As we slide into the post-postmodern world, many architectural styles have been changed and mixed beyond recognition, but some recognizable styles can still be seen in new buildings being built across the country. While the architectural styles of the past symbolized something of their region—think craftsmen’s homes in the northwest, colonies in the northeast, or sprawling California ranch homes—architecture today is no longer defined by location, but more reflected in personal lifestyles in This. Modern and contemporary styles still have their place in the new architecture, but as we have discovered, they have spawned many branches, each of which has evolved into a separate aesthetic in its own way. Below we have compiled 10 popular residential architectural styles in America today.
Kipnis Architecture and Planning gave the gable-roof farmhouse a contemporary look with white siding and modern windows.
From coast to coast, the modern farmhouse style has become ubiquitous in architecture and interior design over the past few years. The contemporary farmhouse has a simple gabled farmhouse and barn roof and uses more contemporary touches like vertical planks and battens, as well as a restrained black and white palette, to give its rustic roots a contemporary edge. Many modern farmhouses are based on classic American typologies such as Georgian or Colonial, and while some forecasters predict that the style may have passed its heyday, architects across the country still see clients requesting it today. Nathan Kipnis of Kipnis Architecture and Planning attributes its popularity to the hectic pace of modern life. “Modern farmhouses are reminiscent of calm and peaceful interiors, reminiscent of simpler times,” he muses. Brandon Ingram of C. Brandon Ingram Design agrees: “Our lives are busier and more hectic than ever before. Homes that offer a sense of intimacy and tradition feel more comfortable and down to earth.”
De Reus Architects has modernized the character and materials of traditional Hawaiian architecture at the Kauhale Kai residence.
A notable exception to the geographic mayhem of housing construction today? Modern home design, characterized by clean lines, rectilinear forms, a simple and restrained color palette and open materials, continues to dominate the market. Here, locality influences design more than we’ve seen anywhere else: instead of the general modernism of the past few years, architects across the country are reporting that clients are demanding modernity tied to the built environment. “This prompted us to find an architectural answer that used local materials, made by local craftsmen, and gave the work a strong sense of place,” said Joe Herrin of Heliotrope. “We found that our clients wanted contemporary homes that still reflected the culture and DNA of the community and could co-exist with the surrounding historic and eclectic homes,” agrees David Montalba of the Montalba Architects-listed AD PRO catalog.
Exposed steel I-beams, flat roof and metal cladding are typical of the industrial style, as seen in the Faulkner Architects Miner Road project.
Thanks to the popularity of shipping container buildings in previous decades, the industrial style continues to attract new home designers. The steel and concrete structure has been subjected to dramatic impacts and weathering over time, giving it unpretentious strength and durability. Buildings typically feature features such as flat roofs, severe steel beams, exposed brick walls, and corrugated metal siding that are reminiscent of industrial warehouses and buildings often used for less domestic purposes. Simple shapes and geometric shapes abound, with a noticeable absence of more organic elements such as curved shapes, soft textures, and over-the-top ornamentation. This style is also characterized by high ceilings and double-height interiors.
In the second half of the 20th century, with the development of modernist landmarks such as the Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, the Farnsworth House of Mies van der Rohe in Illinois, and the Starr House in Los Angeles. . Today the legacy lives on. “We continue to have a strong interest in contemporary glass homes that are deeply connected to nature,” says Andrew Heid of No Architecture, an AD PRO listed company. The design is characterized by radical transparency. All walls are made of windows. , allowing the outer landscape to be the backdrop to the inner family life. “Simplicity, clarity, natural light and views were key,” Hyde says of this style of perspective.
In more rural and remote areas, architects design houses that are in harmony with the environment. “The term ‘landscape’ is the term we use to refer to projects that blend with or reflect the topography of the surrounding landscape,” explains Corey Martin of Hacker. “These clients were looking for continuity between interior and exterior, a unique connection to the environment. palette of natural materials. For these houses, a connection with nature is achieved not only through the composition and use of natural materials, but also through careful choice of location, shape and mass of the structures themselves. Whether it’s a green roof, a building that spans the natural wilderness corridor below, or a building perched on a hill, this style of living is one with nature.
