How The Block 2024 is reimagining Mid-Century Modern design

With its clean lines, commitment to functionality and connection with nature, it should come as no surprise that Mid-Century Modern design is experiencing something of a resurgence right now. The Block 2024 is masterfully bringing this style to life, with House 3 and House 5 using modern cladding solutions from the Hardie™ Architectural Collection to blend classic Mid-Century Modern features with contemporary designs.

Here's how the contestants are using Hardie™ products to marry retro aesthetics with modern functionality.

The Mid-Century Modern design language

Celebrated for their distinctively flat or gentle sloping rooflines, expansive windows and open-plan layouts, Mid-Century Modern homes blur the boundary between indoors and outdoors. They prioritise function over ornamentation, with minimalist designs that emphasise bold geometric forms. The ultimate goal is to create light-filled spaces that always feel connected to nature.

Houses 3 and 5 on The Block 2024 are taking these principles to the next level while still incorporating modern touches that make their homes both stylish and practical. Both properties feature striking facades using Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding, enhanced by Hardie™ Structural Batten to achieve a standing seam appearance. These battens allow for vertical installation of Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding on timber or steel frames utilising readily available fasteners, and can also facilitate re-cladding over existing brick exteriors. This allows the transformation of outdated facades into modern designs - in this case showcasing the sheer breadth of Mid-Century Modern design choices.

House 3: A single-storey Mid-Century marvel

House 3 on The Block 2024 takes a more classic approach to Mid-Century Modern with its low-lying, single-storey structure. The use of Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding in both 200mm and 300mm widths on the exterior creates an engaging visual rhythm, adding depth and dimension to the facade. The alternating board widths give the home a sleeker, bold look while retaining the minimalist aesthetic typical of Mid-Century Modern homes.

The asymmetrical roofline and expansive floor-to-ceiling windows in House 3 are key features that connect the home to its coastal surroundings, allowing light to flood the interiors and creating a seamless flow between the inside and outside spaces. The property’s clean, geometric lines are further accentuated by the vertical grooves of Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding, which evoke the wood panelling trend popular in 1970s design – yet with a modern twist.

The cladding itself not only boosts the architectural style but also delivers durability and low maintenance for the future homeowners. Made from Hardie™ fibre cement, Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding is fire-resistant, resistant to damage from moisture and termites, and can stand up to the harsh weather conditions on Phillip Island.

House 5: Raising the stakes of Mid-Century Modern design

While House 3 stays grounded with its single-storey layout, House 5 on The Block 2024 elevates the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic with an ambitious double-storey design. Adding to its appeal, the home combines Hardie™ Brushed Concrete Cladding on the bottom level and Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding on the upper floor – a smart pairing that highlights the versatility of both products.

Using Hardie™ Brushed Concrete Cladding on the bottom floor results in a more solid, textured foundation that grounds the home, giving it a visually dynamic and sophisticated appearance. The soft, flowing lines of the cladding transform with light, which creates a tactile quality that contrasts beautifully with the sleek, vertical grooves of the upper floor’s Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding.

Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding on the upper storey draws the eye and creates a sense of height. The contemporary look of vertical lines is dialled up against the subtle backdrop of textured panel on the ground floor. The unique finish of Hardie™ Brushed Concrete Cladding and the defined groove edges of Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding work together to create shifting light play throughout the day, delivering an endlessly interesting facade.

The asymmetrical butterfly roof on House 5 – a hallmark of Mid-Century Modern architecture – also adds to the overall sense of lightness throughout, while the floor-to-ceiling windows flood the home with natural light. It’s this attention to detail in both design and material choices that keeps the home rooted in Mid-Century Modern appeal while still able to embrace more contemporary construction techniques and use of materials.

Bringing it all together

Both House 3 and House 5 on this season of The Block are shining examples of how Mid-Century Modern design can be re-energised for contemporary living. Thanks to innovative exterior cladding solutions by James Hardie, these homes are able to stay true to the clean lines and minimalist ethos of Mid-Century Modernism while at the same time incorporating modern materials that enhance the durability and overall versatility of the designs.

Both homes blur the line between indoors and outdoors, and create stunning light-filled spaces – all while making use of cutting-edge materials that are built to last. Whether it’s the rhythmic pattern of Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding on House 3 or the combination of Hardie™ Brushed Concrete Cladding and Hardie™ Oblique™ Cladding on House 5, these homes will showcase the timeless appeal of Mid-Century Modern architecture for decades to come.