Photo by Jordan Barclay Photography
Minimalist exterior home photo in Other

4,000 feet above sea level in the Southern California desert town of Yucca Valley rests this magnificent steel house prototype from Blue Sky Homes. The project showcases ASC Building Products’ Iron Ox corrugated wall panel and Design Span® hp standing seam metal roofing. Iron Ox is made from unpainted and untreated steel which allows the surface to rust and form a natural iron oxide finish. This provides a stunning, aged appearance. The project also includes a host of other steel products from ASC Building Products’ sister companies, AEP Span and ASC Steel Deck, including structural steel composite floor deck and over 1,200 feet of AEP Span cold-formed structural Cee Sections. Photo credit: Nuvue Interactive

Custom table and sofa prototype by Randolph Design and rksDesign
Inspiration for a modern home design remodel in San Francisco

Photo by Jordan Barclay Photography
Example of a minimalist exterior home design in Other

Eichler X-100: A Nationally Recognized Architectural Landmark The Eichler X-100 holds a rare distinction in residential real estate—it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing it as a property of exceptional architectural and cultural significance in the United States. This designation places the X-100 among a select group of homes that have not only endured over time, but have helped define the evolution of modern living. What the National Register Means The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation’s most important historic resources—properties that embody significant contributions to architecture, history, and culture. For the Eichler X-100, this recognition affirms: Its role as a groundbreaking experimental prototype Its importance within the broader movement of California Modernism Its association with visionary figures like Joseph Eichler, A. Quincy Jones, and Frederick Emmons It is not simply a well-designed home—it is a documented piece of architectural history. A Rare Level of Integrity One of the key factors in the X-100’s designation is its remarkable level of preservation. Over the decades, the home has been carefully maintained and thoughtfully updated to respect its original vision. Important defining features remain intact, including: The steel-frame structural system The open, garden-centered floor plan Skylights and natural light strategies Signature material palette of steel, glass, and laminate This continuity allows the home to be experienced today much as it was in 1956. Preservation Without Limitation A common misconception is that National Register status restricts ownership—but for private residences, this is not the case. The designation: Does not limit private ownership or resale Does not impose federal restrictions on modifications (unless federal funding is involved) May offer potential incentives or recognition for preservation efforts Instead, it serves primarily as a recognition of significance, elevating the property’s status in both cultural and real estate contexts. A Collector-Level Opportunity For buyers, National Register status adds a layer of meaning that goes beyond square footage or location. It signals that the property is: Architecturally important Historically documented Extremely rare within the marketplace Homes like the Eichler X-100 are often viewed as “trophy properties”—assets that combine lifestyle, design, and long-term cultural value. Stewardship of a Legacy Owning a National Register home like the Eichler X-100 is not just about possession—it’s about participation in a larger story. It means becoming part of a lineage of stewards who understand the importance of: Preserving architectural intent Respecting design integrity Carrying forward a vision that helped shape modern living The Significance Today Nearly 70 years after its debut, the Eichler X-100 continues to stand as a symbol of innovation, optimism, and design excellence. Its listing on the National Register of Historic Places ensures that its story is recognized—but its future will always depend on those who choose to own and care for it. The Eichler X-100 is not just a home on a list. It is a recognized landmark of modern architecture—now ready for its next chapter. Image Sabrina Huang

The clients for this house, descendants of a timber farming family, wanted a weekend house on their property in the Piney Woods. They imagined spending weekends and holidays year-round in a house suitable for three generations at once, including aging parents and children side-by-side. The house, taking clues from the historic 'dogtrot' prototype, sets two bars (a two-story bedroom wing and a one-story living wing) straddling an open porch that buffers rowdiness at night and accommodates everyone for meals and games around the clock. The porch is high, screened and louvered for breezes and against the sun in the summer, with operable translucent panels on the north side that close to deflect winter winds. The house, sited along the verge of the woods and the pasture, recalls the structure of the trees in its design while letting in filtered light (as in the woods) to interior spaces. The house was the cover article for the "TexasArchitect" issue on East Texas. I have sense designed a renovation for the owners mid-century modern house in the city. Paul Hester, Photographer

Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed the low-slung Gainsburg House in 1946 in the spirit of his father’s Usonian House prototypes of the 1930s. The new owners sought to reverse years of insensitive alterations while including a new kitchen, dining and family rooms, updated bathrooms, lighting and finishes, with accommodation for contemporary art display. The house was conceived as one area within an overall site geometry and the exterior can be seen from all interior angles and spaces. Our new palette compliments the original finishes and reinforces the existing geometry, enhancing a rhythm that moves throughout the house and engages the landscape in a continuous spatial composition. Images by Steve King Architectural Photography

Inspired by the multi-functional performance of a shell structure in nature, the design of this two-bedroom, two-bath ADU explored a performance-based roof geometry that becomes the building façade and privacy screen. Coupled with deep roof overhangs, this second skin allows dappled light to penetrate the interior during the day while reflecting the detrimental UV radiation on the southern exposure. The perforations in the second skin are based on the effects of the sun path on the southern exposure and the location of the windows behind the screen. At night, the interior light glows through the perforations, contributing to the name of the project, “LuminOCity”. Orange Coast College and UC Irvine formed a partnership called "Team MADE" to enter the 2023 Orange County Sustainability Decathlon. "MADE" is an acronym for Modular, Affordable Dwellings for the Environment. LuminOCity won second place in the competition and 9 awards in various categories. Following the competition, the home was donated to Homeless Intervention Services, Orange County, where it serves as an ADU on an existing property to provide transitional housing for youth experiencing housing insecurities. This 750sf prefabricated, modular home is built on four, eight foot wide modules that nest together. The building system is predicated on a software-to-manufacturing pipeline called the FrameCAD Machine. This roll-former for light-gauge steel allowed Team MADE to prototype as well as site-manufacture every stud and track in the steel-framed home they would design. Over 100 student volunteers aided in the construction of the steel framing, MEP installation, building envelope, and site work. The use of prefabricated Light Gauge Steel allowed for higher construction tolerances with simplified assembly diagrams that could be followed by student volunteers. Joseph Sarafian, AIA was the lead architect as well as one of four faculty advisors on the project, leading the design of the project from conception to completion.

Eichler X-100 Kitchen: A Futuristic Vision of Function and Design The kitchen of the Eichler X-100 is not just a place to cook—it is a designed system, a forward-thinking experiment in how everyday living could be streamlined, modernized, and elevated through architecture. Envisioned by A. Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmons for Joseph Eichler, the space reflects a bold reimagining of the American kitchen in the mid-20th century. A Central Hub of the Home Positioned within the home’s central utility core, the kitchen is strategically located to connect all major living zones. Rather than being tucked away, it becomes a functional anchor, allowing for seamless interaction between cooking, dining, and gathering spaces. This layout reinforces Eichler’s philosophy: the kitchen is not separate—it’s part of everyday life. Innovation Built In What sets the X-100 kitchen apart is its integration of experimental, built-in features that were far ahead of their time. Highlights include: A sliding dining table with integrated electric burners, blending cooking and dining into one continuous experience Built-in appliances and systems, designed to reduce clutter and maximize efficiency Thoughtful ergonomic planning that simplifies daily routines These elements reflect a larger idea: that the home should work for you—not the other way around. Material as Modern Expression The kitchen showcases extensive use of laminate surfaces (Formica)—a material that, in the 1950s, symbolized innovation, durability, and modern living. Clean, smooth, and easy to maintain, these surfaces reinforce the home’s futuristic identity. Paired with steel structure and clean lines, the material palette creates a space that feels both industrial and approachable. Open, Light-Filled Design True to the X-100’s overall concept, the kitchen is fully integrated into the open-plan layout. Sightlines extend outward to living areas, glass walls, and even interior gardens, ensuring the space never feels enclosed. Natural light filters in from multiple directions, enhanced by skylights and reflective surfaces, giving the kitchen a bright, uplifting atmosphere throughout the day. A Prototype for Modern Living In many ways, the X-100 kitchen anticipated how we live today: Open-concept layouts Multi-functional islands and dining spaces Integrated appliances Clean, minimal design What feels standard now was radical in 1956. Where Design Meets Daily Life The kitchen of the Eichler X-100 is a perfect example of how architecture can elevate the everyday. It transforms routine into experience—where cooking, gathering, and living all happen within a single, beautifully orchestrated space. It’s not just a kitchen. It’s a glimpse into the future—designed decades ahead of its time.

