mHouse Innovative Modern Home Exterior
The mHouse is the brainchild of a magazine publisher intent on changing the way houses are constructed and how their owners relate to them. Named after one of the company’s website, the mHouse serves as a built manifesto of innovative panel materials such as rice hull composites and thermally fused laminate – becoming a case study house for over 30 international material suppliers.
The design challenge was quite clear – how to use a series of new materials unproven in the US building trades to create a beautiful house that meets the unique needs of today’s family. The result is a building that is highly rational in its construction systems, while encouraging social gathering.
The mHouse serves as a direct counterpoint to the typical suburban builder home – creating unique outdoor spaces in place of the typical open lawn, a variety of different views in contrast to one major view, and expressing a confidence in the future over nostalgia for the past.
Through a series of layers and nodes, the landscape grounds the house and heightens the views from inside, using indigenous plantings applied in non-traditional ways, the landscape mirrors the house in rethinking the suburban home.
The mHouse strikes a balance between proven methods and innovative solutions, resulting in one version of what is possible with these materials and setting the stage for future iterations and new possibilities.
Size
Total Finished Area: 3,405 sf
Completion Date
September 2015
Services
Architecture
Interior Design Consultant: Amy Carman Design
Landscape Consultant: Texten