For architect Matthew Coates, design is all about celebrating connections to nature in a modern way. Soaring interiors spill onto floating decks under sheltering eaves to create seamless indoor-outdoor environments, as
you can see in Plan 498-6, which is the latest addition to our Houseplans.com collection of Signature Plans,
shown here and at the top of this post. The home suits a sloping site, with wide open great room plus master
suite and an additional bedroom on the entry or street level, and two additional bedrooms and a recreation room on the floor below. The latter room opens to an entertaining terrace that runs the length of the house.
What are the sources for this design? Matthew received his Masters in Architecture from the University of Illinois and is well versed in the history of modern architecture, from Alvar Aalto and Louis Kahn to Tadao Ando and Renzo Piano. But for residential design he draws inspiration from the Mid-Century Modernism of California architects like Richard Neutra, whose so-called "Lovell Health House" in Los Angeles of 1929 was one of the first residential works to blur the boundaries between inside and outside.
The openness of the main floor in Matthew's plan is distinctive, so I asked him to talk about it. He said: "Our culture is moving towards an open plan living environment, which allows family and guests to be involved in the living and cooking process. This is a beautiful thing because as our daily lives get busier, we can still find the time to break bread together - in the most modern sense. Room dimensions are dictated by striking a balance between being intimate but not crowded; spacious but not empty. In the end every home, family, and site define what the ideal dimension actually is…it is finding that balance between functionality and intimacy." I think's an excellent definition of good home design!
Matthew is also an expert in sustainability. He said: "There is no reason that a sustainable or eco-friendly design should cost significantly more than a conventional building. Sustainable materials and energy efficient systems have proliferated through the market. And the initial cost of an efficient mechanical system is offset by lower operating cost over time." He recommends the "Blower Door Test" for any new or existing building as a great way to evaluate a home’s weather-proofing and air tightness. "It gives a homeowner the biggest bang out of their buck by finding and targeting those areas that need to be sealed to increase the efficiency of heating and cooling the home."
To browse Coates Design, Inc.'s other plans and read more about the firm and its many awards, click here.
you can see in Plan 498-6, which is the latest addition to our Houseplans.com collection of Signature Plans,
shown here and at the top of this post. The home suits a sloping site, with wide open great room plus master
suite and an additional bedroom on the entry or street level, and two additional bedrooms and a recreation room on the floor below. The latter room opens to an entertaining terrace that runs the length of the house.
What are the sources for this design? Matthew received his Masters in Architecture from the University of Illinois and is well versed in the history of modern architecture, from Alvar Aalto and Louis Kahn to Tadao Ando and Renzo Piano. But for residential design he draws inspiration from the Mid-Century Modernism of California architects like Richard Neutra, whose so-called "Lovell Health House" in Los Angeles of 1929 was one of the first residential works to blur the boundaries between inside and outside.
The openness of the main floor in Matthew's plan is distinctive, so I asked him to talk about it. He said: "Our culture is moving towards an open plan living environment, which allows family and guests to be involved in the living and cooking process. This is a beautiful thing because as our daily lives get busier, we can still find the time to break bread together - in the most modern sense. Room dimensions are dictated by striking a balance between being intimate but not crowded; spacious but not empty. In the end every home, family, and site define what the ideal dimension actually is…it is finding that balance between functionality and intimacy." I think's an excellent definition of good home design!
Matthew is also an expert in sustainability. He said: "There is no reason that a sustainable or eco-friendly design should cost significantly more than a conventional building. Sustainable materials and energy efficient systems have proliferated through the market. And the initial cost of an efficient mechanical system is offset by lower operating cost over time." He recommends the "Blower Door Test" for any new or existing building as a great way to evaluate a home’s weather-proofing and air tightness. "It gives a homeowner the biggest bang out of their buck by finding and targeting those areas that need to be sealed to increase the efficiency of heating and cooling the home."
To browse Coates Design, Inc.'s other plans and read more about the firm and its many awards, click here.