Example of a trendy exterior home design in San Francisco

The Glass is the water line. The elegant early lines of the golden era of yachting owe much to the eye of the master tradesman.Half models of intended designs were carefully shaped by our early boat builders. Once happy with the shape of these half hulls, often only 18” or 2’ long, they would “loft” the lines onto the floor of their workshop and create full size plans of the intended boat from these early prototypes. All done with the keen eye of a true craftsman. “The Bailey is a tribute to the skill and passion of New Zealand’s early shipwrights”. It is with this attention to graceful lines and technique in mind, we created the Bailey Table. Using traditional techniques and tools such as the draw blade and spokeshave these tables are crafted by hand and eye to an almost silky, fluid finish. A joy to touch and view from almost any angle. Almost organic in touch and line, there are few straight lines to this sculpturally aesthetic piece. SPECIFICATIONS: CEBA6 Length 207 Width 95cm Seats 6 CEBA8 Length 240 x 105 Seats 8 CEBA10 Length 270 x 105cm Seats 10 Bespoke sizes are available and made to client order. Table can be made available as flat pack, export ready with glass or computer template.

The Dental Studio is a highly intricate building that uniquely links two separate stands of two neighbourhoods and straddling a four metre broad municipal servitude. The western part of the neighbourhood is an office precinct consisting of low scaled office buildings set around a communal access street and parking. It was designed for a leading dental practice with state of the art equipment and progressive philosophy of service. It presents itself as an uncomplicated rectangular structural mass that elegantly characterise an intersection of a major neighbourhood boulevard and is notable along the eastern end with an upright circulation tower. The western end on the other hand, is characterised with vertical solar control screens which serve a dual purpose, that is, sifting low down western sun rays as well as giving a serene appeal to the mass. The daring spotless form of the building is a truthful reflection of the nature of the sterile dental environment that is housed within. This houses the central vestibule and reception with a visual interface as well as pedestrian movements along the edge of the building. Healing and healthcare is a paradox that requires architectural intervention. It is this same paradox that informed measures taken towards developing this project as a revised prototype. Exacerbated by the need to research a building type that can promote healing environment, the Dental Studio attempts to create a closer harmony with nature through views, landscape and daylight.

Our goal is to make your kitchen remodel as comfortable as possible. After establishing rapport with our client, we used our ingenuity to redesign and build their ideal kitchen in this stunning 10-foot-ceiling Brooklyn home. The warm tones of wood, quartz, and rich greens strike the ideal balance in creating this appealing design. How did we achieve this look? The Backsplash Our client wanted a simple kitchen remodel in the shaker design, but she also wanted to include green. Initially, we proposed green cabinets to create a bold green look in the kitchen. The main objective was to incorporate our complimenting colors while keeping a feeling of lightness. After going through a number of ideas and 3D prototypes, installing as many cabinets as we could without overpowering the kitchen was our goal of optimizing space. We determined that the best way to brighten the space would be to install white shaker cabinets in addition to higher lumen recessed LED lighting. We decided that finding exquisite green backsplash tiles would be the best way to give it the desired green pop. After numerous searches, we came across a company called Mercury Mosaics. While there were many green backsplash tiles to choose from, we opted for the mercury mosaics bluegrass diamond tiles. We loved these tiles because its created an illusion of cubes but at times, diamonds. The pattern is an art of illusion and its really gave us the personality we were looking for. The Flooring of Choice The flooring of choice was made by our client. We wanted the floors to feel soft and natural while capturing every bit of warmth to balance the whites and the greens and bring them together. While we could’ve opted for wood look tiles or luxury vinyl plank flooring, we ended up going with a premium slightly distressed white oak engineered hardwood flooring from Floor and Decor. Accents Although the flooring and the backsplash brought most of the kitchen together, we were still missing the cherry on top. The hardware and maybe something else? We decided on thin profiled brushed brass hardware to give us that luxurious feel we were looking for every time we opened the cabinet. The cherry on top for us were the hand made quarter round oak shelves which really tied in the floors and cabinets together and gave us that final pop we were looking for. It truly added the perfect character for our client who is also a teen-fiction author of multiple books.

