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I've probably examined hundreds upon hundreds of 19th century house plans over the last 40+ years.
Not counting row houses, I've seen houses with front porches, houses with wraparound porches, houses with separate front and side porches, houses with just side porches, houses with no porches, just a little bit of a roof over the front door to keep the rain off your head while you're waiting.
I've heard that Frank used to design everything for someone about his own height, 5'8 1/2". He didn't like tall people.
I've read that FLW houses have one flaw. Apparently he wasn't very good when it came to roofs, they all leaked.
I have also read that they were all prone to leak but I have never read of a reason why. Was it the extensive use of roofs.
I have also read that they were all prone to leak but I have never read of a reason why. Was it the extensive use of roofs.
I thought perhaps it had something to do with his use of flat roofs in many homes, but apparently that's not the whole story.
According to a post called Why Don't You Move your Chair? in an architectural blog, many well known pieces of "great architecture" leak. The Farnsworth House and Phillip Johnson’s Glass House both leak like crazy, but this isn't supposed to matter, because they are considered works of art and it shouldn't matter if they're uncomfortable to live in and require constant maintenance.
In the UK we dont see many houses with front porches at all sadly, it was my dream to have one like the ones I saw on old American movies with the swing or rocker.. Id still love one.. pity we dont have builds like that....
I agree that architectural trends and society feed off each other, I remember Denver's turn-of-the-century bungalows changing into cathedral-ceilinged pop-tops during the 80's and 90's. McMansions have now for the most part fallen out of favor. The circle never stops turning.
I do not agree that FLW doomed American life with his creations. In some ways FLW pioneered the "outdoor rooms" people enjoy today. I saw the Hollyhock House in LA a few months ago, quite a commanding perch on a hill and I am glad it is being restored.
I very much agree with what Sheena12 has said, and what Katiana said about air conditioning.
Yes, it can be a class thing, as Sheena said. Many people cocoon more now, no matter what the season, and kids lead more structured lives. When they do venture out, people tend to have "outdoor rooms:" Defined patios and porches which are a part of the home but probably not out front. The couple next door to us have a flat-screen television installed outside on their back patio. This blows my mind, but to each his own.
We had a lot of block parties on my former Denver block, and they continue today. Does everyone participate? No.
My current community in north Florida is known for its front porches. There is not one home here that does not have a front porch (and rear-facing garage, everyone has an alley.) We too have a lot of social activities, but not everyone participates. I do see kids playing outside, but it's not the same as when I was a kid years ago.
To me a front porch *is* a wonderful thing. We use ours year-round, but far more during the cooler months. It takes more than the lack of a front porch to destroy American society, but it takes more than a front porch to bond a community.
The houses in my neighborhood were all built within the last 20 years, and some have porches, quite nice porches. My neighbors with porches purchase expensive porch furniture to display on their porches, but they never sit there.
I have a small porch, and have enjoyed sitting in my old wooden glider, but my glider is broken.
In the mountains where I am (North Georgia/Western North Carolina) there are a lot of wrap-around porches, which are my favorite.
People use them here because they aren't too close to the neighbors. Most lots are an acre or several acres and have views of the surrounding mountains. Even houses on smaller lots tend to be surrounded by lots of land.
Porches are used more when there is actual countryside around the house, I think.
I'm a fan of HLW. I love his Prairie Style homes. I don't necessarily want to live in one though. The design elements I like are the drama of the large living space, after entering a tight entry, windows for privacy in the public area and large windows in the private area, and his use of beautiful natural materials. He didn't do kitchens really well, I don't think. He liked a small house as well as a large house. But I think his influence was good overall.
The demise of the front porch was probably caused by many things. In the old days, you didn't have TV. When he began his practice, radio wasn't even common. People won't sit out on their front porches these days, because it is boring. You can't easily talk with neighbors either, unless you live in a tenement or densely populated apartments. And air conditioning makes it easier to be inside than outside in hot weather.
Do you want to give up TV? Air conditioning? Do you relish the close quarters of a densely populated apartment complex?
Now, if you put up a basketball basket and start a pickup game, my guess is that you'll attract at least some neighborhood kids and maybe some dads. Or if you organize a block parry, you'll meet more of your neighbors. There are ways to be friendly wherever you live.
I saw a film about Frank Lloyd Wright a few years ago, in which he was credited with changing front porches to side porches.
As soon as I saw this, I realized that he alone was responsible for ruining much of what was good about American culture . . .as I understand it, when different minorities came to New York, they would sit on their front porches and stoops and engage with each other. The porch aesthetic was alive and well in the Midwest, too, until Frank Lloyd Wright turned houses sideways and put the front porch on the side . . .I believe that was the beginning of "suburbia isolation."
I think that you would be on better footing blaming central air conditioning
By the way, wrap around and side porches pre-date Frank Lloyd Wright's birth.
I've been hearing the large garage thing for decades. People deplore them from a design standpoint. Frankly it sounds snobbish to me to do so. If you don't have a lot of money for housing, and you want a halfway modern house, you might be hard pressed to find a house without a "gaping" garage opening. While a lot of tract type housing is indeed ugly, the gaping garage is probably a necessity. Building lots are often tiny but people often own 2 or 3 cars and they need the garage space. Its a fact of life.
How many ways can a house be designed to accommodate a family and at least 2 cars. If the garage is oversized--to provide more storage cheaply, or to accommodate another car or rec vehicle--how else to do it?
With smaller lots for houses, comes the problem of how to do a one story on such a small lot. The answer is there aren't too many one story homes in the new developments. At least that is the case in the area I'm in now. The probs in subdivision planning are land costs, and consumer need, it seems to me.
I've been hearing the large garage thing for decades. People deplore them from a design standpoint. Frankly it sounds snobbish to me to do so. If you don't have a lot of money for housing, and you want a halfway modern house, you might be hard pressed to find a house without a "gaping" garage opening. While a lot of tract type housing is indeed ugly, the gaping garage is probably a necessity. Building lots are often tiny but people often own 2 or 3 cars and they need the garage space. Its a fact of life.
How many ways can a house be designed to accommodate a family and at least 2 cars. If the garage is oversized--to provide more storage cheaply, or to accommodate another car or rec vehicle--how else to do it?
With smaller lots for houses, comes the problem of how to do a one story on such a small lot. The answer is there aren't too many one story homes in the new developments. At least that is the case in the area I'm in now. The probs in subdivision planning are land costs, and consumer need, it seems to me.
I live in an old neighborhood. (1910's-1920's) None of the lots are more than 50 feet wide, and most lots are about 125 feet deep. (depth varies from street to street) Just about all of the houses have at least a 1 car garage in the rear.
I understand this would be a little more costly, and people would be inconvenienced with having to step outside for a few feet to go from the house to the garage. But, the streets are much more attractive, IMO, since they aren't dominated by garage doors with houses attached.
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