Modern House Designs

Modern Hillside Home Design by Johnston Marklee Architects Overlooking Santa Monica Canyon

The contemporary Hill House rises as a shard among the rocks of this Los Angeles, California hillside. Enjoying picture-perfect views of Santa Monica Canyon, this modern home designed by Johnston Marklee Architects boasts a bold shape that cooperates with the complex landscape, with stunning results. Set on an irregular, uneven and steeply sloped plot of land, the architect developed an equally irregular house with an obscure roofline and oblique walls, all in white except for the deep-set windows stretching across the facade. The wide windows frame the breathtaking views, while flooding interiors with natural light, revealing a modern, minimalist style. Living areas are predominantly white, with cool stone playing against warm woods in rich finishes. A cool upper loft area, enclosed in a barely-there glass balcony, overlooks the open-concept living area below, and beyond that, the lush valley is visible from virtually any angle in the home. Johnston Marklee Architects
via Contemporist

6 Oct 2008 | Futuristic | Comments (0)

Contemporary House in Amsterdam with Modern Vertical Garden

Beautifully blending architecture with nature, this contemporary house by Marc Koehler Architects was designed as a vertical garden in a concrete jungle. The house in IJburg, Amsterdam, features various spaces seemingly “carved out” from a “monolithic sculptural mass” in a series of open and private spaces, as described by the architect, which unifies all elements of this contemporary design – the exterior, interior, and of course, the unique vertical garden and large rooftop terrace. The facade incorporates brick work for visual interest as well as to accommodate growing greenery. Interiors are bright with natural light. The contemporary layout features a main floor housing three bedrooms, a bathroom, a powder room and a large multi-purpose space. Upstairs, a kitchen, dining area and large living area offer views of the surrounding city and garden just outside the expansive windows. Marc Koehler Architects.

6 Oct 2008 | Custom | Comments (0)

Modern Industrial Design House in Japan Blends Contemporary Fashion and Function

Japanese Architect Koji Tsutsui has designed this modern house in Tokyo, Japan, for an industrial designer, with a distinctly industrial edge. At the outset, it was required that the house work with the client’s own sentiments towards the fashion and function of design. In addition, the list of must-haves included a studio that opens to the outdoors; a study with a view of the car; a separate guest wing; and a living area that would also act as a showroom for the would-be homeowner’s industrial art. And thus aptly named Industrial Design House was planned with a living/dining area and gallery at its core, featuring a bare white backdrop and tall ceilings that invite the flood of natural light. The remainder of the house is much of the same, with bright, spacious rooms with a modern, minimalist appeal. Each room provides its own individual feel and function, but they are all interwoven via the basic elements of architecture – “floor, wall, ceiling, stairs, void and openings,” according to Best House Design. Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates
via Best House Design

6 Oct 2008 | Custom | Comments (0)

Modern Sustainable Home in UK - Repurposing and Revitalizing the 1890s Railway Carriage

Like an animal adapts to its environment, so too does this modern repurposed rail carriage on Dungeness Beach in Kent, UK. Designed by architect Simon Conder, El Ray is a modern home designed to both blend into its sandy surroundings and weather their storms. The two-bedroom house is a restoration and reformation of a railway carriage circa 1890 sits at the heart of the home, now transformed into the home’s main hub – the kitchen. A sloping roof invites visitors to revel in the breathtaking view that is the sea. One elevation takes on a semi-circular form, while facing south is a fully-glazed facade overlooks the Channel. The architect used FSC-certified wood where possible, making it a sustainable choice. Adding to the eco-friendly appeal, this modern house design also incorporates passive solar power, cross ventilation and wind turbines as a source of natural heating, cooling and off-the-grid power. Simon Conder.
Read the full article by Graham Bizley for Building Design magazine.

