Example of a minimalist exterior home design in Atlanta

Project Overview: The owner of this project is a financial analyst turned realtor turned landlord, and the goal was to increase rental income on one of his properties as effectively as possible. The design was developed to minimize construction costs, minimize City of Portland building compliance costs and restrictions, and to avoid a county tax assessment increase based on site improvements. The owner started with a large backyard at one of his properties, had a custom tiny home built as “personal property”, then added two ancillary sheds each under a 200SF compliance threshold to increase the habitable floor plan. Compliant navigation of laws and code ended up with an out-of-the-box design that only needed mechanical permitting and inspections by the city, but no building permits that would trigger a county value re-assessment. The owner’s final construction costs were $50k less than a standard ADU, rental income almost doubled for the property, and there was no resultant tax increase. Product: Gendai 1×6 select grade shiplap Prefinish: Unoiled Application: Residential – Exterior SF: 900SF Designer: Builder: Date: March 2019 Location: Portland, OR

Seen against a hodgepodge of rear additions typical of many Toronto streets, the addition deliberately stands out from its neighbours. Photo by Scott Norsworthy

This 7,500 square feet home, situated on a waterfront site in Sag Harbor, New York, was designed as a shared vacation home for four brothers and their families. A collaborative effort between the clients and Cecil Baker + Partners yielded a contemporary home that pays homage to the Eastern Long Island vernacular. The home is composed of three distinct volumes that step back from one another to optimize both the water view and privacy. The two outer wings take on familiar cedar-clad, pitched roof geometry while the central three-story glass box links them together and anchors the home. The two car garage, with a private living space above, projects from the main house via a breezeway, defining a private garden. The interior of the home integrates warm, tactile materials and clean modern lines. The use of full-height windows, floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall, and an operable overhead glass door creates an indoor-outdoor living experience and floods the home with natural light. The subtle choreography of the interior space lends flexibility to the Client for both social and private uses of the home. The first floor contains an open plan for the kitchen, living room, dining area and sunroom, and the second floor includes two full master suites facing the bay, a guest room with spectacular water views, and a children's room that overlooks the garden. The fully finished basement holds a large playroom, a gym, a full spa bath and a wine cellar. In addition, views in all directions are unobstructed from a third floor roof terrace. Michael Grimm Photography

Project Overview: This renovation and update was designed by b Studio Architecture and features both interior and exterior applications of our Gendai siding with a black alkyd oil finish. Build by Resident LLC. From Dwell: “A modern home nestled in the middle of Charleston, the creation of this sanctuary was based on a desire to bring multi-generational living back to the urban core. While many historic properties in the area might have a carriage house, this home took the opposite approach. The existing small “freeman’s cottage” was restored and updated into a cozy guest cottage, while the more modern main home rises behind its historic neighbors. Nestled in the trees, this tall home creates an urban refuge to enjoy. The home’s two-story screened porch and rooftop deck connect it to the seasonally tuned weather of the south. Catching breezes and connecting the interior to nature, a large movable glass wall helps bring the outdoors into this modern urban home. Wrapped in shou sugi ban siding, tall windows, and minimalist modern fixtures, this home is still able to blend in the background and create a hidden urban utopia for the owners.” Product: Gendai 1×6 select grade shiplap Prefinish: Black Application: Residential – Interior/Exterior SF: 1850SF Designer: b Studio Architecture Builder: Resident LLC Date: August 2018 Location: Charleston, SC Photos courtesy of: Dwell

The Marine Studies Building is heavily engineered to be a vertical evaluation structure with supplies on the rooftop to support over 920 people for up to two days post a Cascadia level event. The addition of this building thus improves the safety of those that work and play at the Hatfield Marine Science Center and in the surrounding South Beach community. The MSB uses state-of-the-art architectural and engineering techniques to make it one of the first “vertical evacuation” tsunami sites in the United States. The building will also dramatically increase the Hatfield campus’ marine science education and research capacity. The building is designed to withstand a 9+ earthquake and to survive an XXL tsunami event. The building is designed to be repairable after a large (L) tsunami event. A ramp on the outside of the building leads from the ground level to the roof of this three-story structure. The roof of the building is 47 feet high, and it is designed to serve as an emergency assembly site for more than 900 people after a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. OSU’s Marine Studies Building is designed to provide a safe place for people to gather after an earthquake, out of the path — and above the water — of a possible tsunami. Additionally, several horizontal evacuation paths exist from the HMSC campus, where people can walk to avoid the tsunami inundation. These routes include Safe Haven Hill west of Highway 101 and the Oregon Coast Community College to the south.

