Sometimes, though, that flat roof takes flight. Not always content with just the earth, the flat, modernist roof bends and slopes and finds its way back to the sky. It starts to carry us aloft like the wings of a jet plane.Tell us: What's the roof like on your home? Does it lift you upwards? Does it tether you to the earth? If you could, would you change it?Next: More devices in the architect's toolboxBrowse inspiring home designs
If you are lucky enough to live in the middle of a wildflower field with wide open skies in every direction, take advantage with windows all around. Just don't throw stones.
This roof, supported by slender columns at the exterior porch, gives the Caterpillar House a strong expression, swooping like the gentle pitch of the hills.
Before the invention of the lawn mower, grass was kept short by scything or shearing — a very labor-intensive method. In the English landscape garden, large swaths of grass were left as meadows or grazed short by sheep and cattle.Wildflower meadows have gained popularity in recent years and can provide a wonderful setting for the most modern of buildings. The 2012 Olympic Park in London was a great example of how modern meadows scattered with both native wildflowers and exotics can set off state-of-the-art architecture.Wildflower meadows require plenty of patience and a good amount of research to select the right plant and grass mix for your conditions.
Sometimes, though, that flat roof takes flight. Not always content with just the earth, the flat, modernist roof bends and slopes and finds its way back to the sky. It starts to carry us aloft like the wings of a jet plane.