This compact pool house / guest house is contained within in a single module, clad in cedar siding.
Inspiration for a small contemporary brown one-story wood flat roof remodel in New York

From SinglePoint Design Build: “This project consisted of a full exterior removal and replacement of the siding, windows, doors, and roof. In so, the Architects OXB Studio, re-imagined the look of the home by changing the siding materials, creating privacy for the clients at their front entry, and making the expansive decks more usable. We added some beautiful cedar ceiling cladding on the interior as well as a full home solar with Tesla batteries. The Shou-sugi-ban siding is our favorite detail. While the modern details were extremely important, waterproofing this home was of upmost importance given its proximity to the San Francisco Bay and the winds in this location. We used top of the line waterproofing professionals, consultants, techniques, and materials throughout this project. This project was also unique because the interior of the home was mostly finished so we had to build scaffolding with shrink wrap plastic around the entire 4 story home prior to pulling off all the exterior finishes. We are extremely proud of how this project came out!”

Luxury fitness room with sauna. Photo credit: San Diego MLS
Home gym - modern home gym idea in San Diego

Also located next to the kitchen walkout, the custom outdoor barbecue station features a full complement of premium Twin Eagles stainless steel appliances and storage accessories. The black granite countertop and custom Algonquin stone cladding blends beautifully with the loggia’s structural materials.

This 2 story addition on Delavan Lake looks like it’s always been a part of the original house, which is always our goal. The lower-level of the addition is home to both a resistance pool and hot tub surrounded by ThermoFloor heating under tile. Large (78″ x 96″) aluminum clad windows were installed on both levels to allow for breathtaking views of Delavan Lake. The main level of the addition has hickory hardwood flooring and is the perfect spot to sit and enjoy coffee in the mornings.

The back porch is essentially a second living room — just one with better air. Cedar walls and ceiling, flagstone floors, and open-air archways that frame the backyard like a painting. A full outdoor kitchen runs along one wall, stone-clad with a built-in grill, refrigerator, and sink. On the other end, a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace anchors a proper seating area with a ceiling fan overhead for the warmer months. Accordion doors connect it directly to the living room, and custom phantom screens mean you can close it off without losing the feeling of being outside. The whole space was designed to be used — not just admired from the inside.

SAI 2015
Arts and crafts exterior home photo in Chicago

Old Main Residence: Quogue, New York Situated on the Quantuck Creek, the long thin site provides a quite setting with beautiful views to the water. The program for the house was to combine a “shingle style” vernacular building form with a contemporary floor plan and energy systems. The house is organized by creating an Entry Court on the street side of the property where the main Entry is situated on a raised porch nestled between the House and Garage and surrounded by gardens. On the waterside we created an open Living, Dining & Kitchen space that is surrounded by a deck and pool all at the same level. The Master Bedroom suite also opens onto this space with views of the water and provides a visual separation from the Entry Courtyard. On the second floor are three additional Bedrooms with suited Bathrooms and exterior balconies, all with views of the water. The long house volume runs east to west with an 8kw Photovoltaic system on the south facing gabled roof. It provides all the electricity required to run the 2 zoned geo-thermal forced air HVAC system. At the top of the centrally located 2-story stair space an ERV will be installed to redistribute the conditioned air and exchange with fresh exterior air. The ground level Living, Dining, Kitchen space will have a radiant heated poured concrete slab. The large continuous south & west facing double hung windows provide passive heating during the winter months. The exterior of the house will be clad in natural white cedar shingles and stained red cedar trim. A standing seam metal roof will cover the lower shed roof while light grey asphalt shingles will cover the upper gabled roofs and allow for an easier application of the PV system. IPE decking will clad the deck surfaces and be surrounded by colorful gardens of indigenous plant species. Dark stained red cedar fencing and gates will provide privacy and define the outside spaces.

Project Overview: This modern ADU build was designed by Wittman Estes Architecture + Landscape and pre-fab tech builder NODE. Our Gendai siding with an Amber oil finish clads the exterior. Featured in Dwell, Designmilk and other online architectural publications, this tiny project packs a punch with affordable design and a focus on sustainability. This modern ADU build was designed by Wittman Estes Architecture + Landscape and pre-fab tech builder NODE. Our shou sugi ban Gendai siding with a clear alkyd finish clads the exterior. Featured in Dwell, Designmilk and other online architectural publications, this tiny project packs a punch with affordable design and a focus on sustainability. “A Seattle homeowner hired Wittman Estes to design an affordable, eco-friendly unit to live in her backyard as a way to generate rental income. The modern structure is outfitted with a solar roof that provides all of the energy needed to power the unit and the main house. To make it happen, the firm partnered with NODE, known for their design-focused, carbon negative, non-toxic homes, resulting in Seattle’s first DADU (Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit) with the International Living Future Institute’s (IFLI) zero energy certification.” Product: Gendai 1×6 select grade shiplap Prefinish: Amber Application: Residential – Exterior SF: 350SF Designer: Wittman Estes, NODE Builder: NODE, Don Bunnell Date: November 2018 Location: Seattle, WA Photos courtesy of: Andrew Pogue

This new 6400 s.f. two-story split-level home lifts upward and orients toward unobstructed views of Windy Hill. The deep overhanging flat roof design with a stepped fascia preserves the classic modern lines of the building while incorporating a Zero-Net Energy photovoltaic panel system. From start to finish, the construction is uniformly energy efficient and follows California Build It Green guidelines. Many sustainable finish materials are used on both the interior and exterior, including recycled old growth cedar and pre-fabricated concrete panel siding. Photo by: www.bernardandre.com

The lounge area features a series of custom, massive timber chaise lounges. Beside it, the natural cedar pergola shelters a 12-person outdoor dining table. The adjoining hillside retaining wall was modified and clad in fieldstone to create a wine cellar-like tunnel to connect the house with the cabana.

