Before You Build: the 8 Architectural Design Trends You Should Know

Looking to build, or renovate, a home in 2024? You’re not alone. According to a recent study from Resolve Finance, over a third of Australian homeowners are planning to renovate their current properties in the next 12 months. And if the Federal Government achieves its ambitious goal of delivering 1.2 million new dwellings over the next five years, there will be many new home owners looking to build their dream home in 2024 and beyond.

But before tackling such a behemoth task, considering all the latest—and future—architectural trends is pivotal in your new build’s success. Award-winning architect and interior designer, Georgina Wilson said sustainability will be at the forefront for many interested in energy efficiency and saving money on power bills.

“Elements of passive design are moving into the mainstream. Improvements in the technology with double glazing, building wrapping and insulation are meaning that more people have access to these materials,” Ms Wilson said. “Solar has proven itself and homeowners are now looking for other ways to make their home more efficient.”

The following eight trends reflect a growing emphasis on sustainability, flexibility, and wellbeing in residential architecture, catering to the evolving needs and preferences of homeowners in 2024.

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1). Consider your colour palette

The colours you use say everything about the type of spaces you want to foster, whether they be bright and warm, dark and moody, neutral — the list goes on. If we’re looking to trends, earthy, calming neutrals are in — think brown, beige and eucalyptus green. Colours that feel natural and soft, but welcoming provide an inviting environment that’s easy to live with.

However, interior designer and stylist, Jono Fleming said contrast is important to create interest and one of the most powerful ways to do this is through colour.

“It doesn’t have to be a big splash of colour, it could be introduced through smaller decorative objects, a statement furniture piece or an artwork, but the colour should add balance to the space,” he said.

2). Modern, outdoor living areas

Ever since the COVID pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, expanding living spaces to the outdoors has gained in popularity. Features like plant-filled front porches, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, and cosy seating areas create inviting spaces for relaxation and entertainment for all family members.

“There has definitely been a greater appreciation for outdoor living spaces since COVID,” said Ms Wilson. “Outdoor fabrics and mechanisms for shading have greatly improved in recent years allowing people to fully embrace seamless indoor/outdoor living.”

3). The integration of smart technology

Integrating smart home technology throughout your home continues to gain traction with homeowners. As we increasingly look to rely on technology to make our lives all the more seamless, smart technology throughout allows homeowners to control a variety of tasks and zones remotely, enhancing convenience, security, and even energy efficiency. This can include controlled heating and cooling from your phone, automatic lightning, voice control commands, and more.

“The technology for seamless appliances has come a long way. At Salone del Mobile Milano this year, we experienced the new Gaggenau fully integrated induction bench top, which in terms of kitchen design, is a huge advancement,” said Ms Wilson.

Gaggenau, the German manufacturer of high-end home appliances, is at the forefront of smart home technology, paving the way for intelligent cooking appliances that learn and adapt to user preferences. Gaggenau’s essential induction cooktop, the functional and seamless cooking surface Ms Wilson speaks of (pictured below), is designed to be “seamlessly integrated into a kitchen’s worktop”.

4). Health and wellness features

Prioritising health and wellness in 2024 is paramount, and home design that can include features like air purification systems, dedicated exercise spaces, recovering hubs—like saunas and ice baths—and relaxation areas to support physical and mental wellbeing will go a long way in not only adding value to your home, but providing a space that is architecturally on-trend and with the times.

“I’m seeing a lot of demand for in-built saunas, both traditional and infrared, particularly in the homes of our US clients,” said Ms Wilson.

“Bathroom suppliers such as Kohler, Duravit and Toto are offering increasingly sophisticated products that incorporate an almost spa-like experience in your at home bathroom. Examples of this are fantastic multi-nozzle showers and steam showers, Japanese toilets incorporating bidet technology, and elegant and serene bathroom furniture that can be fully customised for clients.”

5). Sustainability is key

A common goal among homeowners and future buyers alike is to own a property that is flexible enough grow with them. Futureproofing your home with sustainable measures will not only ensure its longevity, but it will help homeowners to play their part in addressing their carbon footprint.

“The current cost of living crisis is leading to a lot more multigenerational living, meaning families are prioritising durable materials and sustainable power sources, like solar,” said Ms Wilson.

