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So you are convinced that some people don't buy these huge houses to show them off? They may or may not know the difference between terra cotta and cheap construction, but at the very least they sure are getting more for their money.
Oh, and no one is suggesting that people can't choose their architectural style, regardless of materials/build, except you.
Nope. The highly mature individual of city-data will just call them suckers =D
I'm having fun laughing at people in this thread, however. Always nice to have people make themselves the butt of their own joke so willingly.
I'ts not necessarily so much the houses but the road setups and the neighborhood and road names... what is the difference between Meadowbrook Drive, Cobblestone Terrace Circle and Pine Oak Trail? Nothing, other than the fact that there is no such thing as a Pine Oak.
Playing devil's advocate: there may not be a "Pine Oak" - but there very much IS a "pine oak forest". It covers much of the southeastern United States...
For what it's worth, I have little use for McMansions and find most of them ungainly examples of ostentation which reveal their builders' architectural ignorance and lack of artistic perception. However, I DO like big ol' genuine historic Victorians, in all their various forms.
I'ts not necessarily so much the houses but the road setups and the neighborhood and road names... what is the difference between Meadowbrook Drive, Cobblestone Terrace Circle and Pine Oak Trail? Nothing, other than the fact that there is no such thing as a Pine Oak.
Sure, but there's probably neither meadow nor brook near Meadowbrook Drive (maybe there was before they put houses on the meadow and ran the brook through conduit under the road :-) ). And a Cobblestone Terrace is unlikely, unless they're VERY literal-minded and put one in the center of the circle.
Beats my old area of Pennsylvania, where every road was Valley Forge Road for at least part of its length. Not sure how many of them referred to the same valley or forge, but most of them were always called that.
Some of the actual developments I've lived in were slightly better than that; I think most of my current development is named after soldiers from the area (the names are like Edgar, Gavin, Waddington, Lessing, Arverne. Also one "Old Indian" which used to be called "Mountain", not sure where the current name came from). Another was named from Robert Frost poem lines; Flicker, Tamar, Goldamber. And one was named after famous persons from the area -- Melchior, Mulhenberg, Hagey, Deweese.
Your gaudy is my idea of having character. You seriously want to live in a 'normal home'? How soul crushingly normal of you. As soon as 3d concrete printing becomes more affordable the 'normal home' will no longer exist. I can not wait.
Lol, I want to live in a well-constructed, architecturally consistent home. I don't care to have turrets built into the facade, Juliet balconies on every window, and a poorly constructed home in exchange for 4,000 square feet of home that I do not need towering over the neighbors. I gave that example as a representation of a home that sticks with a classic and traditional style of home that will never be referred to by a condescending nomenclature. There are also many modern, neotraditional, and southwestern styles of homes that could be substituted for that example, and my point would remain the same. It is not about a home being 'normal' or 'traditional' but about construction valuing quality over the addition of superficial features and square footage in an attempt to impress everyone with a fake sense of wealth. If I can afford a Tuscan mansion, I will build one, with quality construction and fixtures. If not, I will stick with a modestly sized home built in a style I do not feel is gaudy and contrived, and place more emphasis on quality over quantity.
Lol, I want to live in a well-constructed, architecturally consistent home. I don't care to have turrets built into the facade, Juliet balconies on every window, and a poorly constructed home in exchange for 4,000 square feet of home that I do not need towering over the neighbors. I gave that example as a representation of a home that sticks with a classic and traditional style of home that will never be referred to by a condescending nomenclature. There are also many modern, neotraditional, and southwestern styles of homes that could be substituted for that example, and my point would remain the same. It is not about a home being 'normal' or 'traditional' but about construction valuing quality over the addition of superficial features and square footage in an attempt to impress everyone with a fake sense of wealth. If I can afford a Tuscan mansion, I will build one, with quality construction and fixtures. If not, I will stick with a modestly sized home built in a style I do not feel is gaudy and contrived, and place more emphasis on quality over quantity.
