All design trends are cyclical and often emerge as a counter reaction to mainstream culture.
Over the years I have seen trends come and go; a continuous recycling of ideas from one generation to the next. I remember as a kid growing up in the 70's our family home had the traditional formal lounge and dining areas in which we were never allowed to set foot apart from the odd Christmas lunch or special occasion…Sunken lounge rooms, raked ceilings, clinker bricks and mission brown paint were all the rage. It now comes as no surprise that we see a resurgence in contemporary Architecture as the concept of minimalism takes hold in a response to the excesses of consumerism.
For me there needs to be good reason why a home is laid out the way it is. One of my early Architect teachers was very big on the philosophy that "design followed function" – in other words the final layout of a home is very much the end result of the ultimate purpose and environmental context in which the home is situated. In addition, the use of certain materials will also impact the context and longevity of a building and therefore careful consideration needs to be given. Contemporary Architecture for me can potentially very much hits the mark in this regard with practical and transparent open plan living which invite the outside in creating light, airy and functional spaces within the home.
Incorporating a particular style of Architecture into your new home design however can be a tricky process to get right. In an age where we are now more than ever inundated with new trends via popular media and the internet, I all too often see clients trying to incorporate just too many ideas and cross overs in Architectural styles which can potentially end up being a "dog’s breakfast".
On the other hand, the most successful of designs are those that are simple yet have close attention to detail and again follow some basic fundamental architectural rules of thumb - again the concepts of minimalism found in contemporary architecture can provide a good bases for success…less is often more! The often very geometrical and static aspects of contemporary home design can for some be austere however on the other hand also provide the opportunity to create clean uncluttered structures with openness and transparency…homes which ebb and flow with the season and their environmental context where the occupants just feel good year-round. Such designs also promote longevity whereby furniture and other soft furnishings and colours can be updated and changed as the building ages gracefully.
That said the current resurgence in contemporary residential architecture will no doubt again fall out of fashion…I wonder what the next trend might be?
