Top 7 Design Ideas from The 2016 New American Home

This House Plan Is Versatile, Stylish, Comfortable, and Eco-Friendly

 

 

With magnificent views of the Las Vegas skyline, the 2016 New American Home soars in the foothills of Henderson, Nevada, with its stone façade, huge glass windows and doors, high ceilings, sky deck, and impressive interior and exterior living spaces.

 

The highlight of the annual National Association of Home Builders’ International Builders Show (NAHB IBS), the 2016 New American Home, is a contemporary two-story structure that sits on more than 5,000 square feet of space. Like all the other previous house plans in the NAH series, the 33^rd edition offers “an advance look at new products, design trends and construction technologies that will shape the industry in the coming years.” 

 

 

Distinctive Design Features that Blend with the Natural Surroundings 

 

Taking a page from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Style, the 2016 New American Home architects skillfully merged architectural home design elements – portico, stone exteriors, interior walks, courtyards, open floors, outdoor living spaces – that complemented the desert landscape. While building on a slope presented challenges, the project team made design innovations and slight changes that produced a 2016 New American Home that is versatile, stylish, eco-friendly, comfortable, and energy-efficient. The following seven modern features, accents, and touches – and high-tech-home automation system – can be found in many of our house plans or adapted into any new home plan across the country or the world.   

 

 

A video of the 2016 New American Home shows how the design and materials blend seamlessly with the desert environment.

 

Like the 2016 New American Home, this three-story, three-bedroom Contemporary home plan blends features with its natural surroundings and creates a natural flow between indoor and outdoor living spaces. (Plan 117-1121)

 

  

The main entrance of this house plan takes you to the courtyard lined with trees and shrubs. One can sit back and relax on the deck chairs and enjoy the landscape. (Plan 117-1121)

 

 

 

1.   Flexible Open Layout 

 

From the simplest and smallest home to the luxurious and modern styles, a flexible open floor plan concept is a design trend that remains popular – and has staying power. The 2016 New American Home is no different, with its bright and airy open floor layout. The “unrestricted” space allows the smooth flow of traffic in the kitchen, dining, and living areas. An abundance of natural light and energy savings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and sliding glass doors are wonderful ideas for an open floor plan layout. 

 

 

The open floor plan concept is on display in this two-story, three-bedroom, three-bathroom modern house plan. Tall glass windows and doors enhance the amount of light that filters the home. A fireplace adds warmth and ambiance to the Great Room. (Plan 116-1100)

 

For a more traditional-looking flexible floor plan, try this one-story, four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath Prairie-style home plan. A very modern kitchen with a kitchen island is the central focus of the Great Room. A mix of natural materials – stone, wood, and glass – dominates the décor. (Plan 161-1058)  

 

 

 

2.   Landscape

 

A home’s design and style pretty much dictate the kind of landscaping installed on the grounds. With the 2016 New American Home, there was the challenge of the sloped site and water concerns in the Las Vegas area. From the outset, the project team understood all the nuances – and created a landscape that enhanced the home’s Contemporary desert style and heightened the connection between the interior and exterior spaces. They used cactus and other plants, shrubs, and trees that need minimal water to line the courtyard and walkways to address water concerns. 

 

 

Much like the 2016 New American Home, the landscaping around the courtyard entry of a one-story, two-bedroom contemporary Bungalow house plan focuses on its clean lines. Note how the trees are positioned so as not to overwhelm the home’s exterior. A type of rock garden with small plants and shrubs is the centerpiece of the landscaped courtyard. (Plan # 158-1290)

 

 

 

3.   Indoor/Outdoor Living Spaces

 

A very trendy design feature in 2016 - and an item on the “wish” list of today’s homeowners – is outdoor living space. With the 2016 New American Home, this concept is taken to a new level – not only with the large glass windows and doors – but also with a walkout basement with unobstructed views; and entire walls of the home that open out to the grounds. Open the doors, sliding doors to a courtyard that features an infinity pool and spa, wet bar, outdoor kitchen with all the fixtures, fire pit, built-in grill, and outdoor furniture.

 

You, too, can have your outdoor space by adding decks, outdoor kitchens, grilling porches, and fire pits. Designers are now using sliding glass doors that open out into rear patios to expand indoor space into the outdoors. 

 

 

Open the sliding glass doors and extend the party outdoors on the covered patio of this two-story, five-bedroom Mediterranean style home plan. You can also enjoy the view and outdoor space from the balcony. (Plan # 175-1073) 

 

 

 

4.   Large Glass Windows

 

Windows, windows, windows.

The 2016 New American Home features plenty of large glass windows that fill the home with natural light. The glass is coated with a special material that blocks the transfer of heat and cold – therefore, very energy-efficient. 

If you’re renovating or building a new home, go with trendy and attractive huge glass windows. You can’t go wrong, especially with the energy savings aspect.   

 

 

This living room of a one-story, four-bedroom Prairie-style house plan features floor-to-ceiling glass windows that allow an abundance of natural light into the home. There are blinds for protection when the sun gets too hot. (Plan # 161-1058)

 

 

 

5.   Multi-Generational Living

 

With Baby Boomers aging, more seniors living with their children, and adult children moving back with their parents, the 2016 New American Home is designed to accommodate multi-generational lifestyles using adaptable design concepts. There are common social areas around the private living spaces, giving the residents their independence and, at the same time, allowing them to be with family members whenever – and wherever in the home – they choose to gather.  

In addition to all the modern fixtures and state-of-the-art technology, the New American Home comes with family-friendly features like Jack-and-Jill baths and a walkout basement.  

 

 

 

6.   Energy-Efficiency and “Green” Building

 

The 2016 New American Home is also a showpiece for energy efficiency and sustainability. From an additional layer of insulation to the exterior walls, to solar panels, smoke-testing duct systems for leaks, and controlling air and moisture, the home’s design team integrated the newest in “green” products and materials to ensure a “clean footprint.”

The result? A comfortable home “that breathes mechanically, not passively, with energy recovery ventilators and a … system to filter out pollens and dust.”

 

 

This two-story, three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath passive solar house plan (left) includes a sunken living room, a dining room, and a kitchen that opens into the family room. A spacious south-facing solarium is included in the energy-efficient design. The floor plan for the main level (right) maps out the various social areas plus the solarium. (Plan # 146-2046)

 

 

 

7.   State-of-the-Art Home Automation Technology

 

Forgot to turn off the lights or the television in your rush to get out? Not a problem. You can turn them off remotely. 

A new and more advanced automation technology installed in the 2016 New American Home now gives homeowners more control than ever before. With this app, the homeowner can control lighting, climate, entertainment, and security from a favorite seat in the home – or a secure remote location.  

 

 

This two-story, three-bedroom Contemporary house plan can be pre-wired for home automation technology. (Plan # 153-1808)

 

 

The 2016 New American Home’s automation technology also allows homeowners to create profiles for family members and use personal photos to represent different rooms in the home. If something is amiss in the home, customized alerts and notifications are sent.

Whether you’re home or away, this new technology gives you everything you ever wanted – and more – in whole-home automation. For more information on Smart Homes, click here.

 

Get ready for the unveiling of the 2016 New American Home – and other hot design trends!  

 

 

Footnote: The lead image in this article is a rendering of the 2016 New American Home. For more photos, click here.