MODERN HOUSE DESIGNS

House With Courtyard In The Middle in Australian Outback

The dark facade of Somers House with courtyard in the middle was designed to blend into the shadowy background of the Australian outback. Melbourne-based Rowan Opat Architects designed this house with a low, inconspicuous profile, a flat roof and clad it with dark wood and windows, bringing it into its surroundings with subtlety. Inside, this modern house is anything but subtle, understated or humble. Rich wood ceilings and floors finished in radial-sawed timber give interiors a rustic-chic style which is complemented by the large windows, outdoor terraces, and a spacious courtyard in the middle of it all. On a whole other level with nature, this contemporary country home boasts eco-friendly features like sustainable materials, natural lighting and passive solar heating. Rowan Opat Architects
via DigsDigs

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27 Jul 2009 | Sustainable Homes | Comments (0)

Eco Friendly House Renovation Makes Recycled House: trash turned treasure

In a eco friendly renovation that transformed tired 1950s to cutting-edge 21st century, this recycled house in upscale Buenos Aires is for the fashion-conscious and the eco-conscious alike. Quite literally trash turned treasure by Argentinean architects Studio A77, this reused and recycled home contains all the usual suspects: a spacious loft, bedrooms and a central courtyard, topped by a green rooftop patio and pool; and some unusual ones as well: 50 meters of repurposed highway guard rails, and 300 meters of reclaimed scrap metal, wood and windows. It’s pretty impressive, and aesthetically it doesn’t disappoint either. The quirky collection of eclectic pieces combines beautifully for a modern frame of metal and wood, with vast windows that naturally illuminate the space and passively cool it as well. Studio A77
photo credit: Studio A77 Architects

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25 Jul 2009 | Sustainable Homes | Comments (0)

Sustainable Residential Architecture Surpasses LEED and Style Standards

Architect Robert M. Cain has wearing his Green thinking cap when he came up with this fabulous, sustainable residential architecture design in Decatur, Georgia. The modern two-storey, 2,800-sq.-ft. RainShine House was named for its innovative design feature, a “butterfly” roof suspended over continuous clerestories that allow for sun-drenched interiors. This unique feature’s inverted winged shape collects rainwater for recycling, while also positioning roof-mounted photovoltaic cells southward to take full advantage of the sustainable solar energy. Beneath the eco-friendly roof, this sustainable architecture features expanses of thermal glass, and thick walls which naturally maintain a comfortable interior environment. According to the architect, “RainShine was constructed under the LEED for Homes Program Pilot Rating System. Upon completion it was awarded the highest possible rating – Platinum – for having exceeded the requirements by a significant 11 points.” RainShine House is also ENERGY STAR- and EarthCraft-certified, making it among the cleanest and Greenest residential designs around. Robert M. Cain
via Contemporist

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23 Jul 2009 | Sustainable Homes | Comments (1)

Eco House Design is Heavenly, Complete with "Wings"

Its name may seem a little redundant, but Shelter House by Franklin Azzi Architecture boasts a really unique eco house design that offers sustainable shelter and style to boot. Located in Yport, atop the cliffs in Normandy, France, the eco house boasts two expansions which protrude on opposite sides of the house, resembling wings with a couple of sheltered patios at ground level, and rooftop terraces above. This modern, sustainable home is constructed mainly of wood with a rustic masonry face, and features a rainwater-recycling system, geothermal energy, and solar panels that keep this house off the grid. But all the eco friendly features can’t all be seen outright: building materials are recyclable and locally sourced from within 100km of the home’s location, and then assembled onsite. Vegetable fibers are used for walls and insulation, heating comes via wood-burning stove, and cooling and ventilation are passive. Franklin Azzi Architecture
via Moco Loco

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15 Jul 2009 | Sustainable Homes | Comments (0)

Sustainable Home Ideas - Eco Friendly Architecture Idea by Studio 804

This contemporary, sustainable home idea was conceived by Studio 804 – a design/build program at the University of Kansas School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Schooling the public in the art of eco friendly architecture, Studio 804 went off the grid in their design for this single-family home project in the Rosedale neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas. After demolishing an old magazine building from the Sunflower Ammunition Plant, the designers recycled and reused the lumber, giving the house its distinctive barn-style facade. Many conventional ideas are used in this innovative, sustainable home design. The wood-clad exterior makes way for large glass walls, protected by operational wood louvers that passively regulate temperature and light inside the home. Epoxy-coated “gyp-crete” floors aid in the passive heating and cooling of the house. And check out the composite recycled-paper countertops and kitchen cabinets! The vertical axis wind turbine, a Windspire designed by Mariah Power, is an alternate power supply. According to the architects, “We plan for active systems to be integrated throughout the building, including grey water recycling, solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal heating and cooling. It is our ambition for the residence to be certified the first LEED for Homes Platinum building in the state of Kansas. It is also our goal for it to be the first home in Wyandotte County to utilize renewable energy sources.” Studio 804
via Jetson Green
photo credit: Robert McLaughlin

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2 Jul 2009 | Sustainable Homes | Comments (0)

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