Modern House Architecture styles

Paragraph text hereContemporary-style houses gained popularity in the 1960s and ‘70s. These usually have clean, simple lines and large windows. The house may be multileveled with a gabled roof covering more than one level. The garage tends to be at the front of the house. Contemporary houses use a variety of exterior materials: brick, stucco, wood and siding. Exterior decoration is minimal.

New American-style houses tend to be asymmetrical. They have a variety of roof heights and random groups of oversized windows. Rooms are large and have high or vaulted ceilings. The rooms may be open plan and flow into one another. The garage will have room for up to three cars as well as storage space. The exterior is usually stucco, brick or rock façade.

Craftsman or Arts and Crafts houses are usually bungalow style. They are one to one-and-a-half stories with a low-pitched roof, which also covers the porch. The rafters show under the eaves, which are supported by square columns. The exterior may be wood or handcrafted stone. This style of house was popular in the early part of the 20th century and had a revival in the 1990s.

California Ranch-style houses are wide, rectangular homes with all the living area on a single level. The roof is shallow-pitched and often covers the garage as well as the house. While the basic design is very simple, it can be varied with other styles, such as country or traditional, and it can have any type of exterior.

While not limited to one architectural style, many of the newest homes strive to be environmentally friendly both in design and materials. Passive solar features take the placement of the building into account to make use of the sun's warmth to heat the house (and sometimes to provide solar energy for heating water, or even for electricity). Green houses are built of renewable materials, and may make use of recycled plastics for decking.