designed by OSCAR E FLORES DESIGN STUDIO
EnergyPal SolarBeautifully balanced and serene desert landscaped modern build with standing seam metal roofing and seamless solar panel array. The simplistic and stylish property boasts huge energy savings with the high production solar array.
FINNE ArchitectsThe Port Ludlow Residence is a compact, 2400 SF modern house located on a wooded waterfront property at the north end of the Hood Canal, a long, fjord-like arm of western Puget Sound. The house creates a simple glazed living space that opens up to become a front porch to the beautiful Hood Canal.
The east-facing house is sited along a high bank, with a wonderful view of the water. The main living volume is completely glazed, with 12-ft. high glass walls facing the view and large, 8-ft.x8-ft. sliding glass doors that open to a slightly raised wood deck, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor space. During the warm summer months, the living area feels like a large, open porch. Anchoring the north end of the living space is a two-story building volume containing several bedrooms and separate his/her office spaces.
The interior finishes are simple and elegant, with IPE wood flooring, zebrawood cabinet doors with mahogany end panels, quartz and limestone countertops, and Douglas Fir trim and doors. Exterior materials are completely maintenance-free: metal siding and aluminum windows and doors. The metal siding has an alternating pattern using two different siding profiles.
The house has a number of sustainable or “green” building features, including 2x8 construction (40% greater insulation value); generous glass areas to provide natural lighting and ventilation; large overhangs for sun and rain protection; metal siding (recycled steel) for maximum durability, and a heat pump mechanical system for maximum energy efficiency. Sustainable interior finish materials include wood cabinets, linoleum floors, low-VOC paints, and natural wool carpet.
Tommy Daspit PhotographerTwilight exterior of Modern Home by Alexander Modern Homes in Muscle Shoals Alabama, and Phil Kean Design by Birmingham Alabama based architectural and interiors photographer Tommy Daspit. See more of his work at http://tommydaspit.com
DEMESNEThe simple volumes of this urban lake house give a nod to the existing 1940’s weekend cottages and farmhouses contained in the mature neighborhood on White Rock Lake. The concept is a modern twist on the vernacular within the area by incorporating the use of modern materials such as concrete, steel, and cable. ©Shoot2Sell Photography
Modern House Exterior Ideas and Designs
Buildmax House PlansThis gorgeous barndominium boasts 10′ first floor ceilings and 9′ second floor. You will enter the house from the covered porch which opens to an expansive vaulted living space. The standard plan is a one story full vaulted ceiling throughout but the optional plan has a private master suite on the second floor with a balcony open to below. A unique Home Internet Cafe’ is just inside the front door and opens onto the front lounging porch. This 3 bedroom 2 1/2- 3 bath barndominium can fit nicely in any surrounding. It can be classy, elegant or country. Choose your style from any of our three barndo choices. (This plan is on the board and under design now)
1