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Collection by Jami Smith

Modern Steel Homes

Whether it's subtle accents or solid exterior facades, we examine seven modern homes that utilize the classic and durable metal, steel.

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Tom McMurtrie and Genia Service with their five-year-old son, Gary.
Tom McMurtrie and Genia Service with their five-year-old son, Gary.
A second-story Dutch door above the canopy ushers in sunlight and breezes. “Light is really important in the Pacific Northwest because it’s dark for most of the year,” says the resident. The cedar-clad facade is pierced with thoughtfully placed windows, which frame views and “actively engage the idiosyncratic nature of the place,” says architect Tom Kundig.
A second-story Dutch door above the canopy ushers in sunlight and breezes. “Light is really important in the Pacific Northwest because it’s dark for most of the year,” says the resident. The cedar-clad facade is pierced with thoughtfully placed windows, which frame views and “actively engage the idiosyncratic nature of the place,” says architect Tom Kundig.
Roger and Mary Downey’s 3,200-square-foot rammed-earth home seems to float next to the forest along the Rio Grande in Corrales, New Mexico. While the home’s design and materials nod to the neighboring adobe farmhouses and agricultural sheds, architect Efthimios Maniatis of Studio eM Design calls them an amalgam of “modern contemporary regionalism,” governed by Roger’s strict mandate for minimalism.
Roger and Mary Downey’s 3,200-square-foot rammed-earth home seems to float next to the forest along the Rio Grande in Corrales, New Mexico. While the home’s design and materials nod to the neighboring adobe farmhouses and agricultural sheds, architect Efthimios Maniatis of Studio eM Design calls them an amalgam of “modern contemporary regionalism,” governed by Roger’s strict mandate for minimalism.
Photo courtesy Reinhold Andris Office, Walddorfhäslach.
Photo courtesy Reinhold Andris Office, Walddorfhäslach.
Ziger/Snead Architects constructed this ode to rowing in rural Virginia for a Baltimore couple who share a love of sculling. “Everywhere in the house you can see the moment where land meets water,” says Douglas Bothner, an associate at the firm.
Ziger/Snead Architects constructed this ode to rowing in rural Virginia for a Baltimore couple who share a love of sculling. “Everywhere in the house you can see the moment where land meets water,” says Douglas Bothner, an associate at the firm.
Here's a view of the steel and glass master bedroom as it cantilevers over the patio and yard. You can see the cantilevered concrete patio in the foreground. The structure of the building is more common to commercial construction—steel framing with metal studs, storefront glass, and a concrete topping slab poured onto corrugated metal decking at the second floor. Photo by Brian Mihealsick.
Here's a view of the steel and glass master bedroom as it cantilevers over the patio and yard. You can see the cantilevered concrete patio in the foreground. The structure of the building is more common to commercial construction—steel framing with metal studs, storefront glass, and a concrete topping slab poured onto corrugated metal decking at the second floor. Photo by Brian Mihealsick.