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MF Architecture's focus on how an Austin, Texas, home will function practically while embracing its surroundings results in a modern structure that's effortlessly stylish. By: Lauren Fansler
From: Matt Fajkus Architecture


Designers' Showcase Modern Design Styles Home's Modern Design Elegantly Combines the Natural and the Manmade

Designers wanted to incorporate the site's dynamic landscape into the design of this home, so they created a meaningfully framed procession through the property with nuanced natural lighting throughout, creating a transitional space between the manmade and nature. 
Photo by: Spaces & Faces Photography

Spaces & Faces Photography

Charged with building a home on a sloping lot, architect Matt Fajkus and his team turned to modernism's focus on function before style to create a space that worked for his clients.

The resulting Austin, Texas, home is a structure that embraces its surroundings while offering an interior layout that makes sense. Glass Draws Connection Between the Front Yard and Courtyard

Designers wanted everything in this modern home to be connected, so they used glass throughout the design to create this synergy, drawing a line of sight from the front yard, into the home's interior and into the courtyard space. 


"It's not actually the geometry or the materials that make (the home) modern. It's a more organic approach to being one with the site, one with the relationship of how people move through the space rather than just an aesthetic look that you see from the outside," says Fajkus, principal of MF Architecture and professor of architecture at the University of Texas.

The home distinctly connects with the land and surroundings both in how its structures step down with the slope of the lot and through wooden accent materials. At the center of the home, a wall of windws provide a view to the horizon beyond the home. Formal Dining Room With Rows of Windows

Down the hall, a dining table with eight chairs waits at the ready for visitors. Windows on either side provide unobstructed views of the outdoors, and so help the space feel larger and more open. 
Photo by: Charles Davis Smith

Charles Davis Smith

Fajkus and his team, which included Jayson Kabala and David Birt, designed the home so that its private living quarters to be separate from common areas like the kitchen and living room. The dining room, located in the center, acts as a buffer between the two wings -- "A circulation zone between the common areas and the private wing of the house so that it would always be used," Fajkus says. Dining Bridge with View of Backyard Entertaining Space

A dining bridge connects the common and private wings of this modern home. From the interior of the dining space, guests and homeowners have a beautiful view of the pool and outdoor entertaining space to enjoy while they eat. 


The common areas and private areas are further connected by a spacious U-shaped courtyard at the back of the home. The courtyard, which includes a pool and outdoor lounging and dining areas, enables the homeowners to capitalize on the outdoor lifestyle that's common in Austin.

Ultimately the home's distinct modern style -- "born out of function rather than based on style," Fajkus says -- followed suit with low-pitched rooflines, ample natural lighting, organic materials and neutral color schemes. 1920s English Cotswold-Style Home Gets Refreshed for Chicago-Area Family of Eight

Tasked with making a 1920s English Cotswold-style home comfortable for a family of eight, Chicago architect Michael Abraham honors the original design of the home while updating it for the 21st century. Breezy Coastal Home Filled With Pops of Orange

This coastal home, by Martha's Vineyard Interior Design, is the perfect summer getaway. Throughout the home there are pops of orange that give the space a fun and energetic vibe. Modern Miami Home With Ocean View

This modern home by STRANG Architecture epitomizes Miami living. The house features a cool, minimalist aesthetic, an interior courtyard, ocean views and is full of natural light thanks to large windows throughout. Standout Downtown LA Loft That Marries Pattern + Texture

This midcentury modern loft designed by Lindye Galloway Interiors is a beautiful culmination of colors and textures that blend together seamlessly.