Modern House Designs

Compact Homes

December 3, 2011

Small Studio House Plans in California Forest

This small studio house plan was a labor of love, and became a sweet retreat for the couple who clearly put their heart and soul into the design. This small California house design is an inspiring studio space for homeowners architect Sarah Deeds of Deeds Design and carpenter John McBride, who together designed and built this 120-sq.-ft. book nook in the woods. Surrounded by trees and wild yet thoughtful landscaping, this wood clad house is right at home here. This sustainable house was thoughtfully built and finished using salvaged and FSC-certified wood, eco friendly wood stain and no-VOC exterior paint, reclaimed materials (i.e. the glass and aluminum front door), and passive solar heating. Integrated LED lighting gives the house a warm glow by night. Inside, though small, the efficiently designed space offers plenty of space for work and play, and even a little “me” time to relax and reflect. Deeds Design
via Dwell
photo credit: Lenny Gonzalez

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3 Dec 2011 | Compact Homes |

October 31, 2011

Efficient Small House In Tokyo

An efficient small house can live so much larger than dictated by its square footage. This urban house in Tokyo designed by modern Japanese architects Keiji Ashizawa was made for comfortable, private living in a dense city core. Flipping the traditional floor plan, the small Japanese home puts private areas – bedrooms and bathrooms – on the main and second level, while the kitchen and living room are on the third, topped by a study for a cool loft design idea, maximizing glazing to offer natural light and views. This compact home design, thanks to its efficient planning and vertical organization, offers plenty of living space and oodles of contemporary style. Keiji Ashizawa Design
via Architizer

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31 Oct 2011 | Compact Homes |

Compact Home Designs , Loft Design Ideas , Modern Japanese Architects , Small Japanese Homes , Urban Houses

October 25, 2011

Compact Mini Home by Dinell Johansson

Check out this compact mini home in Hoganas, Sweden. The mini house design by Nordic architecture firm Dinell Johansson measures just 57m2, made to maximize an efficient size and budget. The summer vacation house has a cross-shaped footprint that offers different views in every direction and creates nooks in its outdoor areas. The open concept main floor features a living room, kitchen and a fireplace feature that is the focal point of the space. Large sliding-glass doors overlook the outdoors and naturally light up the indoors. A modern loft upstairs houses a bedroom that overlooks the living room below. Making a big impact with minimal money and area, the architects certainly made the most of what they had. Dinell Johansson
via Arch Daily

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25 Oct 2011 | Compact Homes |

Compact Houses , Fireplace Features , Mini Houses , Modern Lofts , Nordic Architecture , Summer Home Designs , Vacation Houses

October 19, 2011

Tea House Design with Exotic Details

Here’s an interesting tea house design by Czech architects A1 Architects. This raised house plan sits up on stilts, at the edge of a large, dark lake surrounded by a pine forest, providing a naturally beautiful backdrop for this humble home. This organic architecture is one with the garden, which is visible through the open slatted walls that slide open to reveal new views at every turn. Inside, a ceiling of knitted sisal rope adds an exotic element to this traditional tea house idea. At its heart, a fireplace feature is the home’s instant gathering place. This small guest house is the perfect place for the family and their friends to gather, enjoy a cup of tea and take in the scenery. A1 Architects.

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19 Oct 2011 | Compact Homes |

Modern Tea House , Organic Architecture , Raised House Plans , Small Guest House , Tea House Ideas

September 21, 2011

Small Smart Homes in the City

If you seek small smart homes, this Tokyo area design does not disappoint! The innovative architects at IDEA Office are the brains behind Y-House – striking Japanese architecture that maximizes every inch of its urban house plan. This small Japanese home was designed with a trio of objectives: a connection to the outdoors without sacrificing privacy; outdoors that would enhance the feeling of space indoors; and solar access in every room. With some careful considerations in design, the three storey house accomplishes all three. Toward the rear of this compact house the vertical volume presents densely organized living spaces to make room for an open, airy front volume with a terrace that doubles as an outdoor living room, and a garden. A two-storey wall surrounds the space, and is open to the sky for privacy and nature, all in one. This “buffer zone” shelters the home from the busy street while allowing the sun to stream in at every level. Every room is oriented to overlook this little private piece of nature in a city otherwise packed with people, houses, traffic. Another “green” benefit of this smart home comes in the eco-sustainable” sense, in the form of passive summer ventilation and winter heating via skylights, insulated metal panels, a reflective white roof, and water heater on demand.
IDEA Office
photo credit: Kouichi Torimura