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Exterior Materials Mix It Up
Rarely does a single material cover a whole home. Check out these architectural designs that meld exterior finishes beautifully
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City.... More »
Recently I examined various materials as they are used on modern and contemporary exteriors: wood, metal, glass, stucco, fiber cement, brick. Isolating these materials in individual ideabooks may give the impression that a particular material tends to comprise the whole of the exterior, but the opposite is more often true; materials mix with others to create varied palettes.
This ideabook takes that mix of materials as its basis. The following examples show how materials can work together to create various expressions, be it expressing layering, accentuating volumes or breaking up large volumes. Practical, rather than merely formal, considerations are many: limiting more expensive materials, using durable materials where they may receive more wear and tear, opting for materials and assemblies with higher R values in certain places, even taking into account the different tradespeople involved in building a house (masons, carpenters, steel erectors and so on) in terms of construction sequencing. Whatever the case, the results can be a delight for owners and passersby.
This ideabook takes that mix of materials as its basis. The following examples show how materials can work together to create various expressions, be it expressing layering, accentuating volumes or breaking up large volumes. Practical, rather than merely formal, considerations are many: limiting more expensive materials, using durable materials where they may receive more wear and tear, opting for materials and assemblies with higher R values in certain places, even taking into account the different tradespeople involved in building a house (masons, carpenters, steel erectors and so on) in terms of construction sequencing. Whatever the case, the results can be a delight for owners and passersby.
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| Most of the Pigeon Creek Residence is covered in wood siding in a natural finish, but at this inside corner it meets corrugated siding. A bay window in blue cement board stands out against the wood. |
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| The Napa Ledge House similarly has a bay window expressed as a separate volume through material and color. These rooms projecting like fingers are covered in two colors of stucco and corrugated metal. Another volume, out of frame, is covered in Cor-Ten steel. |
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| This house of complex forms on a difficult, sloping site also articulates different volumes in materials like wood, metal and glass. |
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| More often different materials cover a single volume, braking down its scale and reflecting the house's layout, commonly the division between living and sleeping areas. The Roseville House is covered in horizontally oriented Cor-ten steel and vertically articulated steel painted white; the latter also clads the garage. Note the recess that makes a transition between the two types of steel. |
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| In the Westport River House a recessed portion in glass also separates the two types of wood cladding — shingles and planks. The former sits above a concrete foundation, and the latter is perched on round columns above a lower level covered in a third type of wood siding. The scale of the house is effectively broken down in both horizontal and vertical dimensions. |
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| By the same architect is the eBay House; almost all the finishes and fixtures (lighting, hardware, cabinetry, plumbing, flooring, tile and so on) were bought online through eBay. Three exterior materials are found at the rear of the house; the brick and vertical wood planks continue from the front. The impression is that the wood volume suspended above the brick wraps around from the two-story expression at the front. |
| Different materials can also give the impression that they are layered over each other. With the Rocky Creek Ranch, it looks like stone covers part of the corrugated siding behind it; alternatively it looks like the stone is carved and filled with the metal. The actual construction is less fantastical, but the result is definitely playful. |
| The layering of brick, metal and split-face cement block is pronounced in this house, since the metal is in front of the masonry. The shadows in this shot make the layers pronounced. |
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| The color and orientation of the siding give this house in Los Angeles a distinctive presence on the street. The dark horizontals are accentuated by the overlapping of the material, while the white verticals apper to undulate in other views. |
| The LK House features a large bar volume as the main house as well as a removed guesthouse (background). The former is covered primarily with light corrugated metal and stucco, while the latter is covered in heavier Cor-Ten steel, giving it a strong presence. The weathering steel continues to the main house and a room projecting toward the pool. |
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Layering of materials can also be literal, as in this summer house in the Hamptons, New York. A terrace jutting over the brick-clad house is defined by a solid wood wall (at left) and a porous bamboo screen (at right) that acts as a canopy.
More:
Sliding Walls Bring the Outside In
Fiber Cement Siding Takes a Front Seat
Hello Again, Corrugated Panels
More:
Sliding Walls Bring the Outside In
Fiber Cement Siding Takes a Front Seat
Hello Again, Corrugated Panels
Ideabook updated on April 3, 2012.
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