Modern homes in modern architecture
The term “modern home” has changed throughout history and found its meaning through adequate architectural solutions that responded to the new daily needs of both the individual and the community. For some, a modern home is rural life with the technological advantages of modern architecture and construction. For others, a modern home is a modest multifunctional solution to urban city life. Others see a modern home as a luxurious living space with integrated technology (IoT).
However, in the last few years, especially due to global disasters, a mixture of these three points of view has been developing. Certain trends are gaining more and more importance, and in accordance with this, there is an increasing emphasis on their implementation in every form of home – regardless of its size, location and style of application.
The realization of these trends is becoming the main task of modern architecture, so they also represent the main indispensable items in current design solutions and applications.
Create a modern home by following these 10 trends in architecture
Sustainability of the home
Buildings of any kind built with the fundamental goal of creating sustainability bring with them lower maintenance costs, lower expenses incurred when paying for works, and bring real estate owners a higher profit for their investment.
As sustainability is primarily realized through the use of sustainable materials and the creation of energy-efficient houses, the trend of using bricks for home construction is returning to architecture, while the home is modernized with solar panels. Brick requires almost no maintenance and has been an ideal natural solution for building a house for thousands of years, and it can always be repurposed or recycled.
Modern architectural solutions are also increasingly leaning towards the use of repurposed natural wood and floor coverings made of similar or same material.
Great attention is also paid to the landscaping of the residential building in order to create a better quality of the land, especially its resistance to possible drought and large amounts of precipitation.
All these elements together affect the better sustainability of the home.
Accordingly, we are talking about the development of modern rustic architecture, which in more urbanized areas can take the form of the so-called industrial style or be a combination of rustic and industrial design.
Those who want a little more luxury will enrich the sustainability of their home by integrating automated smart systems in order to achieve the best possible energy efficiency and additionally ensure the long-term investment value of their home.
Combining exterior and interior
Long periods of indoor living increase people’s desire for greater connection with the exterior and nature. Although this trend has generally been a part of modern architecture, it has increased dramatically in all forms of housing solutions in the case of the current global disasters.
Whether it’s balconies or terraces, as well as other forms of covered surfaces next to the building itself, they are looking for architectural solutions for their housing situation that will enable them to seamlessly combine the exterior and interior.
One of the most elegant approaches is the implementation of large openings with sliding or folding (harmo) shutters and windows, which uniquely regulate not only the contact with the exterior, but also the level of lighting and privacy inside the building.
Architecture pays great attention to ensuring the comfort and utility of elements that connect the interior and exterior. The goal is to achieve a year-round use of balconies, terraces or verandas for various purposes.
Multifunctionality
The current situation in the world has brought with it an increased percentage of people working from home, and it is generally predicted that this phenomenon of working remotely in the digital age will grow more and more. Accordingly, architecture had to take care of the ever-increasing demands for the multifunctionality of homes.
The initial design concepts of large open spaces with a minimal style are now becoming more and more maximized and repurposed into smaller, more complex rooms with more functionality. In order to turn the space into a multifunctional one, it is necessary to create various forms of divisions between, for example, the kitchen and the work room.
In some places, the capacity of the open space is reduced, and in other places, the height level of the rooms is changed in order to get a better impression of its different purpose. Sometimes a large wardrobe or a fireplace plays the role of visual separation of the space, and increasingly movable elements are also used within the architectural solutions so that the space can be quickly completely repurposed.
Accordingly, a modern home must respond to an ever-increasing number of demands and is no longer simply a place where you come after a hard day’s work, eat something and go to sleep. The idea of multi-functionality brings with it the importance of regulating noise, light and privacy, where shutters on the windows play an irreplaceable role.
A healthy home
When designing, architects now also pay great attention to healthy materials with the primary goal of stopping the formation of bacteria, especially in rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms. Accordingly, ceramic surfaces that do not allow the metabolism of bacteria are increasingly being used.
Other solutions for a healthier home are related to increased air flow and light, as well as air filtration and cleaning for better respiratory health. The green homes movement is also closely related to the idea of creating a more environmentally friendly and healthy lifestyle.
The main elements of green construction that architecture wants to satisfy are energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources, the efficiency of water use, as well as the reduction of produced waste.
These elements contribute to the creation of a healthier home: both for the environment and for the individual.
Greenery in the home
In addition to the idea of green construction, it should be noted that architects and interior designers are increasingly working to introduce greenery into the home itself. The principle of this introduction is described by the term biophilic design principles, and it has already grown into its own architectural branch – biophilic architecture.
