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Architects about facades

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Natalia Puziricova

What does contemporary residential design look like in India?

Fast urbanization and demand for housing, new technologies and folk styles, climate and culture all have to be considered and balanced in an attempt to find their way after the dominance of western influence in architecture.

Here are a few examples of contemporary residential projects that are setting a new tone.

Nicole Climanova

When you come to us for this service you can choose a complete facade project that includes photorealistic renderings of the house, in-depth detailing, utilities, exterior lighting schematics, bill of finishes, and detailed instructions on how to do the work.

Or a low-budget, light version, the conceptual design, which is more of a concept search, but also relies on accurate 3D modeling so the proportions are not affected, and includes a list of the main trim materials.

Nicole Climanova
Facades #13054

Frontboard — this is a decorative frame of the opening on the façade, window or door. It also has a structural meaning by closing the gap between the wall and the frame.

It can be open, U-shaped, or wrap-around on all four sides.

Each architectural style made its own characteristics in the appearance of the casing. For example, the Baroque style is characterized by platbands with ears and stucco.

A lot of stucco on the baroque façade.
Baroque window framing.

For modernism, less opulence, more elegance.

Facades #7382
Shift focus to window shape.

Russian carpentry, beginning in the 15th century, introduces openwork carved casings with abundant ornamentation.


In the conservative version of the English style, the window frames are concise, of light stone on a background of dark brick.

Facade #6341

Modern variants of the cashiers can be stylized in different directions, in coated polystyrene foam, fiber concrete, fiberglass, natural stone and etc. are used as materials.

Maria Krasnova

We are working on a project. The façade designs that resonate with the client include the façade styles of half-timbered, Tudor and Provence.

We try on different variations on the house.

The customer opted for a striking look with contrasting half-timbered decor.

What made the facade so evocative? Firstly, the horizontal layout of the decorative cornices; secondly, the treatment of the walls with natural materials in relief; thirdly, the construction of the plinth at different levels.

The most contrasting part of the trim — is the upper, stucco floor with dark wood (half-timber) decoration. On the lower floor, we already used light decors in window frames to make them stand out against the colorful Bavarian masonry tiles. The light color of the stone of the plinth with its interesting pattern makes the house easier to look at individually and as a whole on any floor.

Nicole Climanova

The Geisel Library (the main library of the University of California) was designed by William Pereira in the late 1960s. The appearance was conceived as hands holding a stack of books, but at the building also resembles the crown of a tree.

The image was so memorable that it immediately became the emblem of the university.

This building, which contains around 7 million books, is an example of brutalism in architecture, a movement in the 1950s and 1970s that began in Britain but rapidly became international.

Le Corbusier is considered the inspirer of this trend, because the term "brutalism" comes from French béton brut — «untreated concrete». Le Corbusier used in many of his buildings, which implies not only the absence of a facial finish, but also the preservation of the texture of the technical imprints of the formwork.

The Brutalist traits include functionality, scale, massiveness, geometricity, boldness and complexity of composition, the lack of finishes, and the use of concrete as the main material.

Nicole Climanova

A Dutch house built in 2007.

Even though it's almost 15 years old, it looks current and fresh.

#12671

The bottom of the building is finished with dark-colored brick, which creates a powerful, stable, rough look. The top floor, by contrast, is light, in wood, with geometric patterns. Particularly interesting is the band of glass around the entire perimeter, dividing the floors and allowing daylight to enter the house.

In the upper floor, on the other hand, the light is very striking.

You'll also notice the corner window and the original shape of the roof.

#12671
#12671
Yulia Dobjinskaya

In this project we propose to finish the house with Nichiha panels and Cedral fiber cement siding. The trimmings will be decorative metal inserts with graphic pattern on the bay window.

They capture the eye on the ascetic, monochrome facade and refresh it without overstyling the style.

Nicole Climanova

Moscow office of a company that builds houses of glued beam. One part of the facade has a textured, three-dimensional structure, the other part is smooth, with a grid pattern, but no less attractive.

The main idea and message of the facade  — is to show the possibilities and relevance of wood in modern construction. The freedom to choose between traditional architecture and embodiment of bold, innovative ideas.

Nicole Climanova

The first sketch in the new project.

The customer likes the modern style and the light colors. Based on that, we suggest that the main body of the house be finished in several shades of plaster and add rustics on the bay window as a decoration. Make the plinth quite narrow, of graphite-colored stone, and combine it with planken inserts in vertical groups in some places.

Practical issues of "The Secrets of Beautiful Facades"