HOUSE STYLES
Pueblo
Massive, round-edged walls made with adobe
Flat roof with no overhang
Stepped levels
Rounded parapet
Spouts in the parapet to direct rainwater
Vigas (heavy timbers) extending through walls which serve as main roof support beams
Latillas (poles) placed above vigas in angled pattern
Deep window and door openings
Simple windows
Beehive corner fireplace
Bancos (benches) that protrude from walls
Nichos (niches) carved out of wall for display of religious icons
Brick, wood, or flagstone floors
Since ancient times, pueblo Indians built large, multi-family houses, which the Spanish called
pueblos (villages). In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Spanish made their own pueblo homes, but they
adapted the style. They formed the adobe into sun-dried building blocks. After stacking the blocks, the
Spaniards covered them with protective layers of mud. Pueblo revival houses became popular in the early
1900s and are still a popular style in the southwestern regions of the united states. These modern-day
pueblos might not be made of adobe. Instead, some contemporary adobe homes are made with concrete
blocks or other materials covered with adobe, stucco, plaster, or mortar
Cap Cod
Steep roof with side gables
Small roof overhang
1 or 1½ stories
Made of wood and covered in wide clapboard or shingles
Large central chimney linked to fireplace in each room
Symmetrical appearance with door in center
Dormers for space, light, and ventilation
Multi-paned, double-hung windows
Shutters
Formal, center-hall floor plan
Hardwood floors
Little exterior ornamentation
History of the Cape Cod Style
The first Cape Cod style homes were built by English colonists who came to America in the late 17th century. They
modeled their homes after the half-timbered houses of England, but adapted the style to the stormy New England weather. Over
the course of a few generations, a modest, one- to one-and-a-half-story house with wooden shutters emerged. Reverend Timothy
Dwight, a president of Yale University, is credited with recognizing these houses as a class and coining the term "Cape Cod."
Much later, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, a renewed interest in America's past inspired a variety of Colonial
Revival styles. Colonial Revival Cape Cod houses became especially popular during the 1930s. These small, economical houses
were mass-produced in suburban developments across the United States.
Twentieth century Cape Cod houses often have dormers. The chimney is usually placed at one end instead of at the
center. The shutters on modern Cape Cod houses are strictly decorative; they can't be closed during a storm.
Georgian
Square, symmetrical shape
Paneled front door at center
Decorative crown over front door
Flattened columns on each side of door
Five windows across front
Paired chimneys
Medium pitched roof
Minimal roof overhang
Many Georgian Colonial homes also have:
Nine or twelve small window panes in each window sash
Dental molding (square, tooth-like cuts) along the eaves
Georgian Colonial became the rave in New England and the Southern colonies during the 1700's.
Stately and symmetrical, these homes imitated the larger, more elaborate Georgian homes which were
being built in England. But the genesis of the style goes back much farther. During the reign of King George
I in the early 1700's, and King George III later in the century, Britons drew inspiration from the Italian
Renaissance and from ancient Greece and Rome.
Georgian ideals came to New England via pattern books, and Georgian styling became a favorite
of well-to-do colonists. More humble dwellings also took on characteristics of the Georgian style. America's
Georgian homes tend to be less ornate than those found in Britain.
Log Cabin
Was introduced by Swedish settlers in the early
1700s
Used no nails
Contained only one room
Was only 10 feet wide
Measured 12 to 20 feet long
Had at least one glass window
Included a loft area for sleeping
French Creole
Timber frame with brick or "bousillage" (mud combined with moss and animal hair)
wide hipped roof extends over porches
Thin wooden columns
Living quarters raised above ground level
Wide porches, called "galleries"
No interior hallways
Porches used as passageway between rooms
French doors (doors with many small panes of glass
French Creole architecture is an American Colonial style that developed in
the early 1700s in the Mississippi Valley, especially in Louisiana. French Creole
buildings borrow traditions from France, the Caribbean, and many other parts of
the world.
French Creole homes from the Colonial period were especially designed
for the hot, wet climate of that region. Traditional French Creole homes had
some or all of these features:
Federal
Low-pitched roof, or flat roof with a balustrade
Windows arranged symmetrically around a center doorway
Semicircular fanlight over the front door
Narrow side windows flanking the front door
Decorative crown or roof over front door
Tooth-like dentil moldings in the cornice
Palladian window
Circular or elliptical windows
Shutters
Decorative swags and garlands
Oval rooms and arches
These architects are known for their Federalist buildings:
Charles Bulfinch Samuel McIntyre Alexander Perris William Thorton
The Federal (or Federalist) style has its roots in England. Two British brothers named Adam adapted the pragmatic
Georgian style, adding swags, garlands, urns, and other delicate details. In the American colonies, homes and public buildings
also took on graceful airs. Inspired by the work of the Adam brothers and also by the great temples of ancient Greece and Rome,
Americans began to build homes with Palladian windows, circular or elliptical windows, recessed wall arches, and oval-shaped
rooms. This new Federal style became associated with America's evolving national identity.
It's easy to confuse Federalist architecture with the earlier Georgian Colonial style. The difference is in the details:
While Georgian homes are square and angular, a Federal style building is more likely to have curved lines and decorative
flourishes. Federalist architecture was the favored style in the United States from about 1780 until the 1830s. However, Federalist
details are often incorporated into modern American homes. Look past the vinyl siding, and you may see a fanlight or the elegant
arch of a Palladian window.
Greek Revival
Pediment gable
Symmetrical shape
Heavy cornice
Wide, plain frieze
Bold, simple moldings
Many Greek Revival houses also have these features:
Entry porch with columns
Decorative pilasters
Narrow windows around front door
In the mid-19th century, many prosperous Americans believed that ancient Greece represented
the spirit of democracy. Interest in British styles had waned during the bitter War of 1812. Also, many
Americans sympathized with Greece's own struggles for independence in the 1820s.
