SYA used standing-seam metal for the rear cladding of the addition, a common local roofing material. Photo: Michael Moran.

The standing seam metal roof consists of steel panels coated with corrosion-resistant coating.

Rough-sawn plywood and standing-seam metal siding clad the house. “In cabins, we like to use undressed materials, which lend themselves to the simplicity of the structure,” says architect Tom Lenchek.

Hands OffArchitect Steve Bull aimed to create a home for Leinicke and Navitsky that was virtually maintenance-free. To that end, the exterior is standing-seam metal siding that will never need to be painted; the cedar walls are finished with an eco-friendly Osmo semisolid stain rather than paint; and the floors are end-grain fir, a recycled by-product of door manufacturing that “is so tough it will outlast most buildings,” says Bull. custombiltmetals.com osmona.com oregonlumber.com

Marco V. Morelli says his Studio Shed is the perfect refuge. “It’s changed my life for the better,” he says. “I’ve gotten so much more work done, and I think my marital relations are much better because I have a place of my own.”

The gabled addition is topped with a standing seam metal roof and is clad in vertical corrugated metal siding.

The standing-seam metal siding was rolled on site in an effort to reduce waste. It was prefinished with Kynar paint in the color Preweathered Galvalume.

A private terrace overlooks an alleyway on the main floor’s southeastern end. “[The home’s] outdoor spaces are all to varying degrees extensions of interior space,” Schaer says.

The mid-section of the siding was done in a shou-sugi ban method. Custom brass was used for the awning, alongside a standing-seam metal roof.

Architects Tiffany Bowie and Joe Malboeuf’s Capitol Hill, Seattle, infill project was completed for $189 per square foot. Its street-facing facade is clad in prefinished siding from Taylor Metals, and cedar shaped and cut with CNC technology. The couple was inspired by the porthole windows of the Maritime Hotel in New York City, one of their favorite buildings.

The house has a standing-seam metal roof and is finished with black-tinted stucco and a standing-seam metal roof.

“For the structure, Mapos devised a hybrid system of concrete, steel, and Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs),” co-principal Caleb Mulvena says. “Each was strategically utilized to create a lightweight, rigid, and highly energy-efficient shell.” Fiber cement-board cladding and a steel standing-seam roof act as the structure’s envelope.

Standing seam siding gives a durable exterior finish, with plywood panels adding warm accents.

Standing-seam copper siding accentuates sections of the structure that provide shear support for the steel moment frame.

Elsa, designed and built by Olive Nest Tiny Homes, is a 323-square-foot tiny house, complete with a pergola-covered porch, a swing, and a greenhouse. "We wanted to soften the look and the experience and extend the living space with something useful," says designer Melanie Aho, who launched the tiny home company with her parents Mary Susan Hanson and Randy Hanson. Elsa is outfitted with cedar shiplap, standing-seam metal exterior siding, and a standing-seam metal pitched roof. "The look is simple and earthy," Aho says. "We’re of Scandinavian heritage and are drawn to Scandinavian style and design."

“I love the look of mass plantings,” notes Neely, near Mexican feather grasses--which thrive on the sunny lot.

For a cost-conscious 2,000-square-foot renovation located 30 minutes outside of Austin, Texas, architect Nick Deaver took a look around for inspiration. He spied galvanized metal cladding on the region’s sheds and co-opted the inexpensive, resilient material for his own design.

This gabled addition by Upstairs Studio Architecture is topped with a standing seam metal roof and is clad in vertical corrugated metal siding.

Gray-painted corrugated metal exterior siding offsets white-painted galvanized standing-seam metal siding on the front and rear of the house.

The roof is standing-seam galvanized metal and the siding is Thermory driftwood.

"The cedar siding is simply stained with a black semi-transparent oil stain [from Cabot], which allows the color of the wood to still emerge through,” architect Robert Hutchison says. “We love how the black color makes the building recede into the background, and how it in turn allows the trees on the site to emerge as the highlight.”

The 925-square-foot house Maggie Treanor calls home blends into the landscape somewhat; with a galvanized steel shed roof and siding, it looks like a high-design little brother to the barns on the surrounding farms.

Preservation Props Since the house is in a historic district, Beebe and Skidmore’s interventions were constrained by local guidelines, including a stipulation that the walls of the addition couldn’t line up with the walls of the existing house. They bumped the walls in by five feet on either side and painted the addition, clad in siding from Capital Lumber, a color complementary to the original building’s deep, bright blue. “A guy from Boise’s preservation office came by and said, ‘This is a perfect example of how we’d like people to build additions,’” says Dana. “We were pretty proud of that.” beebeskidmore.com capital-lumber.com

The volumes are wrapped in black standing-seam metal with custom 24" Alaskan yellow cedar siding for contrast.

Fiber-cement siding by Allura emphasizes the horizontality of the house and, along with the standing seam metal roof, nods to the traditional New England vernacular.

The tiny home's exterior features eastern cedar siding, painted Hardie Board, corrugated metal accents, casement windows, and a charcoal grey standing seam metal roof.

The living room is warmed by a Morsø wood stove. The house is clad in Maibec prefinished tongue-and-groove wood siding in Ultra White and has a standing-seam metal roof.

Sherman’s friend Anna Chang prepares tea in the kitchen. The range is by Wolf. Walls are coated with parging, a type of concrete made with sand instead of gravel—-more typically used in an industrial context.

“From the street, it appears as a rectangular building with sloping shed roofs, but this is actually an illusion,” Hutchison notes. “The floor plan is actually U-shaped, wrapping around an entry courtyard that is contained by the continuous west facade.” A standing seam metal roof by Custom Bilt Metals blends in with the cedar siding.

Datscha, the 194-square-foot cabin that Anna and Jakob Busch built with the help of family and friends, is clad with spruce siding and capped with a standing-seam metal roof.

The exterior is clad in black standing-seam metal siding, while a terrace with a family-size sectional sits on the roof. Even on a small lot, there’s room for a backyard with a trampoline.

Wrapped in standing-seam aluminum metal panels, the new addition is artful and subdued. Modern yet discreet, the dark tone and slanted roof allow the addition to fade behind the original structure and roof.

Located just off the kitchen, this room was originally designed for dining—the adjustable Ligne Roset Crescendo coffee table can be raised to 28.75 inches—but most days Bill and Abbie prefer to eat outside or at their casual Caesarstone-topped kitchen island. Today the space serves as a sunny reading spot and guest room, with a convertible futon (from Ligne Roset, since discontinued) and a set of leather-and-steel Paulistano armchairs from Design Within Reach.

White corrugated-aluminum siding and a standing-seam metal roof have been chosen for the exterior, as these materials are known for having a long lifespan and require low maintenance.

The facade is clad with beveled siding, stained dark to meld into the forest.