12-04-2012, 03:40 PM
RANCH STYLE HOUSE
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INTRODUCTION
Ranch-style houses (also American ranch, California ranch, rambler or rancher) is a domestic architectural style originating in the United States. First built in the 1920s, the ranch style was extremely popular amongst the booming post-war middle class of the 1940s to 1970s. The style was exported to other nations and so is found in other countries.
The style is often associated with tract housing built during this period, particularly in the western United States, which experienced a population explosion during this period, with a corresponding demand for housing.
DEFINITION OF A RANCH STYLE HOUSE
Ranch-style houses peaked in popularity by the 1960s, when middle-class families were settling into suburban areas. The style of home provided space needed for growing families to live comfortably. Ranch-style houses were one of the first in American history to begin attaching garages to the family home.
History
From the 1950s to the 1970s, the long and spacious homes were first seen on working ranches. As they gained popularity across the United States, the recognizable features came to be known as a "ranch style house".
Identification
A ranch-style house is one that has a low-pitch roof and large windows. Traditionally, the homes were single-story structures that sat on a concrete slab.
HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
The 20th century ranch house style has its roots in North American Spanish colonial architecture of the 17th to 19th century. These buildings used single story floor plans and native materials in a simple style to meet the needs of their inhabitants. Walls were often built of adobe brick and covered with plaster, or more simply used board and batten wood siding. Roofs were low and simple, and usually had wide eaves to help shade the windows from the Southwestern heat. Buildings often had interior courtyards which were surrounded by an U shaped floor plan. Large front porches were also common.[2] These low slung, thick walled, rustic working ranches were common in the Southwestern states
Era of popularity
By the 1950s, the California ranch house, by now often called simply the ranch house or even "rambler house", accounted for nine out of every ten new houses.[3] The seemingly endless ability of the style to accommodate the individual needs of the owner/occupant, combined with the very modern inclusion of the latest in building developments and simplicity of the design satisfied the needs of the time. Ranch houses were built throughout America and were often given regional facelifts to suit regional tastes.
Revival of interest
Beginning in the late 1990s, a revival of interest in the ranch style house occurred in United States. The renewed interest in the design is mainly focused on existing homes and neighborhoods, not new construction. Younger house buyers find that ranch houses are affordable entry level homes in many markets, and the single story living of the house attracts older buyers looking for a house they can navigate easily as they age. The houses' uniquely American heritage, being an indigenous design, has furthered interest as well.[1] The houses' simplicity and unpretentious nature, in marked contrast to the more dramatic and formal nature of neo-eclectic houses, makes them appealing for some buyers.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Ranch Houses
Our Bissell ‘Green Machine’ has gotten more use in the last month than the whole rest of its lifetime. I swear, the children have taken ‘eat and run’ to a new level. They literally bolt from the kitchen with their little yogurt faces and spaghetti fingers and popsicle pants. It’s an all out dash to see who can sprawl, full-body contact, onto the couch first. And if it’s not the couch, it’s my bed…my pillow…my sheets. CRUMBS, grease, and fresh stains everywhere. You never know where and when they’ll strike next, you just hope you’ll find their latest food deposit before it starts incubating. Just today I pulled out the couch cushions to find a blob. A blob of chewed raisins about the size of a prune, surrounded by yucky brown juice stains. Lovely.
I really do like our rental house. Growing up, I always swore I could never appreciate a ranch house. Too ugly. I have since changed my mind (not about the ugly part, but the appreciation part) because I’ve learned how delightfully easy it is to take care of small children in ranch houses. I love that I don’t have to worry about stairs. I love that I can vacuum the entire place without changing power outlets. I love that I can keep an eye on things while I change my clothes. I love that the girls have the entire house in which to roam. However, if there is anything I do not love, it’s the sorry fact that food finds its way into every nook and cranny. I must say “GET BACK IN THE KITCHEN WITH THAT FOOD” forty-two million times a day. And yet, I still find Kix between my sheets.