Today, many architects report that clients often don’t ask for a particular style or look, but rather want homes to appear open, bright, and minimalist. This clarity of expression is often accompanied by a desire to be efficient and not flashy in the choice of materials, volumes and facades. “While we were influenced by a range of design traditions, what we really got from our work was a sense of design economy and clarity of experience, a style that we have come to call essentialism,” explains Ben Waechter, Waechter Architectural Affairs Place. . Miroslava Brooks and Daniel Markevich of Forma agree: “Rather than our clients asking for a certain style, they wanted bright, open, well-planned interiors with smart storage solutions. a trend towards the hectic pace of modern life and the overload of visual information that overwhelms us every day. “As our digital lives become increasingly chaotic, our homes can become a breathing space that connects us to the real world,” they said.
In Sonoma County, California, Blue Oak Residence by Richard Beard Architects uses natural materials and compact spaces to bring warmth to its contemporary design.
Contemporary homes emphasize simple shapes and geometric lines, often centered around open floor plans and high-contrast materials and textures. While the style has been popular for decades, it has also been criticized as cold and uninhabited. Today’s modern homes are taking a different path, with an obvious effort put into comfort and convenience. “Clients often emphasize that they want a warm design, which means they want clean lines and comfort, high and comfortable spaces, elegance and practicality,” explains John DeForest of DeForest Architects. The design includes open floor plans for a more casual lifestyle. Unlike the huge dining room and formal living room, which are empty most of the time, today’s comfortable modern homes are more cohesive and reflect Americans’ greater honesty about how we live today. Colors, textures and details have been carefully chosen to achieve clean lines of modern design without feeling chilly.
On the West Coast, the heritage of the Californian bungalow is significant. This American Craftsman style take on the traditional home was popular in the early 20th century, emphasizing efficient floor plans and one-story homes, and remains popular today. Today’s version of the California bungalow is somewhat improved over the more blocky language of earlier examples, but a strong connection between inside and outside remains. “It combines the scale and formal elements of a traditional California bungalow with modernist ideals such as open spaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, easy-care materials and functional layout,” explains Rebecca Rudolph of Design Bitches. Style. Her co-founder Katherine Johnson notes that color also plays an important role in today’s California bungalows: “I would add that there are often a variety of material textures and interesting color combinations that sometimes play differently on monochromatic schemes, meaning and saturation. “Given the many challenges facing the world today, it’s no surprise that the sunny optimism of life in California persists. “We especially love the California Bungalow’s wide, overhanging roof that evokes a homely feel and the lavish use of the porch that encourages connection with nature,” added John Ike, Ike Baker Velten member, AD PRO member. catalog.
Mill Valley Cabins by Feldman Architecture have several sustainability certifications, including a green roof.
Today we can say that the best design is the most sustainable design. Homes across the country are increasingly incorporating green features such as solar PV and geothermal heating. However, these sustainable aspects were not added later, but were integrated into the overall design of the building. “A trend emerging in our work and resonating with a growing number of clients is design that directly addresses the climate crisis,” said Jonathan Feldman of Feldman Architecture. “Here, sustainability, resources, human and environmental well-being are built into design, not hindsight.” Customers are increasingly demanding zero-carbon design – homes where energy consumption is carefully calibrated both in operation and in the use of building materials.
Today, a large number of new houses in urban conditions are being built not on empty lands, but on sites where there are already houses. These small outbuildings, usually less than 1,000 square feet, are called ADU (short for auxiliary living quarters) or DADU (detached living quarters). As real estate is expensive in many urban centers such as Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago, homeowners are increasingly turning to these compact structures to maximize value and increase living space in their homes. “DADU provides homeowners with a great way to invest in real estate and generate rental income, as well as an opportunity to increase population density in historically sparsely populated urban areas,” said Robert Hutchison of Robert Hutchison Architecture. Above all, this typology also gave us the opportunity to consider interesting spatial and formal expressions that do not necessarily have to be directly related to the existing homes of the property, and to define new external spaces between the DADU and the original housing.” living as an art studio, guest room, or home office, DADUs of all shapes and forms are popping up in backyards across the country.
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