Greek Revival architecture began with public buildings in Philadelphia. Many European-trained
architects designed in the popular Grecian style, and the fashion spread via carpenter's guides and pattern
books. Colonnaded Greek Revival mansions - sometimes called Southern Colonial houses - sprang up
throughout the American south. With its classic clapboard exterior and bold, simple lines, Greek Revival
architecture became the most predominant housing style in the United States.
During the second half of the 19th century, Gothic Revival and Italianate styles captured the
American imagination. Grecian ideas faded from popularity. However, front-gable design - a trademark of
the Greek Revival style - continued to influence the shape of American houses well into the 20th century.
You will notice the classic front-gable design in simple "National Style" farm houses throughout the United
States.
Tidewater
Tidewater homes have extensive
porches (or "galleries") sheltered by a
broad hipped roof. The main roof
extends over the porches without
interruption.
Antebellum
Hipped or gabled roof
Symmetrical façade
Evenly-spaced windows
Greek pillars and columns
Elaborate friezes Balconies
Covered porch
Central entryway
Grand staircase
Formal ballroom
Antebellum means "before war" in Latin. The term Antebellum refers to elegant
plantation homes built in the American South in the 30 years or so preceding the Civil War.
Antebellum is not a particular house style. Rather, it is a time and place in history.
The features we associate with Antebellum architecture were introduced to the American
South by Anglo-Americans who moved into the area after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
Most Antebellum homes are in the Greek Revival, Classical Revival, or Federal style:
grand, symmetrical, and boxy, with center entrances in the front and rear, balconies, and
columns or pillars.
Gothic Revival
Pointed windows with decorative tracery
Grouped chimneys
Pinnacles
Flat roofs with Battlements, or gable roofs with parapets
Leaded glass
Quatrefoil and clover shaped windows
Oriel windows
The earliest and most famous example of masonry Gothic Revival architecture in the United States
is Lyndhurst, an all-marble estate in Tarrytown, New York. The architect, Alexander Jackson Davis,
published a book that inspired other Americans to build in the Gothic Revival style. In the 1870s, a related
style, High Victorian Gothic or Neo-Gothic, grew out of the Gothic Revival movement.
Buildings in the High Victorian Gothic style had many of these features:
Strong vertical lines and a sense of great height
Heavy, bold details
Leaves, vines, gargoyles, and other stone carvings
Multi-colored masonry, often forming patterns or bands
Slightly pointed Romanesque arches
Faithful re-creation of medieval styles
Few people could afford to build a masonry home in the Gothic Revival or High Gothic revival style. In the United
States, the masonry versions of Gothic Revival and High Gothic Revival architecture were used mainly for
churches, public buildings, and grand estates. However, the ready availability of lumber lead to a distinctly
American version of the Gothic Revival style, constructed with wood.
Gothic Revival (Wooden)
Steeply pitched roof
Steep cross gables
Windows with pointed arches
Vertical board and batten siding
One-story porch
The earliest Gothic Revival homes were constructed of stone and brick. The Gothic Revival
style imitated the great cathedrals and castles of Europe. However, few people could afford
to build grand masonry homes in the Gothic Revival style. In the United States, the ready
availability of lumber and factory-made architectural trim lead to a distinctly American
version of Gothic Revival. Wood-framed Gothic Revival homes became America's dominant
style in the mid-1800s.
New machines invented during the Victorian era made it easy and affordable to add
scrolled ornaments, lacy bargeboards, "gingerbread" trim, and other decorative details.
Heavily decorated wood-frame cottages in the Gothic Revival style are often called
Carpenter Gothic.
Italianate
Low-pitched or flat roof
Balanced, symmetrical rectangular shape
Tall appearance, with 2, 3, or 4 stories
Wide, overhanging eaves with brackets and cornices
Square cupola
Porch topped with balustrade balconies
Tall, narrow, double-paned windows with hood moldings
Side bay window
Heavily molded double doors
Roman or segmented arches above windows and doors
The Italianate style began in England with the picturesque movement of the 1840s. For the
previous 200 years, English homes tended to be formal and classical in style. With the picturesque,
movement, however, builders began to design fanciful recreations of Italian Renaissance villas. When the
Italianate style moved to the United States, it was reinterpreted again to create a uniquely American style.
By the late 1860s, Italianate was the most popular house style in the United States. Historians say
that Italianate became the favored style for two reasons:
Italianate homes could be constructed with many different building materials, and the style could be
adapted to modest budgets.
New technologies of the Victorian era made it possible to quickly and affordably produce cast-iron
and press-metal decorations.
Italianate remained the most popular house style in the USA until the 1870s. Italianate was also a
common style for barns, town halls, and libraries. You will find Italianate buildings in nearly every part of the
United States except for the deep South. There are fewer Italianate buildings in the southern states
because the style reached its peak during the Civil War, a time when the south was economically
devastated.
Second Empire
Mansard roof
Dormer windows project like eyebrows from roof
Rounded cornices at top and base of roof
Brackets beneath the eaves, balconies, and bay windows
Many Second Empire homes also have these features:
Cupola
Patterned slate on roof
Wrought iron cresting above upper cornice
Classical pediments
Paired columns
Tall windows on first story
Small entry porch
Second Empire buildings with tall mansard roofs were modeled after the the opulent architecture of
Paris during the reign of Napoleon III. French architects used the term horror vacui - the fear of unadorned
surfaces - to describe the highly ornamented Second Empire style. Second Empire buildings were also
practical: their height allowed for additional living space on narrow city lots.