3 Oct 2008 | Sustainable | Comments (0)

Modern House in Brazil - Earth, Air and Water Come Together in Osler House

Osler modern house, located in Brasilia, Brazil, is a 2,906-sq.-ft. balancing act of earth, wind and water. Architect Marcio Kogan precariously perched an airy, glass-enclosed volume perpendicularly atop a natural wood-clad base, and stretching across a luxurious lap pool below. The deck surrounding the pool echoes the richly finished wood panels that cover the main level and slide apart to reveal some strategically placed windows and doorways. A warm glow invites visitors into cozy yet clean and contemporary interiors – simple and down to the detail. A modern floating wooden staircase climbs up the wall and leads to the upper glass level, where the panoramic views of the rooftop patio, the sprawling 8,578-sq.-ft. grounds and the horizon beyond, are the center of attention. Marcio Kogan
via Arch Daily

2 Oct 2008 | Custom | Comments (0)

Cool Contemporary Cubes Take Shape in Japan, by Endoh Design

When it comes to artistic impressions, this is one case where it’s really hip to be square. The Natural Cube House by Japanese architects Endoh Design boasts a unique facade of reinforced concrete on a 2,900-sq.-ft. site. The basic cube shape is enhanced with modern steel panels and uniquely uneven walls that create windows in a most nontraditional and unexpected way. As expected from the exterior design, the home’s interior continues on a path of modern minimalism, almost clinical with its white-on-white palette that’s colored only by bold blasts of orange on the ceiling and walls. A barely-there exterior accent, the irregular walls create a contemporary focal point of the interiors, casting an artistic light treatment that flows in through the slits in the walls. Endoh Design.

1 Oct 2008 | Futuristic | Comments (0)

Luxury Thai Beach House

One look at this Thai Beach House, the Samujana Villas, and you’ll know you’re home. This collection of 26 exotic, private island homes on Thailand Koh Samui is inspired by the luxurious resort lifestyle most only dream about. Overlooking the beach about 300 ft. below, Gfab Architects has designed these contemporary cliff-top villas with each approximately 4,843 sq. ft. of living space that blends the indoor and outdoors seamlessly. The elevations boast a tiered plan integrating sliding glass walls than open onto sun-soaked decks off of each floor. A “top down” entrance opens the home’s foyer to the outdoors, while transforming the rooftop reflecting pool into an infinity pool. Inside, four bedrooms, indulgent ensuites and an overall laid-back island attitude are key. Interiors are designed as contemporary, cool lounging areas that, like the infinity pools above, seem to hang over the edge endlessly. Gfab Architects
via Contemporist

30 Sep 2008 | Custom | Comments (0)

Costa Rica Beachfront Home Inspires a Writer and Modern Architecture Lovers

Built using traditional techniques with a modern slant on architecture, Gianni Botsford of GB Architects built this spectacular beachfront home for his father, a writer with an eclectic taste for fine details and finishes. The contemporary house in Cahuita, Costa Rica, boasts no vertical walls to uphold its prominent roof, creating a unique silhouette among the trees. Beneath the roof, the main living space is a large library housing one floor-to-ceiling wall of built-in bookshelves and another of glass. Books, a writing desk and a grand piano fill this inspiring space. An outdoor walkway leads into another pavilion that houses the sleeping and bathing quarters. GB Architects
via Arch Daily

29 Sep 2008 | Custom | Comments (0)

The Sweetest Suite in Lower Manhattan, Where Nature Meets Modern Architecture

An experiment in the integration of nature and architecture, this ultra-modern penthouse yields some stylish results. In the hands of a couple of innovative Yale professors – architect Joel Sanders and landscape architect Diana Balmori – the 3,100-sq.-ft. suite in Lower Manhattan boasts a spectacular rooftop garden (complete with an outdoor shower) that blankets a set of stairs leading inside. But nature doesn’t stop at the front door – interiors are brimming with lush plantings and an impressive irrigation system. The master bathroom showcases 50 sq. ft. of vertical plantings that conceal drip irrigation tubes, transforming the design into a living, breathing environment. Warm, natural woods finish the modern interiors – a naturally perfect complement to the lush plants both inside and out.
For details visit The New York Times

26 Sep 2008 | Custom | Comments (0)

Sustainable Tree House Actually Hugs Trees

From the pages of building and architecture website BD, London, this modern residential design is a tree house by all accounts – built from trees, built among trees. With an £800,000 grant to construct in a conservation area of west Beaminster, Dorset UK, Western Design Architects have planned this sustainable home with recycled timber, a Green roof and a ground-source heat pump. The contemporary 3,875-sq.-ft. house is comprised of three pods, each approximately five ft. off the ground. And while these pods are not actually secured to the trees that dot the surrounding landscape, the magnificent oaks will pierce through the terraces of the home. "While not physically bolted to the surrounding oak trees which are protected by a tree preservation order, the oaks will penetrate each terrace so 'you can hug a tree if you want to,'" according to the architect, reports BD. Inside, the main pod houses the kitchen, dining and living areas, and is connected to the neighboring two pods which accommodate the bedrooms. The start for construction is slated for spring 2009. Western Design Architects
Read more on BD - Building Design, London
photo credit: BD