Boring. Done.
You may like it. I don't even mind it (what's there to mind?), but it's boring. I have no idea how you can determine the construction of said boring home versus said ostentatious home from the facade. Facade is meaningless anyway. Way too much obsession on facades which isn't even real architecture. Most McMansions aren't spec, at best they're semi-spec, so what someone who is going to actually have custom built is slightly different. If you'd prefer a modest tract home of the same or lower quality as a McMansion because you can't jump all the way to a true Tuscan mansion (which has to be in Tuscany, which isn't that practical as anything but a vacation home), I don't see anything wrong with it. I'm more of a in the middle kind of guy myself.
If one wants a large house but can't afford a vacation home in Tuscany, maybe the built of better quality than your average tract home McMansion fits the bill. I'd probably spend money on a more modest MCM as that's more my aesthetical preference.... but the McMansion offers several benefits. Much better energy efficiency, probably less energy usage despite the size due to modern construction versus wall-o-glass single pane windows and better insulation, stucco has very high r-values. Tile roofing needs less attention than asphalt, although it's more expensive. Paying more for less is a trade off I would make since I like the wall-o-glass, open floor plans, blending of inside and outside space, minimalist design, and bolder uses of man-made materials.
The exception is if it's a historic area/themed area, that I consider a bad thing.
I think it's so cool when you're driving around a plain jane area and then this gigantic flashy fancy suburban house pops out of knowhere and makes you look at it. I think it's amazing when you as one homeowner can add so much niceness to a block.
If I become rich one day then I want to one day live in a McMansion in an average area. Most wealthy [suburban] areas have huge lots with very little tight-knitness&interaction; those type of areas are not my cup of tea.
[Don't know if this is the right forum but whatever..]
My friend would be in agreement with you. She likes McMansions because of their large size, cheaper price, and (at least in our area) good locations. FWIW, I think they're OK, but they're not my style and too big, but with the right landscaping they can be pretty. In the Chicago area, McMansions are common and have sprung up everywhere, sometimes even in the most crowded spaces.
Sure, but there's probably neither meadow nor brook near Meadowbrook Drive (maybe there was before they put houses on the meadow and ran the brook through conduit under the road :-) ). And a Cobblestone Terrace is unlikely, unless they're VERY literal-minded and put one in the center of the circle.
Around here at least, the brook would have been preserved. Running them underground was something that was done in the 19th century, but not for the last few decades (not sure when the change happened). Brampton, ON - Google Maps
Wooded areas are often preserved too, especially if it's more than just a few scattered trees.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nybbler
Beats my old area of Pennsylvania, where every road was Valley Forge Road for at least part of its length. Not sure how many of them referred to the same valley or forge, but most of them were always called that.
I'm guessing they were all named after this Valley Forge:
Some of the actual developments I've lived in were slightly better than that; I think most of my current development is named after soldiers from the area (the names are like Edgar, Gavin, Waddington, Lessing, Arverne. Also one "Old Indian" which used to be called "Mountain", not sure where the current name came from). Another was named from Robert Frost poem lines; Flicker, Tamar, Goldamber. And one was named after famous persons from the area -- Melchior, Mulhenberg, Hagey, Deweese.
One, alas, was "Tree View Lane".
Here they often pick a theme or a letter, although I think sometimes they just pick random names out of a hat.
One development went with the theme of important places around Paris, another went with the theme of Prairies (plants, animals, places). Flowers, trees and birds seem to be pretty popular for street names.
Playing devil's advocate: there may not be a "Pine Oak" - but there very much IS a "pine oak forest". It covers much of the southeastern United States...
For what it's worth, I have little use for McMansions and find most of them ungainly examples of ostentation which reveal their builders' architectural ignorance and lack of artistic perception. However, I DO like big ol' genuine historic Victorians, in all their various forms.
Yes, the old Victorians have it over the silly McMansions by a landslide....
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