In the United States, government buildings in the Second Empire style resemble the elaborate
French designs. Private homes, however, often have an Italianate flavor. Both Italianate and Second
Empire houses tend to be square in shape, and both can have U-shaped window crowns, decorative
brackets, and single story porches. But, Italianate houses have much wider eaves... and they do not have
the distinctive mansard roof characteristic of the Second Empire style.
Stick Style
Rectangular shape
Wood siding
Steep, gabled roof
Overhanging eaves
Ornamental trusses (gable braces)
Decorative braces and brackets
Decorative half-timbering
The most important features of Stick Style houses are on the exterior wall surfaces.
Instead of three-dimensional ornamentation, the emphasis is on patterns and lines. Because
the decorative details are flat, they are often lost when homeowners remodel. If the
decorative stickwork is covered up with vinyl siding or painted a single solid color, a Stick
Style Victorian may appear plain and rather ordinary.
The Palliser Company, which published many plan books during the Victorian era,
called stick architecture plain yet neat, modern, and comfortable. However, Stick was a
short-lived fashion. The angular and austere style couldn't compete with the fancy Queen
Annes that took America by storm. Some Stick architecture did dress up in fancy Eastlake
spindles and Queen Anne flourishes. But very few authentic Stick Style homes remain
intact.
Victorian
This colorful Victorian home is a Queen Anne, but the lacy,
ornamental details are called Eastlake. The ornamental style is
named after the famous English designer, Charles Eastlake,
who was famous for making furniture decorated with fancy
spindles. Eastlake details can be found on a variety of Victorian
house styles. Some of the more fanciful Stick Style Victorians
have Eastlake buttons and knobs combined with the angular
stickwork.
Folk Victorian
Square, symmetrical shape
Brackets under the eaves
Porches with spindlework or flat, jigsaw cut trim
Carpenter gothic details
Low-pitched, pyramid shaped roof
Front gable and side wings
Industrialization and the growth of railroads meant that decorative
architectural trim could be mass produced and sent to remote corners of the
continent. Also, smaller towns could now obtain sophisticated woodworking
machinery. A crate of scrolled brackets might find its way to Kansas or
Wyoming, where carpenters could mix and match the pieces according to
personal whim... Or, according to what happened to be in the latest shipment
Shingle Style
Continuous wood shingles on siding and roof
Irregular roof line
Cross gables
Eaves on several levels
Porches
Asymmetrical floor plan
Some Shingle Style homes also have these features:
Wavy wall surface
Patterned shingles
Squat half-towers
Palladian windows
Rough hewn stone on lower stories
Stone arches over windows and porches
Shingle Style houses can take on many forms. Some have tall turrets, suggestive of Queen Anne
architecture. Some have gambrel roofs, Palladian windows, and other Colonial Revival details. Some
Shingle houses have features borrowed from Tudor, Gothic and Stick styles. But, unlike those styles,
Shingle architecture is relaxed and informal. Shingle houses do not have the lavish decorations that were
popular during the Victorian era. The architectural historian Vincent Scully coined the term "Shingle Style"
because these homes are usually sided in rustic cedar shingles. However, not all Shingle Style houses are
shingle-sided. You will recognize them by their complicated shapes and rambling, informal floor plans.
Richardson Romanesque
Constructed of rough-faced, square stones
Round towers with cone-shaped roofs
Columns and pilasters with spirals and leaf designs
Low, broad "Roman" arches over arcades and doorways
Patterned masonry arches over windows
About the Romanesque style:
During the 1870s, Boston architect Henry Hobson Richardson captured the American imagination
with rugged, forceful buildings like Allegheny Courthouse in Pittsburgh and Trinity Church in Boston. These
buildings were called "Romanesque" because they had wide, rounded arches like buildings in ancient
Rome. Henry Hobson Richardson became so famous for his Romanesque designs that the style is often
called Richardsonian Romanesque. The heavy Romanesque style was especially suited for grand public
buildings. However, Romanesque buildings, with massive stone walls, were expensive to construct. Only
the wealthy adopted the Richardsonian Romanesque style for private homes.
Queen Ann
Steep roof
Complicated, asymmetrical shape
Front-facing gable
One-story porch that extends across one or two sides of the house
Round or square towers
Wall surfaces textured with decorative shingles, patterned masonry, or halftimbering
Ornamental spindles and brackets
Bay windows
Queen Anne became an architectural fashion in the 1880s and 1890s,
when the industrial revolution brought new technologies. Builders began to use
mass-produced pre-cut architectural trim to create fanciful and sometimes
flamboyant houses. Not all Queen Anne houses are lavishly decorated,
however. Some builders showed restraint in their use of embellishments. Still,
the flashy "painted ladies" of San Francisco and the refined brownstones of
Brooklyn share many of the same features.
Beaux Arts (French for "fine art")
Massive and grandiose
Constructed with stone
Balustrades
Balconies
Columns
Cornices
Pilasters
Triangular pediments
Lavish decorations: swags, medallions, flowers, and shields
Grand stairway
Large arches
Symmetrical façade
The Beaux Arts (French for "fine art") style originated in the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. Many
American architects studied at this legendary architectural school, where they learned about the aesthetic
principles of classical design and brought them to the United States.
Also known as Beaux Arts Classicism, Academic Classicism, or Classical Revival, Beaux Arts is a
late and eclectic form of Neoclassicism. It combines classical architecture from ancient Greece and Rome
with Renaissance ideas. Beaux Arts is characterized by order, symmetry, formal design, grandiosity, and
elaborate ornamentation. In the United States, the Beaux Arts style led to planned neighborhoods with
large, showy houses, wide boulevards, and vast parks. Due to the size and grandiosity of the buildings, the
Beaux Arts style is most commonly used for public buildings like museums, railway stations, libraries,
banks, courthouses, and government buildings.
