Brutalist architecture has come a long way since its original peak back in the late 1950s to 60s. Back then, institutional buildings and social housing projects projected a cold and austere nature that became associated with totalitarianism by the late 1970s, and so fell out of favour. Now we’re seeing an exciting comeback of reinforced concrete and steel exteriors, cast in modular volumes to build great hulking triumphs and unique private residences. Brutalism (coined from a play on the French ‘béton brut’, meaning ‘raw concrete’) is graphic, geometric, and toys with the negative space, all of which make it incredibly appealing to the minimalist mindset of today.
Frame the setting. The negative space created at the centre of this inspiring brutalist structure takes on the appearance of a serene blue skyscape, as though it were an art piece mounted on a raw concrete gallery wall.
Cut through with vivid colour. A stunning red support column and coordinating red window frames electrify this cold concrete mass with hot bolts of creativity. Love dark facades? Don't forget to check out our post on black houses for more.
Utilise elements of natural landscape. A massive concrete volume weighs heavy on the upper floor of this brutalist home design, with one corner perfectly propped on natural rock. Exterior uplighters have been positioned around its base to exaggerate its effect.
Concrete canopies. This Indonesian home design incorporates great concrete eaves that stretch as much as six metres wide. They have been designed in response to the high rain precipitation in Bandung, and as shelter from direct sunlight.
The majesty of monolithic slabs. Solid stone slabs stacked one atop the other build a sense of impressive immoveable scale.
Jenga! Perpendicular blocks build the rising stories of this mesmerizing home. skillfully toying with the weighty aesthetic.
Solid and succinct. This modern home exterior can’t easily be remodeled or changed, and so will remain the way the architect intended. The feeling of permanence that Brutalism brings is particularly attractive in our fast paced, quick changing and disposable modern culture.
Forge a fortress. The front entrance of this house looks like an impenetrable force. All windows are tucked around to the side elevations to maintain a solid face.
Carve out a cleft. A dominating tower has been sliced through from top to bottom to release a beam of warm light to the exterior. The cleft exaggerates the linear nature of the architecture, and creates a magnetising draw to the facade.
One for the art lover. Cutaways in this concrete facade create a sculptural effect. The entire piece reads like a series of giant art pieces, and even incorporates a huge plinth between the driveway and entry ramp.
Break down the overall mass with smaller pieces. These modular elements disguise a modern mansion in built-up Lucknow city, Decorative screens based on traditional 'chikan' embroidery shade the interior from the sun, whilst allowing cross-ventilation. Read more about this design here.
Lofted geometrics. Cubes and spheres are elevated on a great concrete framework, like a hulking treehouse.
Regain natural balance. This brutalist home limits concrete to the lower floor of the exterior only. Up on top, walls are fully clad with natural timber to bring balance between cold and warmth, man-made and natural.
Can’t leave out cantilevered. There is something so very dangerously thrilling about seeing a gigantic block of concrete suspended over mid air.
Anyone for a dip? The linear nature of the brutalist house aesthetic lends itself perfectly to the accompaniment of a long sparkling swimming pool.
The perfect prop. A somewhat slender support leg props up one end of this home’s huge concrete mass. A rounded cutout makes the enduring strength of the piece seem even less likely, and even more wondrous.
Softened by nature. Despite the imposing scale of Casa Entreparotas, the two story concrete structure is effectively feathered around its edges by soft natural vegetation. Find more snaps here.
The power of invisibility. The ground floor of this amazing building is made entirely of glass walls, which makes it disappear beneath its concrete crowning piece. See the interiors of this home here.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This terraced Japanese garden house, located in the suburbs of Kyiv, Ukraine, looks toward a garden view through a giant eye cut into its facade. More snaps in the original post: A Terraced Japanese Garden House Filled With Sculptural Art.
Reinterpret tradition. Traditional Chinese house characteristics, such as distinctive curved sloping rooflines, multiple courtyards, and an opaque wraparound wall were reimagined to form this unique modernist house.
On the rocks. This breathtaking architectural concept house on a rockface is the stuff brutalist architect dreams are built of.
Step it up. The roofline of this formidable structure ascends on either side, like a giant’s imperial staircase.
Bricks make a solid addition to brutalist architecture. In this design, grey brickwork builds chunky columns under an extended canopy / first floor terrace.
Carry on with the curves. A love of Brutalist architecture doesn’t mean that you have to forgo curvaceous outlines. Rounded ‘turrets’ give this home a castle-like appearance. A winding pathway compliments the look.
Clear balance. Glass volumes are set diagonally across from each other in the upper and lower stories here, creating a visual balance of negative space around a concrete core.
Ribbed wall panels and slatted room dividers are all the rage in interiors. In this design, a similar texture trend is translated to the exterior using Dhrangadhra sand stone.
Another textured concept, this time with matching boundary walls and garden fences.
Once thought to be undesirably utilitarian, Brutalism now transcends cool minimalism.
Brutalism ahoy! Portholes are cut out along the elongated face of this unique house exterior, as though it were a beached boat.
Got a penchant for pegboard walls? Well then this hole punched place might pique your interest. Massive perforations bore through dense concrete walls to lighten their look, as well as to let natural sunlight enter the volumes behind.
Straighten out the landscape. You almost don’t notice the severe slope of the natural landscape here, thanks to the unrelenting determination of the linear architectural design.
This time, a design by Adam Spychała works along with the natural slope of the landscape rather than against it. Great sloping sides pull up from a dropped driveway to pause at the main floor, before continuing all the way into the roofline. Let’s take a look at some of the most whimsical of Spychała’s stunning concepts...
… Brutalism has landed, and it looks like a spaceship.
This one could be alien life, or it could be the home of a steam punk fan.
This build definitely smacks of interplanetary colonisation. Round windows look out upon the wild landscape.
The lookout tower. Round windows gather around the top of this leggy structure, like a cubist meets Brutalist interpretation of a spiders head.
Geometric love. Circle cutouts and zigzagging V-beams form bold geo designs.
Lording over the landscape. This spectacular angular modern house appears to push straight out of the forest floor, growing toward the sun with the rest of the lush canopy.
Jagged rocks meets jagged architecture.
Concrete concertinas. These linked diamond supports portray the illusion that the house can rise and fall at will– with the imagined sound effect of a massive accordian!
Blowing out the boundaries. The walls around this house design are blown outward, as though a gift box has burst open to reveal the gifts inside.
Another skillfully executed sloping concept, this time with added to greenery to meld even further with the environment.
Mysterious and immovable, this modern masterpiece is tailored with precision. Mirror image double layered walls mark a boundary at either end of the linear form, and support a sharp roof terrace design. A car port is richly lined with wood panels to contrast with the austere precast concrete.
Make easy transitions to outdoor staircases. Concrete is an easy choice when it comes to the fabrication of outdoor staircases. So, when your house is made of raw concrete as well, it’s smooth sailing to uniting the two.
If we had a build site on an abandoned beach, then this blueprint would be high on our list.
Another seaside stunner.
A cutaway terrace makes this a sun worshippers paradise…
… And this one too.
Like a beached mighty whale, the mouth of this building gapes open, with no windows to be seen.
Cool and cropped. Cold concrete draws low lines into this flat plot, with interest added via a geometric and sloping side silhouette.
Car lovers Brutalist house exterior. When your concrete house looks like a futuristic car, complete with four hexagonal ‘wheels’ then you know you’ve hit top fan status. We would have added in a Tesla Cybertruck to complete the look.
