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Box Modern by James Hardie
Radiating impenetrable strength and immutable calm, the Box Modern home – a contemporary architectural trend identified by James Hardie – delivers an undeniable sense of sanctuary.
As a dominant force in the Australian and New Zealand building industry – and the number one cladding brand in the market – James Hardie has its finger firmly on the pulse of architectural trends, which drive not only the look of our homes, but how we live in them. This knowledge and research – involving architects and designers across the industry – has been condensed into the James Hardie Modern Homes Forecast 2024, which identifies seven emerging home styles that will dominate the landscape into the future. Box Modern is one of these trending designs, a strikingly minimalist contemporary style, reflecting our need for home to be a retreat, a protective barrier between the stresses of the outside world and the comfort of home.
Key to the Box Modern build is simplicity of shape – the design is, in essence, an arrangement of boxes, elevating this most basic of forms into a modernist masterpiece. For the people who live within it, the attraction of the Box Modern design speaks to the global sentiment of unease, of seeking a cocooning sanctuary from the external stressors of climate change, cost of living and post-pandemic anxiety. The imposing facade combines severe angles, intimidating size and minimal windows to preserve privacy and create the impression of a fortress of safety and comfort.
Architecturally speaking, the apparent simplicity of a ‘building block’ form allows almost infinite freedom to innovate. Thus, a Box Modern design may be characterised by gravity-defying cantilevered cubes, asymmetrical shapes, protruding windows and window hoods –adding an extra layer to the boxy form – and parapet walls, which hide the roofline to give the impression of a flat roof. Though starting from a guiding principle of geometric simplicity, the architectural possibilities are only limited by the imagination.
The selection of materials – particularly, the contrast of materiality – is an essential feature of a successful Box Modern design, used to customise the home within the elegantly restrained parameters of a minimalist design. Architect Joe Snell, an expert in the style, explains: “In a Box Modern home, every fixture, furnishing and material contributes to the design story, expressing a profound appreciation for functionality and contemporary minimalism in everyday living. The minimal approach of a limited colour palette allows the beauty of surrounding materials and textures to come to the forefront.”
On the exterior, Hardie exterior cladding solutions from the Hardie Architectural Collection – which all now have a 25-year warranty – serve to heighten the contrast between the box shapes, while textured finishes work as a tool to express character within the distinctly minimalist black, white and grey palette of a Box Modern build. “Cladding solutions are integral to defining the distinctive aesthetic of Box Modern homes,” says Snell. “Products in the Architectural Collection are designed to complement one another. When combined with contrasting colours and bold materials, the effect is visually exciting and dynamic.” For example, a Box Modern build might be grounded by subtly textured , then elevated by the contrasting wide grooves of . Or the embedded swept texture of could be broken by a cantilevered cube in industrial-style Matrix Cladding. When it comes to a Box Modern home, the options are simply endless.