The popularity of the Beaux Arts style waned in the 1920's, and within 25 years the buildings were
considered ostentatious. Later in the 20th century, postmodernists rediscovered an appreciation of the
Beaux Arts ideals.
Colonial Revival
Symmetrical façade
Rectangular
2 to 3 stories
Brick or wood siding
Simple, classical detailing
Gable roof
Pillars and columns
Multi-pane, double-hung windows with shutters
Dormers
Temple-like entrance: porticos topped by pediment
Paneled doors with sidelights and topped with rectangular transoms or fanlights
Center entry-hall floor plan
Living areas on the first floor and bedrooms on the upper floors
Fireplaces
Colonial Revival became a popular American house style after it appeared at the 1876 the US
Centennial Exposition. Reflecting American patriotism and a desire for simplicity, the Colonial Revival house
style remained popular until the mid-1950's. Between World War I and II, Colonial Revival was the most
popular historic revival house style in the United States.
Some architectural historians say that Colonial Revival is a Victorian style; others believe that the
Colonial Revival style marked the end of the Victorian period in architecture. The Colonial Revival style is
based loosely on Federal and Georgian house styles, and a clear reaction against excessively elaborate
Victorian Queen Anne architecture. Eventually, the simple, symmetrical Colonial Revival style became
incorporated into the Foursquare and Bungalow house styles of the early 20th century.
Tudor
Decorative half-timbering
Steeply pitched roof
Prominent cross gables
Tall, narrow windows
Small window panes
Massive chimneys, often topped with decorative chimney pots
About the Tudor Style The name Tudor suggests that these houses imitate English architecture from the early 16th
century. However, most Tudor style homes were inspired by building techniques from an earlier time. Some Tudor houses mimic
humble Medieval cottages - They may even include a false thatched roof. Other Tudor homes borrow ideas from late Medieval
palaces. They may have overlapping gables, parapets and beautifully patterned brick or stonework. These historic details
combine with Victorian or Craftsman flourishes.
As in many Queen Anne and Stick style homes, Tudor style houses often feature striking decorative timbers. These
timbers hint at - but do not duplicate - Medieval building techniques. In Medieval houses, the timber framing was integral with the
structure. Modern Tudor houses, however, merely suggest the structural framework with false half-timbering. This decorative
woodwork comes in many different designs, with stucco or patterned brick between the timbers.
Handsome examples of Tudor style architecture may be found throughout Great Britain, northern Europe and the
United States. The main square in Chester, England is surrounded by lavish Victorian Tudors that stand unapologetically
alongside authentic medieval buildings.
In the United States, Tudor styling takes on a variety of forms ranging from elaborate mansions to modest suburban
homes with mock masonry veneers. The style became enormously popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and modified versions
became fashionable in the 1970s and 1980s.
One popular housing type inspired by inspired by Tudor ideas is the Cotswold Cottage. These quaint homes have an
imitation thatched roof, massive chimneys, an uneven sloping roof, small window panes, and low doors.
Cotswold Cottage
Sloping, uneven roof, sometimes made of pseudo-thatch
Brick, stone, or stucco siding
Very steep cross gables
Prominent brick or stone chimney, often at the front near the door
Casement windows with small panes
Small dormer windows
Asymmetrical design
Low doors and arched doors
Small, irregularly-shaped rooms
Sloping walls in rooms on upper floor
About the Cotswold Cottage house style
The small, fanciful Cotswold Cottage is a popular subtype of the Tudor Revival house style. This
quaint English country style is based on the cottages built since medieval times in the Cotswold region of
southwestern England. A fascination for medieval styles inspired American architects create modern
versions of the rustic homes. The Cotswold Cottage style became especially popular in the United States
during the 1920s and 1930s. The picturesque Cotswold Cottage is usually asymmetrical with a steep,
complex roof line. The floor plan tends to include small, irregularly-shaped rooms, and the upper rooms
have sloping walls with dormers. The home may have a sloping slate or cedar roof that mimics the look of
thatch. A massive chimney often dominates either the front or one side of the house.
Renaissance revival
Cube-shaped
Balanced, symmetrical façade
Smooth stone walls, made from finely-cut ashlar, or smooth stucco finish
Low-pitched hi or Mansard roof
Roof topped with balustrade
Wide eaves with large brackets
Horizontal stone banding between floors
Segmental pediments
Ornately-carved stone window trim varying in design at each story
Smaller square windows on top floor
Quoins (large stone blocks at the corners)
"Second" Renaissance Revival Houses are larger and usually have:
Arched, recessed openings
Full entablatures between floors
Columns
Ground floor made of rusticated stone with beveled edges and deeply-recessed joints
About the Renaissance Revival Style
Renaissance (French for "rebirth") refers to the artistic, architectural, and literary movement in Europe between the 14th and 16th
centuries. The Renaissance Revival style is based on the architecture of 16th-century Renaissance Italy and France, with additional elements
borrowed from Ancient Greek and Roman architecture. Renaissance Revival is a general term which encompasses the various Italian
Renaissance Revival and French Renaissance Revival styles, including Second Empire.
The Renaissance Revival style was popular during two separate phases. The first phase, or the First Renaissance Revival, was
from about 1840 to 1885, and the Second Renaissance Revival, which was characterized by larger and more elaborately decorated buildings,
was from 1890 to 1915. Due to the expensive materials required and the elaborate style, Renaissance Revival was best suited for public and
commercial buildings, and very grand homes for the wealthy.