26 Sep 2008 | Sustainable | Comments (0)

Contemporary Dialogue House in Arizona Desert Speaks Volumes

The Arizona desert is a hotspot for modern architecture. Dialogue House, designed by Wendell Burnette Architects, offers a unique balance of light, materials, styles and volumes facing opposite directions. The lower level of the home features the main living areas, and faces towards downtown Phoenix. Perched atop the main level, the upper volume of this contemporary home boasts a work studio and occupies the north-west corner of the property. After sunset, this upper level of the home appears as a floating box of light. This modern oasis in the desert includes a luxurious pool and an enclosed outdoor living area. On the other side of the floor-to-ceiling windows, the grand living spaces include all the usual suspects plus a den, three bedrooms and a loft-like master suite. Wendell Burnette Architects
via Contemporist

26 Sep 2008 | Custom | Comments (0)

Swedish Sauna House - Spa-Inspired

The luxurious Mill House by architect Gert Wingardh is a gleaming gem of glass and wood, hidden quietly in its rural setting of Southern Sweden. In true Swedish tradition, this rustic yet refined design is “a manifestation of the ritual of sauna and sunbathing,” according to the architect – an age-old practice so loved, that the designer was compelled to incorporate living space into the spa-inspired structure. Enclosed in floor-to-ceiling glass with extensive woodwork both inside and out, the home boasts a warm appeal when regarded from the inside and out, and is surrounded by a cool pool for dipping after a good, hot steam. Gert Wingardh
via Best House Design
photos: James Silverman

25 Sep 2008 | Custom | Comments (0)

Contemporary House in Seattle Merges Chic Style with Cool Quirks

The juxtaposition of sleek, contemporary house architecture beside odd and quirky elements is what calls attention to this one-of-a-kind house in Queen Anne neighborhood in Seattle. Architect Jim Burton of Blip Design came at this two-storey home remodel with a two-pronged approach, and an affinity for two very different genres. Chic and funky come together to play off each other, highlighting the other’s best features. Meticulous stone bricks meet a vibrant wood facade that almost glows in comparison. A flat roof is met by a pair of wild, upturned wings that top the funky side of this modern home. A lushly landscaped garden flanks each side of a stairway that leads up to the window-clad house. Judging by the bold exterior design, this 4,322-sq.-ft. design delivers on its unspoken promise of modern interiors, which are clean and contemporary by design. The four-bedroom, 3.5 bathroom design is currently listed on the market at a price of $2.4 million. Visit Queen Anne Modern for details. Blip Design.

23 Sep 2008 | Custom | Comments (0)

Modern Twist on Simple Box House in Spain - Thinking Outside the Box

Life in a box is pretty sweet if your box is anything like this ultra modern house designed by the architects at Murado & Elvira. Espejo House located in Badajoz, Spain, puts a contemporary twist on a basic rectangular residence, incorporating rounded corners and a sleek, metal-clad envelope that lends the structure a look of clean simplicity. Butting up against the cool metal, sliding doors of rustic pine act as shutters, and can be completely opened or closed, depending on your mood or the weather on any given day. On further exploration of this cool design, white is a major player in its interior design. Vivid punches of color come in unexpected places – the turquoise bathroom, and the stop-dead-in-your-tracks red kitchen. Murado & Elvira
via Coolboom
photo credit: Miguel de Guzmán

23 Sep 2008 | Custom | Comments (0)

Contemporary Sea-Side House - the Salt House

The Salt House by the architects at Alison Brooks Associates Ltd. is a modern sea-side residential retreat boasting a tradition of “beach house” construction with a uniquely modern twist. The two-storey home, located at Maldon in England, is clad in a weathered-looking wood, lending it an authentic “salty” appeal. The 3,500-sq.-ft. house is a three-bedroom, three-bathroom design that enjoys a contemporary open-concept interior layout. The main floor features floor-to-ceiling windows and a spacious, column-free layout that opens onto a central atrium. At the heart of the design, a modern twisting staircase leads upstairs to the second living area, where walls of windows flood the home with natural light. Alison Brooks Associates Ltd.
via World Architecture News