This 7,500 square feet home, situated on a waterfront site in Sag Harbor, New York, was designed as a shared vacation home for four brothers and their families. A collaborative effort between the clients and Cecil Baker + Partners yielded a contemporary home that pays homage to the Eastern Long Island vernacular. The home is composed of three distinct volumes that step back from one another to optimize both the water view and privacy. The two outer wings take on familiar cedar-clad, pitched roof geometry while the central three-story glass box links them together and anchors the home. The two car garage, with a private living space above, projects from the main house via a breezeway, defining a private garden. The interior of the home integrates warm, tactile materials and clean modern lines. The use of full-height windows, floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall, and an operable overhead glass door creates an indoor-outdoor living experience and floods the home with natural light. The subtle choreography of the interior space lends flexibility to the Client for both social and private uses of the home. The first floor contains an open plan for the kitchen, living room, dining area and sunroom, and the second floor includes two full master suites facing the bay, a guest room with spectacular water views, and a children's room that overlooks the garden. The fully finished basement holds a large playroom, a gym, a full spa bath and a wine cellar. In addition, views in all directions are unobstructed from a third floor roof terrace. Michael Grimm Photography

From Houzz contributor Becky Harris: https://tinyurl.com/7w3p49a7 “As he searched for the style he wanted, Ryan happened upon house plans available online from a local company called Perfect Little House, founded by architects Stella Carosso and Peter Brachvogel of BC&J Architecture. “I kept coming back to this design. I fell in love with it — it had lots of glass that would flood the house with light and views, and I thought it would fit nicely into our heavily treed lot,” Ryan says. “I had always been intrigued by shou-sugi-ban siding and how insect-, rot- and fire-resistant it was,” Ryan says. The two wings of the house provide a courtyard-like feel in the backyard, with the wings meeting in a corner. Grilling, dining and seating areas extend the livable space of the home. The larger wing faces south, and the overhangs provide shade from the summer sun. “Also, the trees give us nice dappled light,” Ryan says. He sited the house back from the road to preserve a large stand of trees. This provided privacy from the road and minimized the number of trees that had to come down. “Some of the Douglas fir trees are 130 feet high in this forest,” Ryan says. The Douglas fir rafters on the house are a nice fit and provide a lovely contrast to the black siding.”

Project Overview: The owner of this project is a financial analyst turned realtor turned landlord, and the goal was to increase rental income on one of his properties as effectively as possible. The design was developed to minimize construction costs, minimize City of Portland building compliance costs and restrictions, and to avoid a county tax assessment increase based on site improvements. The owner started with a large backyard at one of his properties, had a custom tiny home built as “personal property”, then added two ancillary sheds each under a 200SF compliance threshold to increase the habitable floor plan. Compliant navigation of laws and code ended up with an out-of-the-box design that only needed mechanical permitting and inspections by the city, but no building permits that would trigger a county value re-assessment. The owner’s final construction costs were $50k less than a standard ADU, rental income almost doubled for the property, and there was no resultant tax increase. Product: Gendai 1×6 select grade shiplap Prefinish: Unoiled Application: Residential – Exterior SF: 900SF Designer: Builder: Date: March 2019 Location: Portland, OR

Project Overview: The owner of this project is a financial analyst turned realtor turned landlord, and the goal was to increase rental income on one of his properties as effectively as possible. The design was developed to minimize construction costs, minimize City of Portland building compliance costs and restrictions, and to avoid a county tax assessment increase based on site improvements. The owner started with a large backyard at one of his properties, had a custom tiny home built as “personal property”, then added two ancillary sheds each under a 200SF compliance threshold to increase the habitable floor plan. Compliant navigation of laws and code ended up with an out-of-the-box design that only needed mechanical permitting and inspections by the city, but no building permits that would trigger a county value re-assessment. The owner’s final construction costs were $50k less than a standard ADU, rental income almost doubled for the property, and there was no resultant tax increase. Product: Gendai 1×6 select grade shiplap Prefinish: Unoiled Application: Residential – Exterior SF: 900SF Designer: Builder: Date: March 2019 Location: Portland, OR

From Houzz contributor Becky Harris: https://tinyurl.com/7w3p49a7 “As he searched for the style he wanted, Ryan happened upon house plans available online from a local company called Perfect Little House, founded by architects Stella Carosso and Peter Brachvogel of BC&J Architecture. “I kept coming back to this design. I fell in love with it — it had lots of glass that would flood the house with light and views, and I thought it would fit nicely into our heavily treed lot,” Ryan says. “I had always been intrigued by shou-sugi-ban siding and how insect-, rot- and fire-resistant it was,” Ryan says. The two wings of the house provide a courtyard-like feel in the backyard, with the wings meeting in a corner. Grilling, dining and seating areas extend the livable space of the home. The larger wing faces south, and the overhangs provide shade from the summer sun. “Also, the trees give us nice dappled light,” Ryan says. He sited the house back from the road to preserve a large stand of trees. This provided privacy from the road and minimized the number of trees that had to come down. “Some of the Douglas fir trees are 130 feet high in this forest,” Ryan says. The Douglas fir rafters on the house are a nice fit and provide a lovely contrast to the black siding.”

