Architecture and design studio MDAMMM has remodelled a house that had little character, giving it a new, all-black exterior wrapped in vertical fins.
Starting point
The original house had an exposed brick facade in ochre tones, while its other elements came in a mix of grey shades and finishes. The owners wanted to update the exterior, and with the designers they decided to rework the existing house and give it a single colour.
One colour, with the garden as accent
Every element of the house was finished in black. This lets the plants around it supply the only accent colour.
Frames and fins
Large angular frames of sheet metal project from the walls around the openings and make the windows stand out.
The vertical fins are set out in different rhythms and lengths. This variation gives the facade a sense of depth.
Light and shadow
During the day, the shadows cast by the fins shift as the sun moves. After dark, light from inside the house picks out the vertical sections from behind.
In some places the original brick wall, now finished in black, is still visible, along with the gap between it and the fins in front.
Recladding instead of rebuilding
As a general point, a new outer layer can change the look of an ordinary house without demolishing it. Keeping the existing walls and adding a screen in front of them saves material and leaves room for shade and depth.
Project credits
- Project: remodel of a private house
- Design: MDAMMM
- Photography: Filippo Poli
- Source: Contemporist