What Are The Hot Design Trends In Housing?
02/04/2004
A panel of architects at this year’s International Buiders’ Show covered some of the design trends making their way to a new neighborhood near you. Here are a few design concepts noted by the architects:
•Minimized dominance of garage doors with recessed or split garages--yet building larger garages overall to accommodate larger vehicles.
•Porches to help “strangers turn into neighbors”
•Creating more of a “human scale” on homes in front, by setting the second story back away from the front of the property.
•Greater attention toward soft infrastructure in master planned communities (parks, trails, community internet and more)
• Greater attention toward “street furniture” in planned communities. Using reproduction lighting, benches, mailboxes etc.
•Trying to reduce the “cookie cutter” effect, particularly in high density condo-type developments. Varying paint schemes, different side-by-side designs to make it appear structures were built at different times. For single family, variable lot widths allow for single story home, which creates height diversification.
•curvilinear collector roads; with loop roads and short roads with cul-de-sacs
•Smaller neighborhoods to create a sense of place
•Entry courtyard or interior courtyards
•Use of brick or stone
Interior-wise, they noted the following:
•Dedicated space & outlets for computers
•Greater general storage space
•Enhanced kitchen design: cabinets as furniture, varied lighting, powered kitchen islands
•Greater attention to media walls
Other homebuilder trends:
•In areas with high land costs, builders have been teaming up to share risk.
•Builders have been getting involved in teardowns as land becomes more scarce.
•Age restricted communities are popular
•Building green is taking hold
The architects on the panel were:
Mark Jones
Looney Ricks Kiss Architects
Celebration, FL
Salvatore Balsamo
Balsamo, Olson & Lewis
Oakbrook Terrace, IL
Arthur C. Danielian
Daneilian Associates
Irvine, CA
Mark Day
Dahlin Group
San Ramon, CA |