Various studies show that plants inside the building can increase concentration and reduce stress, and of course contribute to better air quality. In stressful situations, such a positive influence of plants represents a unique solution, and the plants’ needs for light can be regulated on a daily basis with shutters on the windows.
More natural color palettes
In addition to the introduction of greenery into the home, biophilic architecture also introduces natural color palettes inside homes to achieve similar results of a better and healthier life inside rooms. Wallpaper with flora and fauna, kitchen elements, walls and floors with natural colors and materials: all of them together influence the creation of a better mental and psychological state of the individual.
Scientific research has shown that natural colors and organic shapes, in addition to reducing stress, can also reduce blood pressure and heart rate. As a person is calmer and has a greater ability to focus, he will also be more efficient, creative and productive when working and living inside his home.
As the percentage of people working from home increases, such advantages represent an important trend in the architecture of modern life.
Rounded geometry
Curved furniture, openings in walls and corridors, windows and shutters are of increasing importance when designing modern homes. The sharp lines and elements that were practiced until recently are partially abolished, with the aim of introducing milder and more natural segments within the modern home.
This increases and emphasizes comfort and coziness within the space. Minimalism will continue to play a role in design, but it will bring with it more details inside the rooms and improve their multi-functionality. The idea of rounded geometry throughout the rooms is to give these details and functions more beauty and create a unique charafter for the entire home.
The kitchen as the center of the home
The kitchen has always been a key element of every home, but its use has increased dramatically in the last few years, especially during the pandemic. In America, for example, more and more kitchens are implementing the use of islands, and in some cases, where possible, even two. While one is used for food preparation, the other is used for gathering and entertainment.
If the living space also uses an open concept of connecting the kitchen with the living room, it is very easy to understand how a large part of the day, and especially social moments, takes place in the kitchen and its related elements.
A modern home emphasizes the importance of a quality kitchen and will approach this space from a very serious design point of view. Apart from the idea of cooking and socializing, a quality kitchen can represent a large storage space and hide entire sets of devices and equipment that is normally used, making the space visually less busy and more airy.
More spacious bathrooms
Modern homes are affected by another trend: the need for a larger bathroom. However, the size of the bathroom is accompanied by the desire to use the already mentioned better hygienic materials, as well as various biophilic decorations that will beautify the entire space.
Greater airiness, a bit of greenery, some decor and smartly designed storage space automatically bring with them a feeling of better hygiene, cleanliness, and ultimately comfort when staying inside the room. The bathroom also plays a key role when trying to sell the propery, so investing into its renovation is a great idea.
Tiny homes
Among all the existing trends, there is also a growing one that follows yet another global crisis: the financial one. The desire for one’s own home is becoming more and more difficult in a globally connected world, therefore the movement of so-called tiny homes has come to life, in which, through small prefabricated or mobile homes, an attempt is made to architecturally and by clever design satisfy all human needs without losing airiness and freedom of movement.
The phenomenon has partly spread to the cities, where small apartments and studios are transformed into fully functional living spaces using all the trends mentioned so far.
Architects use all the specifications of the building, and very often the height of the space itself enables the creation of additional useful square footage.
Although this architectural trend can mostly be considered a reaction to the global financial situation, there are also those people who, for ecologically conscious reasons, decide to live in compact homes with intelligently applied architecture.
Shutters for windows as a trend in modern architecture
Aluminium shutters are part of several trends we have mentioned throughout this article. For example, in the case of the sustainability of the home, they play a key role because of their strength and resistance, because of the protection they provide, as well as because of their insulating abilities. They are very easy to maintain, and represent a long-term safe investment.
Sliding and folding shutters enable the connection of exterior and interior in an elegant and unique way, and they also find their purpose as overall openings on any segment of the building. The return of architecture to rustic designs brings with it the ever-increasing implementation of aluminium shutters of a traditional character.
At the same time, shutters realize the need for multi-functionality in the modern home – they allow regulation of light and noise throughout the day and provide peace and quiet when they are most needed. As more and more greenery will be brought into modern homes, it will also be necessary to regulate the light for them: not all plants are the same, and it is not desirable to expose some to too much sunlight.
In conclusion, aluminium shutters meet the needs of environmentally conscious people, since aluminium as a material can be completely recycled and reused. Beautify your home with elegant shapes and colors of aluminium shutters and satisfy many of the architectural trends for creating a modern home!
