11 Popular Concrete House Types You Should Know

Concrete houses are a new trend in building houses. It can be used for buildings such as offices, apartments, and shops. This article will introduce some most popular types of concrete houses today.  Most of the advantages and disadvantages are also included. Furthermore, you will realize there must be a suitable match between your needs and this type of house!

According to the Precast Concrete Association, concrete houses can provide better thermal efficiency, sound reduction, durability than other building materials. Let's check some types of concrete houses below!

How is a concrete house?

Concrete houses are famous for good thermal efficiency. Tapered walls will funnel warm air and reduce the cold air in winter and hot air in summer inside the house through a natural convection process . It is easy to maintain. Concrete houses are also ideal for earthquake-prone areas because they have stronger resistance compared with conventional houses!

The concrete house is made of concrete and other substances, which can be said as the most eco-friendly building material. It also has high durability . Concrete houses will not easily crack or wear with time.

A concrete house doesn't require much maintenance because it's very durable indeed! However, this type of house isn't suitable for tropical climate because the wall surface is too smooth. It may let the water accumulate inside the room and cause mold growing problems.

Some types of concrete houses

1. Modern - Spanish Design

This kind of concrete house is designed by Spanish architect Javier Senosiain. The design combines two different rooms with high ceilings and a square shape which will give you a sense of openness as well as airiness for the whole living space of the house.

The wall also has round windows that you can look through every room inside the house directly, so you will have a complete view of the house. Besides, the living room is closed to the dining room, kitchen and bathroom by glass walls which give each space a sense of containment. This design helps you enjoy the whole view of the house at a glance.

The concrete house also has roof windows to catch maximum sunlight when the sun comes out directly, and use it as heat in winter time. Especially, you can control this by leaving them open or closed according to your desire at any time.

2. Modern Contemporary House

This is designed by a famous Japanese architect, Tadao Ando. The main concept of this house type is to create an atmosphere of balance and harmony among the architectural design, natural materials, and nature.

It's built on top of a hill so you can easily appreciate the beautiful view around. The concrete walls are painted with white paint to create an impression of calmness, openness, brightness and airiness. The house is covered with large windows which give you a sense of unity between the natural setting and the world within.

It has a Japanese-style wood deck where residents can enjoy nature while having tea or coffee in the cool afternoon after work. They will have direct views of the outside through the windows.

Surprisingly, this concrete house has a staircase made of wood which is not commonly found on concrete houses. This design helps residents appreciate the texture, feel and beauty of nature inside their home while they climb up to their room.

On the second floor, it also has an open air bedroom with a beautiful view of nature. It has a wooden deck and a roof garden where residents can enjoy the fresh air, relax and read a book while listening to the chirping of birds in the morning or in the evening.

3. Stacked House (Villa)

Stacked houses are the most expensive type of concrete houses. It usually consists of three or four stories, which are stacked on top of each other like building blocks. The ground floor usually has a garage and an entrance gate while the living area is upstairs.

The first story (ground floor) usually holds the garages where residents can park their cars. It also contains the entrance gate, which is usually built in a way that it can be easily closed by remote control using a keypad or the latest technology like a key fob from one's car keys.

The second floor holds the living space with an open air patio/balcony where residents can have their breakfast while enjoying the fresh air.

The third floor is usually opened to the second floor. This is an open air space where residents can relax, or play with their kids and pet animals.

The fourth story contains a roof garden which goes beyond the normal living space since this place has minimal lighting so it's ideal for meditation sessions at night. It also has a hot tub for relaxing and enjoying the cool night air.

This house type maximizes its use of space by building high-rise dwellings that can accommodate more families. Such houses are built in coastal areas so residents will have an unobstructed view of the sea or ocean.

4. Carport House

Carport house is the car parking combined with a residential building like home or villa in some cases. It's very convenient to combine the two because it saves a lot of cost and also there should be no problem to build a garage for your vehicle due to the non-existence of law illegalizing construction of a garage even though it's within housing compounds in many countries.

It is a popular type in America, due to the fact that American's love their cars more than anything else and always want to make sure their vehicles are kept in good shape.

Carport house is very convenient for you who have many cars and don't know what to do with them or how to keep them up. Carport house also makes the other houses more appealing, when it's located in front of your house making a wonderful view since people love to see nice and clean cars.

Moreover, when you have a carport house then it's easy to access your vehicles in any season. You can just park your vehicle right at the door of your home, which is a convenience for you as well as others who want to borrow or need some stuff from your car.

5. Terraced House (Apartment)

Terraced house is a building type that can be either residential or non-residential. The word terrace refers to the level of the building(s), and not to the style or form which varies from region to region. Terraced houses in some countries are often referred to as townhouses; they may also be called row houses, especially in North America.

Terraced housing is a popular style of residential occupancy used for urban areas and suburbs because of its high density and more beneficial land use (in terms of infrastructure) than single family homes on their own lots. In most cases terraced housing tends to be built around courtyards or gardens and uses private drives or garages at the front.