American Foursquare
American Foursquare houses usually have these features:
Simple box shape
Two-and-a-half stories high
Four-room floor plan
Low-hipped roof with deep overhang
Large central dormer
Full-width porch with wide stairs
Brick, stone, stucco, concrete block, or wood siding
About the Foursquare House Style:
The American Foursquare, or the Prairie Box, was a post-Victorian style that shared
many features with the Prairie architecture pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright. The boxy
foursquare shape provided roomy interiors for homes on small city lots. The simple, square
shape also made the Foursquare style especially practical for mail order house kits from
Sears and other catalog companies.
Creative builders often dressed up the basic foursquare form. Although foursquare
houses are always the same square shape, they can have features borrowed from any of
these styles:
Prairie Style
Low-pitched roof
Overhanging eaves
Horizontal lines
Central chimney
Open floor plan
Clerestory windows
About the Prairie Style:
Frank Lloyd Wright believed that rooms in Victorian era homes were boxed-in and confining. He
began to design houses with low horizontal lines and open interior spaces. Rooms were often divided by
leaded glass panels. Furniture was either built-in or specially designed. These homes were called prairie
style after Wright's 1901 Ladies Home Journal plan titled, "A Home in a Prairie Town." Prairie houses were
designed to blend in with the flat, prairie landscape. The first Prairie houses were usually plaster with wood
trim or sided with horizontal board and batten. Later Prairie homes used concrete block. Prairie homes can
have many shapes: Square, L-shaped, T-shaped, Y-shaped, and even pinwheel-shaped.
Many other architects designed Prairie homes and the style was popularized by pattern books. The
popular American Foursquare style, sometimes called the Prairie Box, shared many features with the
Prairie style.
In 1936, during the USA depression, Frank Lloyd Wright developed a simplified version of Prairie
architecture called Usonian. Wright believed these stripped-down houses represented the democratic ideals
of the United States.
Arts And Crafts
Arts and Crafts, or Craftsman, houses have many of these features:
Wood, stone, or stucco siding
Low-pitched roof
Wide eaves with triangular brackets
Exposed roof rafters
Porch with thick square or round columns
Stone porch supports
Exterior chimney made with stone
Open floor plans; few hallways
Numerous windows
Some windows with stained or leaded glass
Beamed ceilings
Dark wood wainscoting and moldings
Built-in cabinets, shelves, and seating
Arts and Crafts History:
During the 1880s, John Ruskin, William Morris, and other English designers and thinkers launched the Arts and Crafts
Movement, which celebrated handicrafts and encouraged the use of simple forms and natural materials. In the United States, two
California brothers, Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Green, began to design houses that combined Arts and Crafts
ideas with a fascination for the simple wooden architecture of China and Japan. The name "Craftsman" comes from the title of a
popular magazine published by the famous furniture designer, Gustav Stickley, between 1901 and 1916. A true Craftsman house
is one that is built according to plans published in Stickley's magazine. But other magazines, pattern books, and mail order house
catalogs began to publish plans for houses with Craftsman-like details. Soon the word "Craftsman" came to mean any house that
expressed Arts and Crafts ideals, most especially the simple, economical, and extremely popular Bungalow.
Bungalow
One and a half stories
Most of the living spaces on the ground floor
Low-pitched roof and horizontal shape
Living room at the center
Connecting rooms without hallways
Efficient floor plan
Built-in cabinets, shelves, and seats
Bungalow houses may relect many different architectural styles. In their book American Bungalow Style, authors Robert Winter and
Alexander Vertikoff identify dozens of variations on the Bungalow form:
Craftsman Bungalow California BungalowSpanish Colonial Bungalow Chicago Bungalow Queen Anne
Bungalow Prairie Bungalow Mission Bungalow Foursquare Bungalow Pueblo Bungalow Colonial Bungalow Cape Cod
Bungalow Tudor Bungalow Log Cabin Bungalow Art Moderne Bungalow
The Bungalow is an all American housing type, but it has its roots in India. In the province of Bengal, single-family
homes were called bangla or bangala. British colonists adapted these one-story thatch-roofed huts to use as summer homes. The
space-efficient floor plan of bungalow houses may have also been inspired by army tents and rural English cottages. The idea
was to cluster the kitchen, dining area, bedrooms, and bathroom around a central living area. The first American house to be
called a bungalow was designed in 1879 by William Gibbons Preston. Built at Monument Beach on Cape Cod, Massachusetts,
the two-story house had the informal air of resort architecture. However, this house was much larger and more elaborate than the
homes we think of when we use the term Bungalow.
Two California architects, Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene, are often credited with inspiring America
to build Bungalows. Their most famous project was the huge Craftsman style Gamble house (1909) in Pasadena, California.
However, the Green brothers also published more modest Bungalow plans in many magazines and pattern books.
Spanish Colonial
Spanish or Mediterranean house styles were built in the early part
of the 20th century when Revival styles were popular. A new building
material, stucco, was particularly well suited for Spanish architecture
and the closely related Mission and Pueblo styles of the Southwest and
West.
