House frontage: different architectural styles to inspire

The mood and style of a residence begins to be felt and interpreted from the outside, right from the house fronts. From the street, the exterior of a property can express the personality of its inhabitants and reveal a little of what can be found beyond the door and even the gates and walls.

Understood as the business card of a house, the facade does not need to follow specific rules and must be thought out and planned in a way that enhances the value of the property. To do so, it is also necessary to evaluate the stylistic standards followed by the neighborhood, which guarantees that very gross mistakes will not be made.

From this identification, the facade can still be adapted according to the tastes and personality of each person. "There is no rule that needs to be followed regarding facades", says architect Ingrid Furginele, partner-owner of iF²c Arquitetura&Design in São Paulo.home a more personal touch and make your exterior unique.

Main façade styles

An important tip for those who wish to have a property that is always well valued in the market is to invest in an architectural project for a facade that is faithful to the standards of the house's interior. In addition, Ingrid also recommends prioritizing the style of the residents.

Although these factors are very important when planning the exterior of a house, they should not be limiting. It is still possible, even considering their relevance, to take as a reference some more characteristic architectural styles and adapt them to your needs and desires.

For modern homes

The more modern style houses are easily recognized: their facades have straighter lines and there may be a mixture of materials in the composition. Ingrid also says that the option for a straight slab and without tiles is frequent, as well as "large openings and windows, with the presence of a lot of glass and a double height pivot door.

For single-story houses

If you want, you can also opt for an exposed roof for greater height, or a gable roof for a more modern look.

For townhouses

The architecture of two-story houses usually follows the same standards used in single-story houses, varying according to the taste of the owners, and may follow a more modern or traditional style.

The most recurrent characteristics in the facades of two-story houses, according to the architect, are the paint: "generally, most people opt for more neutral tones," she says. There can also be occasional touches with contrasting materials, such as wood.

For houses with walls

Nowadays, walls are indispensable in houses located outside gated communities, which can be discouraging when designing a facade, since all the work will be hidden.

For simple houses

The simple style houses usually follow more classic patterns, without many straight lines or geometric influences. Usually, their main elements are "wood or aluminum doors and windows in standard size, two or four pitched roofs, and textured paint," characterizes the architect.

How to reconcile walls and fences with the facade

As previously mentioned, it is very common nowadays for people to use fences and walls as a way of feeling more protected. However, it is important to point out that it is not necessary to give up security to preserve the beauty of the facade. There are several ways to reconcile these barriers with the design of the house.

"It is possible to make the wall more imperceptible by working with the height of the buildings, or try to integrate it with the residence", says Ingrid. To do so, it is necessary to evaluate what type of material is more compatible with the rest of the project. It is worth using paint, glass, or landscaping in its favor.

A tip is to pay attention to the planning of the enclosure, so that it follows the architecture of the house and doesn't become crude, eventually obscuring the façade or clashing with the landscape project initially thought out.

The importance of a good landscape project

Landscaping is one of the main elements in a home's exterior. A well-kept yard and a good light play can help complete many different facade styles, and certainly gives the impression that its residents are dedicated and attentive.

To avoid mistakes, the landscape architect explains that the essential is to have a well integrated and harmonic façade and landscaping composition, "a horizontal façade calls for a vertical marking", she exemplifies. The way to find this point of balance is to observe well the volume and space occupied by plants and try to fit them into the project in a way that does not leave it heavy, empty or exaggeratedtoo much.

With this objective, the greatest care indicated by the specialist is to study the proximity between the plants and the structure of the facade. "The ideal is to maintain a spacing between the plants and the roof of the residence, because this way there is a better and safer aesthetic adjustment", defines Juliana Freitas, landscape architect.most common applications of vegetation in construction.

"A classical architecture calls for a pruned and well-kept garden, with plants such as thuyas and conifers," suggests the landscape designer, while modern facades can be combined with plants with larger foliage and colors that make a pleasant contrast with the color of the house.

How to choose plants for the house front?

Due to the particularities of each type of plant, the ideal is to opt for those that are typical of the region, since some species can adapt better to colder climates or be harmed in very humid places, for example.

To avoid this type of mistake, Juliana suggests that in the south of Brazil, where it is usually colder, plants with grayish foliage and Traquicarpus palm trees should be used. In the southeast, according to the specialist, the most common species are: Foxtail, Washintonia, Iris, Moray, Marantas, and Callateas.

However, this short list of plants does not replace the work of a reliable professional who is very familiar with the area where the house is located, because, as Juliana reminds us, due to the large geographical extension of the country, there is a lot of climatic and soil variation in considerably small spaces.

These evaluations are the starting point for choosing the plants that will be part of the composition of the landscaping project of the facade of a residence, but there are also other factors that must be taken into consideration, after all "each project has its peculiarities, it can change, for example, if there are children or dogs in the house", says Juliana.

How to choose the right gate for your house

According to Ingrid, the most requested gates are the "swinging ones with the use of wood, glass or even small openings". There is also a lot of demand for the more traditional types, such as the sliding ones and the iron or aluminum swinging ones. For practicality reasons, many end up opting for the electronic ones, which give more convenience to the residents, besides providing security and lessexposure at each departure or arrival.

Although there is a concern with the combination of the gate with the rest of the facade, the architect Gerson Brancalião, from Studio Arquig and the M2BS consulting group, explains that what determines the choice of swinging or sliding type is whether there is space available for the installation of rails: "There are various designs and types on the market that can be fitted into various architectural styles,There are mixed options, with wood in some parts, but it is not common, because the metal gives more structure and can have the design we want. Other very common materials for residential gates, according to the specialist, are galvanized steel and greenhouse treated wood structures.

It is also possible to better integrate the walls and gates with the façade by adding elements that refer to the project, which already works as a presentation of the residence and reveals a little of what will be seen from the gate to the inside.

The biggest secret to choosing the most suitable gate for your house, however, is still analyzing its cost-benefit ratio: "We cannot only take into account the price, but we must also look at its durability and maintenance, so that what is cheap does not turn out to be expensive later on," says the architect.

Three other aspects that are very important for the safety and functionality of the project are remembered by Gerson:

1. The height of the largest vehicle that will pass through the gate;
2. The most durable and easily maintained type of material;
3. The opening radius of the gates, whether vertical or horizontal, especially if there is enclosure between gates, as there must be space between the openings.

More facade inspirations

The planning of a residential facade involves a number of factors that cannot be left aside, such as the owners' own personal taste, which completely interferes in the final result. To help in the task of making the house aesthetically pleasing, collecting references is a great way, and it is also a way to get to know what may be more suitable for your home.

There are several ideas and styles to innovate in the facade of your residence.