Storytelling has played a vital role in the lives of individuals today—especially because it is a way for individuals to express themselves. However, the art of storytelling isn’t just limited to literature.
It can also be found in the concepts of modern architecture—sometimes called architectural storytelling.
What’s architectural storytelling?
Architectural storytelling involves creating a story that reflects the design of a building or space. It relies heavily on the design of the building, including its structures, colors, and surrounding elements—even imperfections—to evoke a particular emotion.
Creating Architectural Storytelling Experience
Similar to other areas of art, creating a storytelling experience through architecture requires strategy. Here are a few ways individuals can create storytelling experiences through architecture:
Unique Features And Gems Of Domestic Dwellings
Every piece of art—and human—has unique characteristics and features about them. Architecture’s the same! To create a beautiful story with architecture, homes often emphasize or use their unique features to create a story. Think about it:
Is there a unique structural shape of the home? Maybe a window? Veranda? Roof? What about the surrounding elements? Is the front yard flat? Surrounded by trees? Or have flowers?
Architecture storytelling incorporates unique features like these to help create something special, especially for modern residential homes.
Finding And Creating Beauty
Beauty can also play a vital role in architectural storytelling. Because beauty—whether natural or created—evokes a feeling of joy, it’s possible to shape the physical structure of a building to create a positive atmosphere.
Not only can homes have an architectural structure that makes the interior effective and efficient, but homes can also have elements that look beautiful from the outside. They don’t just improve the quality of life for those inside the home but also spectators who pass by.
Identifying Inspiration
Architecture is a powerful, inspiring tool. It’s also possible to use that to an advantage, which is why many homes today seek inspiration from others.
Just take a walk in your neighborhood. You might notice that some of them are almost exactly the same, and you might notice that some are entirely different. However, if you look even closer, you might notice that even the homes that are entirely different still have some architectural qualities that are similar to others.
Artistry and Architecture: 5 Homes that Tell a Story
To take a close look at artistry in architecture, let’s explore 5 modern homes that tell stories through architecture.
Preserving Heritage with Modern Materials
Many homes and commercial buildings withstand the test of time, but unfortunately, the original roofing of the home’s do not.
Constructed out of brick, the box-like building above creates a feeling of balance and organization, and the combination of brick and stone elements work together with the surrounding nature to establish itself as a resilient and unmoving structure.
Instead of demolishing the building or reconstructing the whole roof, the building was renovated with Brava Roof tile. By incorporating Brava’s Slate Tiles into the building, the home's structure is preserved and also tells a deeper story about the relationship between human civilization and nature.
Strengthening Current Designs
Can you make something beautiful even better? That’s a question that many designers ask.
The house above is an example of a home with traditional Spanish architectural features, including the white shiplap siding, wooden front door, and veranda patio. More importantly, the home has barrel tile alongside an elegantly-shaped curved roof window—a staple in many Spanish designs.
When it came time for roof repairs, the homeowner could have selected other roofing options. However, choosing Brava’s synthetic Spanish Barrel Tile helped the homeowner preserve the rustic qualities of their home's architectural history, including its minor scratches, while also strengthening the Spanish features.
Now the home not only tells a story about Spanish culture today but can continue to do so for years to come, making it even more beautiful than it was before.
Creating Nostalgia for the Future
Homes often include design concepts from the past to help inspire nostalgia and luxury. The above house does just that through its features. The marble-colored siding, curved balcony, and elevated roof structures create an appearance that reminds us of the castles from fictional stories—the ones we all read as children.
By using Brava’s Slate tiles, the homeowner helps secure the luxury of the home by adding additional strength and durability. The end result is a home that not only carries its nostalgic qualities for many years but is also better prepared to be passed down to another generation. That way, the nostalgic storytelling it inspires today can be told for many more years to come.
Advancing Contemporary Culture
Contemporary home architecture often tells a story of uniformity and function, but adding new features can take human culture and modern home design to the next level.
The above home is a modern, suburban design with parallel and symmetric features. While the tall entryway and circular window are inviting, the red and white window accents, along with the brick siding of the home, establish authority. Brava Cedar Shake Tiles replace and improve upon the home’s original asphalt roof shingles, which are also common on other homes in the area.
By refusing to accept the quality of the original shingles, the homeowner is able to tell others, through the architecture of their home, what is important to them: quality and choice. Instead of being dissatisfied by their home’s roofing, the owner’s choices tell a story about how they’re unwilling to accept the inadequacy in modern home designs.
Using Brava Cedar Shake Tiles on the home is the first step that challenges traditional home designs in the area, which could help advance the contemporary culture in the whole neighborhood.
Embracing Nature through Durability
Homes should be able to embrace nature, too, shouldn’t they?
The home design above incorporates a forestry green siding with shiny redwood window accents to camouflage and harmonize the home with nature. In addition, the stone driveway, walkway, and garden emphasize the home and homeowner’s desire to not only live among nature but also want to be a part of it.
By choosing Brava’s Cedar Shake, the homeowner provides a way to ensure that their connection with nature stays strong. The home’s architectural story, then, is one of nature—a story about a home and home owner who wish to preserve nature and blend into the surrounding natural environments, while also staying protected themselves.
Architectural Storytelling: What Stories are Today’s Homes Telling?
Most of today’s architecture uses elegance and beauty to tell their stories, and one of the best ways to ensure those stories are told is by using a quality and durable roofing material, such as Brava Roof Tiles.
By choosing between Brava’s synthetic slate, barrel tile, or cedar shake, homeowners today are able to not only create their own architectural story but also preserve it for generations to come. In fact, this is why many homes and buildings are starting to use Brava already. (Just take a look at our gallery.)
Before you know it, you might start paying attention to the architecture of homes in your area, and you might even start asking yourself, “What story is this home trying to tell?”