1-2 stories
Spanish clay tile roofs with low pitch
plain white stucco walls
often with arched openings with wooden beams
Art Modern
Asymmetrical
Horizontal orientation
Flat roof
No cornices or eaves
Cube-like shape
Smooth, white walls
Sleek, streamlined appearance
Rounded corners highlighted by wraparound windows
Glass block windows
Aluminum and stainless steel window and door trim
Mirrored panels
Steel balustrades
Suggestion of speed and movement: Horizontal rows of windows or stripes
Little or no ornamentation
Open floor plans
It's easy to confuse Art Moderne with Art Deco, but they are two distinctly different styles. While both have stripped-down forms and
geometric designs, the Art Moderne style will appear sleek and plain, while the slightly earlier Art Deco style can be quite showy. Art Moderne
buildings are usually white, while Art Deco buildings may be brightly colored. The Art Deco style is most often used for public buildings like
theaters, while the Art Moderne style is most often found in private homes. Origins of Art Moderne
The sleek, rounded Art Moderne style originated in the Bauhaus movement, which began in Germany. Bauhaus architects wanted
to use the principles of classical architecture in their purest form, designing simple, useful structures without ornamentation or excess. Building
shapes were based on curves, triangles, and cones. Bauhaus ideas spread worldwide and led to the Moderne or International Style in the
United States. Art Moderne art, architecture, and fashion became popular just as Art Deco was losing appeal. Many products produced during
the 1930s, from architecture to jewelry to kitchen appliances, expressed the new Art Moderne ideals. Art Moderne truly reflected the spirit of the
early twentieth century. Expressing excitement over technological advancements, high speed transportation, and innovative new construction
techniques, Art Modern design was highlighted at the 1933 World Fair Chicago. For homeowners, Art Moderne also proved to be a pragmatic
style because these simple dwellings were so easy and economical to build.
Spanish Mission
Smooth stucco siding
Roof parapets
Large square pillars
Twisted columns
Arcaded entry porch
Round or quatrefoil window
Red tile roof
Celebrating the architecture of Hispanic settlers, Spanish Mission (or, California
Mission) style houses usually have arched dormers and roof parapets. Some resemble old
Spanish mission churches with bell towers and elaborate arches. The earliest Mission style
homes were built in California, USA. The style spread eastward, but most Spanish Mission
homes are located in the southwestern states. Deeply shaded porches and dark interiors
make these homes particularly suited for warmer climates.
By the 1920s, architects were combining Mission styling with features from other
movements. Mission houses often have details from these popular styles:
Chalet
A wooden dwelling with a sloping roof and widely overhanging eaves, common
in Switzerland and other Alpine regions". The term can nowadays be used for any
cottage or lodge built in this style.
The term chalet stems from Franco-Provençal speaking part of Switzerland and
originally referred to the hut of a herder. It derives from the medieval Latin calittum,
which might come from an Indoeuropean root cala that means shelter. In Quebec
French, any summer or vacation dwelling, especially near a ski hill, is called a chalet
whether or not it is built in the style of a Swiss chalet.
Many chalets in the European Alps were originally used as seasonal farms for
dairy cattle which would be brought up from the lowland pastures during the summer
months. The herders would live in the chalet and make butter and cheesein order to
preserve the milk produced. These products would then be taken, with the cattle, back to
the low valleys before the onset of the alpine winter. The chalets would remain locked
and unused during the winter months. Around many chalets you will see small
windowless huts called which were used to lock away valuable items for this period.
Châteauesque
Based on French château style used in the 1400s to the 1600s in the Loire Valley.
It was popularized in the United States by Richard Morris Hunt during the 1880s. The
style frequently features vernacular buildings incongruously ornamented by the
elaborate towers, spires, and mansard roofs of the 16th century châteaux of the Loire
Valley, themselves influenced by late Gothic and Italian Renaissance architecture.
Despite their French ornamentation, buildings in the châteauesque style do not attempt
to completely emulate a French château. This is exemplified by Massandra (illustrated
right) which, although having renaissance features, is painted ochre and has contrasting
quoining, both of which are features of the Crimean aristocratic villa rather than the
Loire valley.
As a revival style, Châteauesque buildings are typically built on an asymmetrical
plan with an exceedingly broken roof-line and a facade composed of advancing and
receding planes. The style was mostly employed in the United States for residences of
the extremely wealthy, though was occasionally used for public buildings. The style
began to fade after the 1900s. The term is seldom used outside of the USA.
New England Colonial
The New England Colonial style simplified the picturesque Queen Anne and so
appeared after the Queen Anne fell out of fashion. The New England Colonial was one
of many revival styles which became popular by the early 20th century. Another name
for this style is the four-over-four because of its basic rectangular floor plan of four
rooms on the lower and upper levels.
Since this house has remained popular over the decades, its date of construction
can only be determined by minor details in the building materials, such as 1920s-1930s
reddish brick on the foundations, driveways with two cement lanes separated by grass,
and the width and height of garages.
2 - 2.5 stories
Gable roof
Symmetrical placement of windows and doors
Classical details: columns, cornices, shuttered windows
Simple, rectangular shape
Garrison colonial
Overhanging or cantilevered second
story often, with some sort of ornamentation
underneath the all wooden siding or brick
and wooden siding on the second floor
Neo-Dutch Colonial
The roof shape identifies this house
style! These houses have symmetrical
windows and floor plans. Neo-Dutch
Colonials are more distinctive in appearance
than Cubic (1900s-1920s) and Cape Cod
(1940s-1950s) styles
Upright Wing
The Upright refers to the vertical part of the house and the Wing
to the usually lower side section. This very simple 19th century house
style is found in the countryside and cities. It represents "nonstylistic" or vernacular architecture, which is constructed by building
trades rather than by owners themselves, as in tribal societies. It lacks
aesthetic pretensions and individual variations are minor.
Upright-and-Wing houses come in several variations: 1, 1.5, or 2
stories. In Eau Claire these houses are typically found in working class
neighborhoods, such as along Main and Birch streets. On the other
hand, stylistic Victorian houses are found in the affluent areas of the
Third Ward and Randall Park.