This home offers the perfect blend of sleek and modern elements. The open concept and bright white palette are inviting (and pet-friendly) from the moment you enter. A stunning open tread staircase draws the eyes up to the family room's high ceilings, creating an elevated look. The home has a marble fireplace as another main focal point; a modern kitchen with flat-panel cabinets, built-in appliances and waterfall marble island; a luxurious main floor master bedroom and ensuite with walkout access to the back patio and pool area; two second-floor bedrooms each with ensuites, and in the basement there is a bar, media room and exercise room. The family wanted a home that has both style and inspiration on the inside and the outside—and this home delivered. The design embraces the conventions of a traditional family home, while also touting a timeless appeal through a unique blend of exterior exposed steel columns, stone cladding, a mix of Maibec wood siding with Extira pre-painted and cedar soffits, and more contemporary windows. Expansive windows are strategically placed at the front and rear of the home, to let in natural light but kept minimal at the sides for privacy. The build also includes a garage on the right rear side of the home with a pool change house that matches the home in finishes and quality. The home was also built with an insulated concrete foundation in order to perform a higher r-value. Since the reveal, this home has been captured and photographed frequently by those who pass by.

US Floors

Designed for an urban family with young children, this family retreat is fully integrated into the natural surroundings of Mont Shefford. The home and surrounding property exudes the luxurious feel of a resort environment for visiting family and friends, yet still maintain a sense of intimacy. While the common living areas are within an open floorplan, various zones were created throughout the home to ensure that all those inhabiting the house at a given time would be free to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life and reconnect with nature. The central living space reveals an expansive open layout encompassing a living room, dining area, kitchen, and wine cellar. This elevated volume feels like a treehouse, immersed in a lush canopy and panoramic views to the mountains. Inspired by a natural palette, the interior and exterior materials of the home are neutral and were chosen simultaneously for their inherent natural textures and relationship with the exterior environment. This intrinsic balance is evident between the exterior’s charcoal stone, black matte metal and cedar cladding, and the interior’s organic finishes. Refined materials including glass, metal and wood were carefully selected with the intention of creating a cohesive connection between the exterior and interior. Black Fenix was selected as the primary material for all interior millwork, featuring a sleek matte finish that beautifully contrasts the warmth of natural wood elements and the organic patterns found in the porcelain tiles installed throughout the residence. The home feels modern and minimalist, yet cozy, inviting, and liveable. Architect : Maxime Moreau, MXMA Architecture & Design Photography : Nanne Springer

In the hills of San Anselmo in Marin County, this 5,000 square foot existing multi-story home was enlarged to 6,000 square feet with a new dance studio addition with new master bedroom suite and sitting room for evening entertainment and morning coffee. Sited on a steep hillside one acre lot, the back yard was unusable. New concrete retaining walls and planters were designed to create outdoor play and lounging areas with stairs that cascade down the hill forming a wrap-around walkway. The goal was to make the new addition integrate the disparate design elements of the house and calm it down visually. The scope was not to change everything, just the rear façade and some of the side facades. The new addition is a long rectangular space inserted into the rear of the building with new up-swooping roof that ties everything together. Clad in red cedar, the exterior reflects the relaxed nature of the one acre wooded hillside site. Fleetwood windows and wood patterned tile complete the exterior color material palate. The sitting room overlooks a new patio area off of the children’s playroom and features a butt glazed corner window providing views filtered through a grove of bay laurel trees. Inside is a television viewing area with wetbar off to the side that can be closed off with a concealed pocket door to the master bedroom. The bedroom was situated to take advantage of these views of the rear yard and the bed faces a stone tile wall with recessed skylight above. The master bath, a driving force for the project, is large enough to allow both of them to occupy and use at the same time. The new dance studio and gym was inspired for their two daughters and has become a facility for the whole family. All glass, mirrors and space with cushioned wood sports flooring, views to the new level outdoor area and tree covered side yard make for a dramatic turnaround for a home with little play or usable outdoor space previously. Photo Credit: Paul Dyer Photography.

