Modern House Designs

Elegant Eco Home with Fireman's Pole rocks!

2012-02-10T03:49:03Z

Check out this elegant eco home located in Stanwood, Washington. This sustainable house by Designs Northwest Architects is a lesson in minimalist living - a sleek and simple hillside home boasting views of surrounding forest, Mt. Rainier and the city of Everett to the South, which are maximized by the home's towering four-storey layout. This high-efficiency, low-maintenance home features insulated concrete form that reduces required heating energy by 44% and cooling energy by 33%, compared to a traditional wood frame house. A geothermal heat pump and hydronic heating system enhance heating and cooling efficiency. Add to this passive solar features, like the expansive south-facing glass wall, lots of glazing to maximize natural daylight, concrete floors that retain heat to warm interiors, and a central "tunnel" stairway that provides passive ventilation, topped by a glass dome with operable windows that pull hot air up and out to further cool the house. And that's right, your eyes aren't fooling - this house has a second "tunnel" featuring a fireman's pole. Finished with native vegetation and a rainwater irrigation system, this house "green" in every sense of the word. Designs Northwest Architects

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Inside Out House with Inner Garden

2012-02-10T03:18:23Z

This inside out house by Japanese architecture firm Suppose Design Office has an unusual design that turns architecture on its head. Featuring an inner garden behind its facade, and a rooftop terrace tucked beneath its roof, this interesting home is full of surprises. An interior courtyard takes residents and guests past a pebbled walkway and into the home. An open staircase connects three stories of minimalist interiors, with a sunken main floor, a first-floor living room, and another floor boasting a terrace and an amazing glass-enclosed bathroom that offers little by way of privacy but loads of cool, contemporary style. Check out more innovative Japanese house designs by visiting Suppose Design Office
photo credit: Toshiyuki Yano

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Panorama House Design: Glass Walls & Modern Interiors

2012-02-09T07:19:20Z

This glass wall house by Australian architecture firm Maria Gigney Architects, once a brick cottage, was redesigned into a modern, fully glazed panorama house design. This outdoor living house plan invites nature in through expansive glazing and outdoor entertaining areas - the ultimate vantage point for taking in the breathtaking vistas of water and sky, with the city skyline twinkling in the distance. Taking advantage of the Tasmanian climate, this passive solar home employs eco technologies that reduce energy consumption in this almost all-glass structure. Maria Gigney Architects
via Freshome

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Cliff House Architecture Inspired by Modern Picasso Art

2012-02-09T07:05:11Z

This inspiring cliff house architecture takes a cue from famed artist Pablo Picasso and is, in our humble opinion, a masterpiece in its own right. Designed by Australian architects Durbach Block Jaggers, this contemporary style home near Sydney, Australia features a glass and stone exterior with curved walls that cling to this 70-meter high rocky hotspot overlooking sun, sand and surf as far as the eye can see. Minimalist interiors are bright and cool - the ultimate place to relax and take in the beauty that surrounds, both the natural and that by design. Expansive glazing lets in the breathtaking vistas and lots of natural light, but the best views are to be had from the home's many outdoor terraces, the lower-level swimming pool and the rooftop garden. Durbach Block Jaggers
photo credits: Peter Bennetts, Brett Boardman, Anthony Browell

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Steel Cabin Design in the Woods

2012-02-07T06:06:47Z

Seattle-based Olson Kundig Architects recently completed this steel cabin design in Olympic Peninsula, Washington. Clad in steel with large expanses of glass that can be completely shuttered, the stilt home enjoys an elevated position and great views of this treed location. Enter the raised house plan via an open steel staircase that matches the structure's industrial aesthetic. Inside, it's wood galore, and we're referring to both the interior finishing and the forest view. The open concept interior is overlooked by a modern loft accessed by a steel ladder, adding to the home's casual aesthetic. Olson Kundig Architects
photo credit: Benjamin Benschneider

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