What Style Am I? (Part II)
Victorian
The Victorian architectural style from the latter years of Queen Victoria ‘s reign has proven most popular in North America. The introduction of the balloon frame construction techniques and the growing mass production of housing components allowed for much more freedom of design. This resulted in the extravagant use of complex shapes and elaborate detailing that characterized the Victorian style of homes.
The identifying features of Victorian homes are the steeper pitched roofs of irregular shapes, straight gables and turret accent roofs, exteriors clad in patterned shingles and horizontal siding, decorative trusses and elaborate frieze boards and gingerbread elements. Most homes have large porches enhanced with ornately decorative railings, posts and roof supports or brackets.
Recent years have seen resurgence in the popularity of more contemporary styles of architecture. It has gained momentum with the interiors of homes bringing back to life popular retro style furniture and details as well a classic modern interior looks showcasing pieces by Mies van der Rohe , Eero Saarinen, Marcel Breuer and the Bauhaus school. It is now extending to the exteriors of homes particularly inner city infill designs. Suburban developments most often maintain strict architectural guidelines that ensure houses comply with the overall theme established for the development. The first suburban developments of the mid 1900’s included great examples of modern home designs but more recently community themes have generally embraced traditional types of architecture. Movement towards the more contemporary styles is now starting to appear in many new developments.
The more contemporary styles of architecture that are influencing today’s new homes are:
Modern
Modernism began as an avantgarde movement that took place in Europe during the early part of the 20th Century. This movement rejected all historic influences and looked for new ways of artistic expression. The Modernists believed that architecture should reflect the ideas and spirit of the age and therefore, during this period of the early 20th Century, this meant reflecting our industrial society. The result is a style of architecture that consists of very simplistic, clean, geometrical designs and little ornamentation. The exterior design of a Modern style of home relies on a strong combination of forms, horizontal and/or vertical lines and basic materials. Usually walls are smooth texture stucco, stone or concrete and roof systems are a very shallow pitch or flat. Modern designs typically avoid multiple design elements that other more traditional styles might utilize and often draw on several design philosophies to create buildings that are startling and unique.
The identifying features of Modern architecture are streamlined appearance, flat or low-pitched roofs, cube-like shapes, little ornamentation, man-made materials such as metal and concrete, emphasized vertical or horizontal lines, no cornices or eaves, large and numerous windows and aluminum and/or stainless steel window and door trim and balustrades.
International
The International style was a major architectural style of the United States in the 1920s and 1930s and became the dominant tendency in Western architecture during the middle decades of the 20th century. The focus was more on the stylistic aspects of Modernism. It was defined by the expression of volume rather than mass, balance rather than preconceived symmetry and the expulsion of applied ornament.
The identifying features of the International style include: rectilinear forms; light, smooth surfaces that have been completely stripped of applied ornamentation and decoration, open interior spaces and an abundant use of cantilever construction. Glass and steel, in combination with reinforced concrete are the characteristic materials of construction.
Post Modern
Postmodern architecture was an international style whose first examples are generally cited as being from the 1950s, and which continues to influence present-day architecture. This style is generally thought to exhibit a return of "wit, ornament and reference" in architecture as opposed to the formalism of the International Style. Postmodernism is a rejection of the strict rules set by the early modernists and is energetic in the use of building techniques, angles, and stylistic references The functional and formalized shapes and spaces of the modernist movement are replaced by diverse aesthetics: styles collide, form is adopted for its own sake, and new ways of viewing familiar styles and space are presented. The identifying features of Postmodern architecture include interesting lines and curves, angles, shapes, and colors and sometimes include elaborate ornamentation. This style will always contain an element or originality in its designs.