Two-Pen
The Two-Pen is a one-story, two-unit (or -room), end-gable
structure. This very plain house style usually lacks front porches,
which are otherwise very very common in 19th century houses. These
houses usually have had several additions added over the decades;
hence, they have sometimes very irregular shapes. The original floor
plan might be two-rooms wide, only one-room deep, and one-story
high. Versions with 1.5-stories also exist. In Eau Claire many of these
houses are used as student rentals -- look for the old sofas, bikes, and
pizza boxes on the porches! This style is one of five subtypes of Folk
Victorian, which you should examine as well.
French Normandy
This house style originated in Normandy of France where houses
and barns were attached. The central turret was used for the storage of
grain or silage. But in the U.S., the French Normandy was an
expensive Revival Style, characterized by cutstone, elaborate roof
lines, and in this case, a two-car built-in garage
2 or more stories
Exterior wall of reddish bricks, cutstone, and/or stucco
Central turret with entrance and staircase
Massive chimneys
Steep, complicated roofs
Sometimes, even with half-timber decorations
French Eclectic
French Eclectic homes combine a
variety of French influences. The
cottage pictured above is a charming
example of a home inspired by the
symmetrical Provincial style. It was built
in 1938 and is sided in Austin Stone.
Ranch
Single story
Low pitched gable roof
Deep-set eaves
Horizontal, rambling layout: Long, narrow, and low to the ground
Rectangular, L-shaped, or U-shaped design
Large windows: double-hung, sliding, and picture
Sliding glass doors leading out to patio
Attached garage
Simple floor plans
Emphasis on openness (few interior walls) and efficient use of space
Built from natural materials: Oak floors, wood or brick exterior
Lack decorative detailing, aside from decorative shutters
Although Ranch Style homes are traditionally one-story, Raised Ranch and Split Level Ranch homes have several
levels of living space. Contemporary Ranch Style homes are often accented with details borrowed from Mediterranean or Colonial
styles. Origins of the Ranch Style:
The earth-hugging Prairie Style houses pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright and the informal Bungalow styles of the early
20th century paved the way for the popular Ranch Style. Architect Cliff May is credited with building the first Ranch Style house in
San Diego, California in 1932. The California real estate developer Joseph Eichler popularized his own version of the Ranch
Style, and Eichler Ranches were imitated across the USA. After World War II, simple, economical Ranch houses were massproduced to meet the housing needs of returning soldiers and their families. Because so many Ranch Style homes were quickly
built according to a cookie-cutter formula, the Ranch Style is often dismissed as ordinary or slipshod. Nevertheless, many homes
built today have characteristics of the elegantly informal Ranch houses that Cliff May originated.
Split Level Style
The Split Level style is a variation on California Ranch style
houses. Instead of a one-story Ranch, these houses have a one-story
section attached to a two-story section. The double car garage is
frequently built under the upper story bedrooms. In another version
the foundation and basement windows are raised above the ground to
create a 1.5 story look.
A-frame
Triangular shape
Steeply sloping roof that extends to the ground on two sides
Front and rear gables
Deep-set eaves
1½ or 2½ stories
Many large windows on front and rear façades
Small living space
Few vertical wall surfaces
About the A-frame Style
Triangular and tee-pee shaped homes date back to the dawn of time, but architect Andrew Geller turned an old idea
into a revolutionary concept in 1957 when he built an "A-frame" house in Long Island, New York. Named for the distinctive shape
of its roofline, Geller's design won international attention when it was featured in the New York Times. Soon, thousands of Aframe homes were built around the world. The steep slope of the A-frame roof is designed to help heavy snow to slide to the
ground, instead of remaining on top of the house and weighing it down. At the same time, the sloped roof provides two other
benefits. It creates a half floor at the top of the house which can be used for lofts or storage space, and, since the roof extends
down to the ground and doesn't need to painted, it minimizes the amount of exterior maintenance required on the house. On the
other hand, the sloped roof creates a triangular "dead space" at the base of the walls on each floor. A-frame houses have limited
living space and are usually built as vacation cottages for the mountains or beach.
Contemporary
Odd, irregular shape
Lack of ornamentation
Tall, over-sized windows, some with trapezoid shapes
Open floor plan
Natural materials such as cedar or stone
Harmony with the surrounding landscape
Some contemporary homes have flat roofs. Other contemporary homes have
gabled roofs with cathedral ceilings and exposed beams.
Minimal Traditional
This style appeared after the Cape Cod
and is typical of the horizontal look of the
post-World War II suburbs. The floor plans
are squarish, not rectangular as in the later
California Ranch style.
International
This style is based on "modern" structural
principles and materials: concrete, glass, and
steel. Bands of glass, which create horizontal
feelings, are important design features. Buildings
are cantilevered over basement footings. Artificial
symmetry and decorations are avoided: balance
and regularity is stressed. All International style
houses are just one story but it is possible to apply
the style to a two story building, especially if if is
hidden from view
Postmodern
Sense of "anything goes": Forms filled with humor, irony, ambiguity, contradiction
Juxtaposition of styles: Blend of traditional, contemporary, and newly-invented forms
Exaggerated or abstract traditional detailing
Materials or decorations drawn from far away sources
About the Postmodern Style
Postmodern (or post-modern) architecture evolved from Modernism, yet it rebells
against that style. Modernism is viewed as excessively minimalist, anonymous,
monotonous, and boring. Postmodernism has a sense of humor. The style often combines
two or more very different elements. A Postmodern house may combine traditional with
invented forms or use familiar shapes in surprising, unexpected ways. In other words,
postmodern houses often don't have anything in common with one another, other than their
lack of commonality. Postmodern houses may be bizarre, humorous, or shocking, but they
are always unique. Sometimes the term Postmodern is loosely used to describe Neoeclectic
homes that combine a variety of historic styles. However, unless there is a sense of
surprise, irony, or originality, a neoeclectic home is not truly postmodern. Postmodern
houses are also sometimes called "Contemporaries," but a true Contemporary Style house
does not incorporate traditional or historical architectural details.