6. Patio House

Patio house is a residential building style that combines aspects of patio homes and flat-roofed apartment buildings. You can find this type almost in every urban area, because it's quite popular due to the attractive cost/income ratio for home owners as well as developers.

Another advantage of patio houses is their use of space, which helps people save money and live in an area that is easily accessible to shops, offices and other necessary amenities.

For example, homes in the city of Phoenix are designed with carports (covered parking) which allows residents with cars to keep them outside without having to worry about paint fading or rusting. The driveways that lead up to patios can also be covered and create a safe environment for residents to walk under from their carport.

7. Garden House (Cottage)

Garden house is a type of suburban housing that's located in open spaces and surrounded by greenery, very suitable for homes located near to the countryside or at least not in the city center. These types of houses are built with wooden decks, which can be used as an outdoor patio.   Garden house has large windows and some other unique design features that let people have a better view of the surroundings.

Garden houses are also popular in Europe, especially in England and Wales where there are many houses with beautiful gardens and homes made out of wood, bricks or stone. Garden houses are quite convenient for families with pets and children who like to spend time outside their home relaxing or simply playing with their pets.

8. Modern House (Tudor)

Modern house designs are very popular because of the advanced technologies that make it possible to create a much better environment than other types such as Tudor or Victorian style houses.

These kinds of houses have a variety of rooms, which are one room up and another down, with an upstairs bedroom-office, and a downstairs TV-living room. Also there are examples of houses that have an upstairs den, as well as a basement recreation room.

Modern houses are made with steel frames or concrete walls on the outside and framed by wooden boards or plasterboard to make them more appealing. It is very important to design a modern house with characteristics of the period it was designed in, by using window frames made from steel or fiberglass. That way they will look good and last for many years.

9.  Loft House (Minimalist)

Loft house is a type of contemporary home that's very popular in urban areas, mainly due to its unique style and original design. The main feature that characterizes this style of house is its lack of personal space. Instead, modern loft homes offer their residents a sense of community, bringing them closer together in a way that's not always possible with single family homes.

Loft houses are often built on top of old warehouses or industrial areas and they have very large windows to help create an open space that can also be used as an extended outdoor patio or deck.

Another advantage of loft is its high ceiling, which creates the illusion of luxury and makes it possible to combine rooms with different purposes together into one open space. Lofts are also characterized by a clean metal or stone structure that provides them with an industrial look while retaining their modern characteristics.  

10. Transitional House (Mediterranean)

Transitional style usually refers to houses located in a rural area with properties that have a traditional design on the outside but with an open-plan interior that's very similar to homes built in the 21st century. This type of house is often constructed from wood, bricks and blocks made out of stone.

The main idea behind transitional style is to combine the old with the new, using traditional materials and yet keeping a contemporary style that should make residents feel comfortable.  

Transitional houses are divided into rooms, which can be combined according to the residents' needs. They also usually have more than one floor and a patio or backyard area that's surrounded by greenery as decoration.

11.  Functional House (Colonial)

Most modern homes don't try to incorporate any particular style in their design. Instead, they focus on functionality and practicality and this is why they are often described as functional houses.

Functional homes lack the exterior style that's usually found in traditional types of houses such as colonial, Tudor or French countryside styles. However, there are some exceptions to the rule when it comes to functional home design that often tend to have one or two design elements that can be described as traditional.

It usually focuses on the inside and its furnishings, with a simple windows style that allows them to let natural light flow in easily. They are also generally made from wood and other soft materials such as plasterboard or drywall on the inside so they feel soft to the touch.

Functional homes that are located close to large cities tend to be more modern than you might expect them to be, due to their clean and simple structure. Outside they're often covered in stone or hardwood and there's a good chance they have very limited garden space, if any at all.

FAQs

- Why do modern houses need to be designed in the style they were built in?

The main reason is that it's the best way to ensure modern houses will always look good and retain their value, no matter how old they get. Each period in history has its unique characteristics that are reflected on the building materials used for house design.

- What makes a modern house unique?

Modern homes tend to be very large and spacious, with features that can't be found on a traditional house. They also tend to have many windows, unlike the houses built in the past. Modern houses also tend to be built from new materials, which makes them lighter and easier to maintain than older homes.

- How does modern house design differ from traditional style?

Modern houses usually lack interior walls so the entire space can be used for living room or dining room purposes with no problem at all. Traditional houses are definitely more focused on functionality and tend to be divided into different rooms that can't be used for anything else. It's impossible to turn a dining room into your bedroom, for example.

- How can I combine rooms in my functional house?

The functionality of today's houses means that large spaces can be divided into different rooms without much trouble. This is done with the help of sliding walls, movable partition walls and other similar features. This is a welcome change from traditional style where you would need to build an entire new room if you wanted to add more space.

Conclusion

Concrete houses are well known for their durability and this article lists some of the most popular types. If you're looking to build a home, consider one that uses concrete as it is an excellent building material with many benefits that can't be provided by other house materials.