Consider adding solar panels to your home, utilising sustainable materials in any upcoming renovations or builds, like recycled timber, and utilising energy-efficient lighting throughout your home.

6). Minimalist design

Do as the Scandinavians do – introduce minimalist design into your home. Embrace simplicity and clean lines with a focus on interior design. Decluttering in main living spaces is surprisingly effective. Adopting the approach of ‘Swedish Death Cleaning’, which essentially involves slowly ridding your house of unwanted or unused items once you reach the other side of 50, will also help you whittle your possessions down to the beautiful and the necessary.

Minimalist design in home appliances is also making a resurgence in 2024 according to Ms Wilson.

“What I’ve been interested to see at Salone del Mobile Milano in 2024 is a huge return to stainless steel finishes, and more and more seamless integration of appliances,” said Ms Wilson.

“We’re seeing timeless materials in reimagined applications: copper baths and stainless steel basins are emerging trends with the potential to be timeless. These materials are so practical, and pair beautifully with natural stone and timbers.”

Above all, maximising different spaces through efficient and effective storage options will also do wonders in achieving that minimal aesthetic.

7). Multifunctional spaces

As we move towards greater efficiency of space, it’s useful to consider multifunctional spaces throughout your home. In 2024, we are seeing more homes incorporate multifunctional spaces and trends. This includes using multifunctional furniture in main bedrooms or living spaces—furniture that can act as storage ottomans or convertible sofa beds—as well as transforming wasted space, and open up indoor to outdoor living.

“Multifunctional spaces in homes are a great idea. Particularly in small homes, it makes a lot of sense to achieve maximum value out of the limited space available. The way you use a space can change as your family evolves over time, so it’s always good to design in such a way that allows for flexibility,” said Ms Wilson.

“Make sure that the functions you allocate to a single room are compatible with the space available and each other. For example, it works really well to combine a living room, a dining room and a kitchen in one open plan space because these are all public, lively spaces. It doesn’t work very well to combine, say a study, with these spaces because you will want control over the visual and acoustic privacy in a study.”

8). Think about biophilic design

A buzz word among architects and interior designers, biophilic design is one of the strongest trends in 2024 thanks to its benefits in garnering a sense of harmony and connection between your home and the environment. Consider incorporating natural elements into home design, such as large windows to maximise natural light, indoor gardens, and natural materials like wood and stone.

“Biophilic design is a timeless principle, in that home design should connect people in a positive way with their natural environment by maximising access to, and the ability to control, natural light and ventilation, which really helps to create an enjoyable (and healthier) environment to live in,” said Ms Wilson.

“Increasingly, there is a demand for this positive relationship to the natural environment; by leaning on the principles of biophilic design, you can create a haven and retreat at home that can help with the daily stresses of life.”

Ways to foster that indoor-outdoor connection can be through the addition of smaller internal courtyard spaces filled with greenery, or incorporating indoor plants and adding greenery into different rooms throughout your home.

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Lorena Ramos and Carlos Moss live and work about 7,500 feet above sea level in the high-plateau megalopolis of Mexico City. But when it came time to commission a vacation home, they took it up a notch, altitude-wise. They built a home about 2,000 feet higher in an area known as the Corridor de la Montaña, or Mountain Corridor, in the state of Hidalgo.

Ramos, a 35-year-old sales director, and Moss, a 38-year-old executive in the construction industry, bought their steep 1/3-acre lot in 2021 for about $73,000. Then they spent roughly $475,000 to build and furnish a new house, working with Mexico City architect Rodrigo Saavedra Pérez-Salas. His design, using a cantilever, suspends the two-storey structure off the side of a densely wooded slope. From the inside, it can feel like a vast, floating treehouse.

undefined They named the property after their boxer, Oruç, now 11, and initially planned to use the home to entertain friends on weekends and holidays, outfitting the lower level with a funky bar. The three bedrooms—some equipped with bunk beds—and three bathrooms can accommodate up to eight people.

But this summer, less than a year after finishing construction, they had their son, Nicolás. That means they have to make some changes to babyproof the house. “We will have to do something,” says Ramos.

The vacation home is part of the first wave of development on the site of what was once a sprawling private estate. The property sits in Mexico’s Sierra de Pachuca mountain range, part of the vast Sierra Madre Oriental that runs along the east of the country. Their area is marked by atmospheric mists and a lengthy rainy season.