Neoeclectic
A Neoeclectic home can be difficult to describe because it combines many styles. The shape of the
roof, the design of the windows, and decorative details may be inspired by several different periods and
cultures.
Constructed in the 1960s or later
Historic styles imitated using modern materials like vinyl or imitation stone
Details from several historic styles combined
Details from several cultures combined
Brick, stone, vinyl, and composite materials combined
About Neoeclectic Houses
During the late 1960s, a rebellion against modernism and a longing for more traditional styles
influenced the design of modest tract housing in North America. Builders began to borrow freely from a
variety of historic traditions, offering Neoeclectic (or, Neo-eclectic) houses that were "customized" using a
mixture of features selected from construction catalogs. These homes are sometimes called Postmodern
because they borrow from a variety of styles without consideration for continuity or context. However,
Neoeclectic homes are not usually experimental and do not reflect the artistic vision you would find in a truly
original, architect-designed postmodern home.
Neo-Mediterranean
Neo-Mediterranean is a Neoeclectic house style that incorporates
a fanciful mix of details suggested by the architecture of Spain, Italy,
and Greece, Morocco, and the Spanish Colonies. Realtors often call
Neo-Mediterranean houses Mediterranean or Spanish.
Low-pitched roof
Red roof tiles
Stucco siding
Arches above doors, windows, or porches
Heavy carved wooden doors
A Neo-Mediterranean home may resemble the much earlier
Spanish Revival style. However, Neo-Mediterranean homes are not
careful recreations of Spanish Colonial architecture. If you remove the
romantic decorative details, a Neo-Mediterranean home is more likely
to resemble a no-nonsense, all-American Ranch or Raised Ranch.
Neoclassical
The word Neoclassical is often used
to describe an architectural style, but
Neoclassicism is not actually any one
distinct style. Neoclassicism is a trend,
or approach to design, that can describe
several very different styles.
Katrina Cottages
Usually (not always) one story
Front porch
Turn-of-the century details such as turned columns and brackets
Rot- and termite-resistant siding such as Cementations Hardboard
Steel studs
Steel roof
Moisture and mold resistant drywall
Energy-efficient appliances
In 2005, many homes and communities along America's Gulf Coast were destroyed by Hurricane
Katrina and the floods that followed. Architects responded to the crisis by designing low-cost emergency
shelters. The Katrina Cottage was a highly popular solution because its simple, traditional design suggested
the architecture of a cozy turn-of-the-century house. The original Katrina Cottage was developed by
Marianne Cusato and other leading architects, including renowned architect and town planner Andres
Duany. Cusato's 308-square foot prototype was later adapted to create a series of about two dozen
different versions of the Katrina Cottage designed by a variety of architects and firms.
Katrina Cottages are typically small, ranging from less than 500 square feet up to about 1,000
square feet. A limited number of Katrina Cottage designs are 1,300 square feet and larger. While size and
floor plans can vary, Katrina Cottages share many features. These quaint cottages are prefab houses
constructed from factory-made panels. For this reason, Katrina Cottages can be built quickly (often within a
few days) and economically. Katrina Cottages are also especially durable. These homes meet the
International Building Code and most hurricane codes.
Row House
• A multistory urban house built in a style
that is consistent with, even replicating,
that of adjoining houses; often built by
the same architect and developer.
• Townhouse, Brownstones
SHOTGUN
•
•
•
The shotgun house is a narrow rectangular domestic residence, usually no more than 12 feet (3.5 m) wide, with doors
at each end. It was the most popular style of house in the Southern United States from the end of the Civil War (1861–
65), through to the 1920s. Alternate names include shotgun shack, shotgun hut, shotgun cottage, and railroad
apartments. The style was developed in New Orleans, but the houses can be found as far away as Chicago, Illinois;
Key West, Florida; and California. Shotgun houses can still be found in many small southern towns.[1] Though
initially as popular with the middle class as with the poor, the shotgun house became a symbol of poverty in the mid20th century. Opinion is now mixed: some houses are bulldozed due to urban renewal, while others are beneficiaries
of historic preservation and gentrification.
Shotgun houses consist of three to five rooms in a row with no hallways. The term "shotgun house," which was in use
by 1903 but became more common after about 1940, is often said to come from the saying that one could fire a
shotgun through the front door and the pellets would fly cleanly through the house and out the back door (since all the
doors are on the same side of the house). Another reputed source of the name is that many were built out of crates, i.e.
old shotgun-shell crates, and those made for other purposes. However, the name's origin may actually reflect an
African architectural heritage, perhaps being a corruption of a term such as to-gun, which means "place of assembly"
in the Southern Dohomey Fon area.[2]
Several variations of shotgun houses allow for additional features and space, and many have been updated to the
needs of future generations of owners. The oldest shotgun houses were built without indoor plumbing, and this was
often added later (sometimes crudely). "Double-barrel" shotgun houses consist of two houses sharing a central wall,
allowing more houses to be fitted into an area. "Camelback" shotgun houses include a second floor at the rear of the
house. In some cases, the entire floor plan is changed during remodeling to create hallways.[3]
BI-LEVEL
• This style of house is also referred to as a
split ranch. The bi-level house is a modified
version of the ranch house, with the major
difference being that the lower level is more
out of the ground than in the ground.
Seldom is there a basement.
http://architecture.about.com/od/periodsstyles/ig/House-Styles/The-Robie-House.htm