Project Overview: This modern ADU build was designed by Wittman Estes Architecture + Landscape and pre-fab tech builder NODE. Our Gendai siding with an Amber oil finish clads the exterior. Featured in Dwell, Designmilk and other online architectural publications, this tiny project packs a punch with affordable design and a focus on sustainability. This modern ADU build was designed by Wittman Estes Architecture + Landscape and pre-fab tech builder NODE. Our shou sugi ban Gendai siding with a clear alkyd finish clads the exterior. Featured in Dwell, Designmilk and other online architectural publications, this tiny project packs a punch with affordable design and a focus on sustainability. “A Seattle homeowner hired Wittman Estes to design an affordable, eco-friendly unit to live in her backyard as a way to generate rental income. The modern structure is outfitted with a solar roof that provides all of the energy needed to power the unit and the main house. To make it happen, the firm partnered with NODE, known for their design-focused, carbon negative, non-toxic homes, resulting in Seattle’s first DADU (Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit) with the International Living Future Institute’s (IFLI) zero energy certification.” Product: Gendai 1×6 select grade shiplap Prefinish: Amber Application: Residential – Exterior SF: 350SF Designer: Wittman Estes, NODE Builder: NODE, Don Bunnell Date: November 2018 Location: Seattle, WA Photos courtesy of: Andrew Pogue

Yakisugi (焼杉) is a traditional Japanese method of wood preservation. Yaki means to heat with fire, and sugi is cypress.[1][2] It is referred to in the West as burnt timber cladding and also known as shou sugi ban (焼杉板) which uses the same kanji characters but an incorrect pronunciation. The ban character means "plank". By slightly charring the surface of the wood without combusting the whole piece, the wood becomes water-proof through the carbonisation and is thus more durable.[3][4] It also protects against insects, as well as making the wood fire retardant.[5] - Wikipedia

Exterior Garage - Jeff Garland Photography
Example of a mid-century modern garage design in Detroit

The original design of this late Mid-century Modern house featured a horrifically ugly entry which the owners needed our help to fix. In addition, they wanted to add a master suite, create a home theatre, and remodel the family room. Although they originally considered adding a second floor, our final design resulted in an extension of the house which accentuated its existing linear quality. Our solution to the entry problem included cutting back part of the vaulted roof to allow more light in and adding a cantilevered canopy instead. A new entry bridge crosses a koi pond, and new clerestory windows, stone planters and cedar trim complete the makeover of the previously bland plywood-clad box. The new master suite features 12 foot ceilings, clerestory windows, 8 foot high French doors and a fireplace. The exterior of the addition employs the same pallet of materials as the new façade but with a carefully composed composition of form and proportion. The new family room features the same stone cladding as we used on the exterior. Photo by Christopher Stark Photography.

Our design for the expansion and gut renovation of a small 1200 square foot house in a residential neighborhood triples is size, and reworks the living arrangement. The rear addition takes advantage of southern exposure with a "greenhouse" room that provides solar heat gain in winter, shading in summer, and a vast connection to the rear yard. Architecturally, we used an approach we call "willful practicality." The new soaring ceiling ties together first and second floors in a dramatic volumetric expansion of space, while providing increased ventilation and daylighting from greenhouse to operable windows and skylights at the peak. Exterior pockets of space are created from curved forces pushing in from outside to form cedar clad porch and stoop. Sustainable design is employed throughout all materials, energy systems and insulation. Masonry exterior walls and concrete floors provide thermal mass for the interior by insulating the exterior. An ERV system facilitates increased air changes and minimizes changes to the interior air temperature. Energy and water saving features and renewable, non-toxic materal selections are important aspects of the house design. Environmental community issues are addressed with a drywell in the side yard to mitigate rain runoff into the town sewer system. The long sloping south facing roof is in anticipation of future solar panels, with the standing seam metal roof providing anchoring opportunities for the panels. The exterior walls are clad in stucco, cedar, and cement-fiber panels defining different areas of the house. Closed cell spray insulation is applied to exterior walls and roof, giving the house an "air-tight" seal against air infiltration and a high R-value. The ERV system provides the ventilation needed with this tight envelope. The interior comfort level and economizing are the beneficial results of the building methods and systems employed in the house. Photographer: Peter Kubilus

Inspiration for a large modern multicolored two-story mixed siding house exterior remodel in Seattle with a shed roof and a metal roof

The back porch is essentially a second living room — just one with better air. Cedar walls and ceiling, flagstone floors, and open-air archways that frame the backyard like a painting. A full outdoor kitchen runs along one wall, stone-clad with a built-in grill, refrigerator, and sink. On the other end, a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace anchors a proper seating area with a ceiling fan overhead for the warmer months. Accordion doors connect it directly to the living room, and custom phantom screens mean you can close it off without losing the feeling of being outside. The whole space was designed to be used — not just admired from the inside.

Steven Evans Photography
Small minimalist front porch idea in Toronto with a roof extension