For Saavedra, the architect, the hard choice wasn’t where to place the house—a clearing in the woods, in the middle of the lot, was just about the only spot—but how to access the house once it was built. The most direct route would have meant seeing a house sticking out of the woods, says the 35-year-old founder and principal of Saavedra Arquitectos. Instead, he devised what he calls “a narrative” that leads visitors over a bridge, then down and around a series of winding stairs and through a masonry door that acts as a kind of ceremonial portal to the house. When visitors first arrive on the lot, all they see is tree. As they descend and approach the house itself, they are given a tour of the exterior of the building, while glimpsing the evocative mountain terrain beyond and below.

The couple chose moody interiors to play off local conditions, with lots of exposed steel beams, steel-tinted concrete, dark wood and glass walls that let tree-filtered light stream in. A spare open stairwell and thin inner and outer railings add to the minimalist flare.

All this added atmosphere came at a cost. The couple spent about $94,000 on steel, which includes the bridge and the costly cantilever.

Intent on a sustainable home, they managed to reuse what another homeowner might regard as outright waste. They have stored firewood for the great room in leftover steel girders, fashioned into a Brutalist rack, and they used leftover wood from their board-formed concrete molds as paneling in the primary bedroom. Most recently, they have installed a rainwater collection system, with a cistern placed uphill from the house, and they now use the bounty for everything from washing to drinking.

Though Casa Oruç is surrounded by trees, Saavedra managed to build the whole 2,400-square-foot house by only cutting down a handful. This ship-in-a-bottle effect is apparent in an upstairs deck, which incorporates two oyamel firs, a species native to the mountains of central and southern Mexico. Downstairs, the bar area is built around one of the firs, set off by a glass enclosure.

The open-plan kitchen, which Ramos helped design, was a splurge of about $34,000. The couple spent about the same amount on the glass doors and windows—a cost most apparent in the primary bedroom, which has glazing on three sides.

Being nearly 9,500 feet above sea level means the couple can do without air conditioning, and even though it rarely gets below freezing, heating is a must for much of the year. They spent around $15,660 on an electrical heating system, which, depending on where they are in the house, radiates from either the floor or the ceiling. They also spent some $10,500 on two fireplaces—gas-burning for the bedroom, and wood-burning for the great room’s main sitting area. They use them for heat and for added coziness, says Moss.

The couple have kept their lot as wild as possible, putting their landscaping budget at less than $1,000. And they can tour the area’s rough and wild terrain starting right on their property, which contains a few dramatic rock formations. Though their home is nearly as far above sea level as the taller peaks of Montana’s Glacier National Park, the spot is more bucolic than dramatic. The house is high up, concedes Moss, “but not ridiculously high,” invoking a category that for him starts at about 16,000 feet.

Now, looking ahead to the end of the year, when Nicolás will start to crawl, they are set to invest around $3,000 to babyproof. This will include installing tempered glass to close off the bare-bones railings of their main terrace, located off the upper floor’s great room, and protecting the exposed inside stairwell connecting the great room above with the bar area below.

When the baby came, they hadn’t yet decided on blinds or curtains in the primary bedroom, which turned out to be a benefit. “We get to see all the different shades of light—when it’s getting dark, then when the sun comes up,” says Ramos, who appreciates these subtle changes throughout the day. Perhaps her baby does, too. “I always give Nicolás his first feed while in bed, and he loves staring outside,” she says.

Many new arrivals to this altitude might be gasping, but little Nicolás is doing just fine. He likes to “contemplate the view of the sky and tree tops from our laps,” says his mother.

Foundation and framing:

$169,725 (including masonry)

Steel (including cantilever):

$94,000

Kitchen:

$34,000

Bathrooms:

$18,500

Landscaping:

$780

Fireplaces:

$10,450

Electrical work:

$27,260

Floors (including outdoor decks):

$25,000

Glazing (glass doors and windows):

$34,000

Lighting:

$3,100

Before You Build: the 8 Architectural Design Trends You Should Know

Futureproof your home and maximise your return with design directions that focus on contemporary ways of living

The owners spent $73,000 on the land, plus another $475,000 building their vacation house