When a world class sailing champion approached us to design a Newport home for his family, with lodging for his sailing crew, we set out to create a clean, light-filled modern home that would integrate with the natural surroundings of the waterfront property, and respect the character of the historic district. Our approach was to make the marine landscape an integral feature throughout the home. One hundred eighty degree views of the ocean from the top floors are the result of the pinwheel massing. The home is designed as an extension of the curvilinear approach to the property through the woods and reflects the gentle undulating waterline of the adjacent saltwater marsh. Floodplain regulations dictated that the primary occupied spaces be located significantly above grade; accordingly, we designed the first and second floors on a stone “plinth” above a walk-out basement with ample storage for sailing equipment. The curved stone base slopes to grade and houses the shallow entry stair, while the same stone clads the interior’s vertical core to the roof, along which the wood, glass and stainless steel stair ascends to the upper level. One critical programmatic requirement was enough sleeping space for the sailing crew, and informal party spaces for the end of race-day gatherings. The private master suite is situated on one side of the public central volume, giving the homeowners views of approaching visitors. A “bedroom bar,” designed to accommodate a full house of guests, emerges from the other side of the central volume, and serves as a backdrop for the infinity pool and the cove beyond. Also essential to the design process was ecological sensitivity and stewardship. The wetlands of the adjacent saltwater marsh were designed to be restored; an extensive geo-thermal heating and cooling system was implemented; low carbon footprint materials and permeable surfaces were used where possible. Native and non-invasive plant species were utilized in the landscape. The abundance of windows and glass railings maximize views of the landscape, and, in deference to the adjacent bird sanctuary, bird-friendly glazing was used throughout. Photo: Michael Moran/OTTO Photography

The Marine Studies Building is heavily engineered to be a vertical evaluation structure with supplies on the rooftop to support over 920 people for up to two days post a Cascadia level event. The addition of this building thus improves the safety of those that work and play at the Hatfield Marine Science Center and in the surrounding South Beach community. The MSB uses state-of-the-art architectural and engineering techniques to make it one of the first “vertical evacuation” tsunami sites in the United States. The building will also dramatically increase the Hatfield campus’ marine science education and research capacity. The building is designed to withstand a 9+ earthquake and to survive an XXL tsunami event. The building is designed to be repairable after a large (L) tsunami event. A ramp on the outside of the building leads from the ground level to the roof of this three-story structure. The roof of the building is 47 feet high, and it is designed to serve as an emergency assembly site for more than 900 people after a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. OSU’s Marine Studies Building is designed to provide a safe place for people to gather after an earthquake, out of the path — and above the water — of a possible tsunami. Additionally, several horizontal evacuation paths exist from the HMSC campus, where people can walk to avoid the tsunami inundation. These routes include Safe Haven Hill west of Highway 101 and the Oregon Coast Community College to the south.

Designed for an urban family with young children, this family retreat is fully integrated into the natural surroundings of Mont Shefford. The home and surrounding property exudes the luxurious feel of a resort environment for visiting family and friends, yet still maintain a sense of intimacy. While the common living areas are within an open floorplan, various zones were created throughout the home to ensure that all those inhabiting the house at a given time would be free to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life and reconnect with nature. The central living space reveals an expansive open layout encompassing a living room, dining area, kitchen, and wine cellar. This elevated volume feels like a treehouse, immersed in a lush canopy and panoramic views to the mountains. Inspired by a natural palette, the interior and exterior materials of the home are neutral and were chosen simultaneously for their inherent natural textures and relationship with the exterior environment. This intrinsic balance is evident between the exterior’s charcoal stone, black matte metal and cedar cladding, and the interior’s organic finishes. Refined materials including glass, metal and wood were carefully selected with the intention of creating a cohesive connection between the exterior and interior. Black Fenix was selected as the primary material for all interior millwork, featuring a sleek matte finish that beautifully contrasts the warmth of natural wood elements and the organic patterns found in the porcelain tiles installed throughout the residence. The home feels modern and minimalist, yet cozy, inviting, and liveable. Architect : Maxime Moreau, MXMA Architecture & Design Kitchen : Fjord Intérieurs Photography : Nanne Springer

From Houzz contributor Becky Harris: https://tinyurl.com/7w3p49a7 “As he searched for the style he wanted, Ryan happened upon house plans available online from a local company called Perfect Little House, founded by architects Stella Carosso and Peter Brachvogel of BC&J Architecture. “I kept coming back to this design. I fell in love with it — it had lots of glass that would flood the house with light and views, and I thought it would fit nicely into our heavily treed lot,” Ryan says. “I had always been intrigued by shou-sugi-ban siding and how insect-, rot- and fire-resistant it was,” Ryan says. The two wings of the house provide a courtyard-like feel in the backyard, with the wings meeting in a corner. Grilling, dining and seating areas extend the livable space of the home. The larger wing faces south, and the overhangs provide shade from the summer sun. “Also, the trees give us nice dappled light,” Ryan says. He sited the house back from the road to preserve a large stand of trees. This provided privacy from the road and minimized the number of trees that had to come down. “Some of the Douglas fir trees are 130 feet high in this forest,” Ryan says. The Douglas fir rafters on the house are a nice fit and provide a lovely contrast to the black siding.”