This natural edge wood end table features a mid-century modern style, with steel tri-legs. Contour designs cannot be duplicated because each piece features a different cut from an exotic tree, only found on location in East Africa. Each exotic tree is sustainably sourced and goes through a careful drying and cleaning process, before moving on to the next phase of the project. Designed by award-winning artist Jamar Simien, the character of this composition is conveyed with photos, but it's even more impressive in person. The design calls on historical elements of Mid Century Modern, but it fearlessly carves it's own path in the world of premium furniture design. All of the materials are indigenous to East Africa and have all been repurposed. After a collaborative effort with our team in Malawi, we developed a prototype for the design. After carefully refining every aspect of the idea, our dream became a reality. DIMENSIONS: 21” H x 25” L x 21” W x 2” T

The clients for this house, descendants of a timber farming family, wanted a weekend house on their property in the Piney Woods. They imagined spending weekends and holidays year-round in a house suitable for three generations at once, including aging parents and children side-by-side. The house, taking clues from the historic 'dogtrot' prototype, sets two bars (a two-story bedroom wing and a one-story living wing) straddling an open porch that buffers rowdiness at night and accommodates everyone for meals and games around the clock. The porch is high, screened and louvered for breezes and against the sun in the summer, with operable translucent panels on the north side that close to deflect winter winds. The house, sited along the verge of the woods and the pasture, recalls the structure of the trees in its design while letting in filtered light (as in the woods) to interior spaces. The house was the cover article for the "TexasArchitect" issue on East Texas. I have sense designed a renovation for the owners mid-century modern house in the city. Paul Hester, Photographer

The Colonial house architecture offers a versatile duplex prototype perfect for a single-family home or a recreational center. Its grand entrance is complemented by a screened front porch, providing a welcoming space for relaxation. On the ground level, a lounge area with a cozy fireplace offers warmth and comfort, while a unique addition includes a powder room for added convenience. The spacious kitchen features a formal dining area, ideal for hosting gatherings and meals. Upstairs, the bedroom layout is designed to create a clear distinction between private and public spaces. The master suite boasts a walk-in closet and a modern ensuite bath with a separate tub and shower, ensuring comfort and luxury. Additional features include two bedrooms with a Jack and Jill toilet, a utility layout for practicality, and a children's playroom for leisure and fun. With a plethora of amenities, this Colonial home is crafted to bring joy and satisfaction to its residents.

Like many West Coast cities, Seattle is facing a severe housing shortage at a time when labor and material costs have skyrocketed. Combined with a lack of available dirt, housing vacancy rates stubbornly hover under 5%. A response to this housing perfect storm has been the evolution of a new housing prototype called a detached Auxiliary Dwelling Unit (DADU). This is commonly referred to as a Mother-in-Law (MIL) unit. As the name implies, this is a small, self-contained housing type that allows for additional housing to be built on an existing lot, creating greater density within our urban fabric. Generally thought of as either starter housing or aging-in-place concepts, these are extremely efficient floor plans that squeeze all the basic living functions into a compact space while envisioning the urban fabric as one's living room. In the case of our little DADU, our footprint is 20' x 20' and provides a ground level garage/music studio and an upper level apartment. The misconception of these structure - thanks in large part to the misinformation campaign of the Not-So-Big-House movement - is the smaller translates into cheaper. Since these are essentially small houses, the truth is these are very expensive structures on a cost/sf basis. We conceptualized this structure as inexpensively as we could think of and it still ended up costing more than $400,000 or around $500/sf.