At the close of the 19th century, our
country’s neighborhoods maintained a decidedly traditional feel with decades of
ornate Victorian-era style homes and throwback revival styles referencing
earlier Colonial, Neoclassical, Tudor, and Mission architecture. Things changed when new and pioneering Prairie
and Craftsman styles came into popularity in the early 1900s. These styles featured low-pitched roofs, widely
overhanging eaves, cornice/façade details emphasizing horizontal lines, and
brawny porch supports, and were the first ‘modernist’ buildings in the sense
that they were new indigenous architectural styles not based on historical
precedents. Although distinct from contemporary
Victorian and revival styles in appearance, both Prairie and Craftsman houses were
still partially defined by their use of decorative elements, which tied them to
the Arts and Crafts movements that placed great value on the expression of
craftsmanship and the manual arts.
At the same time that Prairie and Craftsman styles were spreading
en masse across the country through new suburban developments, a radical new
style was emerging: Modernism. Inspired by modern art movements such as
Cubism and industrial mechanization, the new style embraced a more stripped-down
expression of building parts. Pioneering
uses of concrete instead of wood meant that traditional building structural
elements were physically unnecessary and revolutionary new forms could be
accomplished.
The Modernistic styles – which include Art Deco, Art Moderne,
and Streamline Moderne – were initially and most commonly used for larger
commercial or public buildings. The
first well-known examples of Modernism were Eliel Saarinen’s 2nd
place design for a competition to design the Chicago Tribune’s new headquarters building in 1922 (never built), and
the designs featured at the 1925 International Exposition of Modern Industrial
and Design Arts in Paris where architectural, furniture, and other design work
was exhibited.
 |
| Source: Wikipedia Commons |
The Art Deco movement blossomed out of this exposition. It was
immediately distinctive for its applied geometric ornamentation and emphasis of
vertical lines. Art Deco’s heyday was
fairly short-lived, and the style quickly grew into the Moderne movement in the
early 1930s. Moderne buildings embraced
curved walls and horizontal lines, and, influenced by steam ships and cars of
the era, had a sleek look that implied movement. The International Style was introduced to the
United States in the 1930s as an extension of the Moderne styles developed by
European architects such as Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The International Style eschewed meaningless ornamentation
and embraced modern building materials and technologies: namely, the use of steel skeleton
construction, stronger and lighter than iron, and which could be covered by a
thin skin.
The Modern styles never eclipsed the more traditional
building design in American residential architecture. This owed in part to the ease of construction of
more traditional styles – with readily-available dimensioned lumber – and partly
to the sentimentality of Americans in the period between the World Wars. This feeling was stronger in the United States
after World War II, when most residential architecture consisted of stripped-down
versions of more traditional styles. Elements
of the International style were softened and adapted into what is generally
known as Modern residential architecture across the country. Most major examples of the Moderne and
International residential styles are grouped in certain urban areas on the East
and West Coasts, although houses of these styles can be found scattered
throughout cities of all sizes across the country. The houses are generally noted within the
community for their unique and stylistic appearance.
Each Modern style has certain hallmarks, known in historic preservation fields as character-defining features.
Art Deco architecture generally features smooth wall surfaces with applied ornamentation in geometric motifs.
Buildings have towers and projections that, along with the ornamentation, emphasize verticality. Residences generally have flat roofs with parapets, but these may also be stepped, with upper floors set back to create a stacked block appearance. Traditional Building elements, such as window and door surrounds, are still present, but are exaggerated or stylized.
|
|
Source: A Field Guide to American Houses
|
Moderne architecture also
has smooth wall surfaces, but minimal ornamentation.
Traditional building elements are minimized,
with the use of steel to invisibly frame window and door openings. Windows are often set at corners as a
structural trick. Round windows mimic
steamship portholes. Glass block adds a
futuristic touch. Houses often feature a
curved wall or walls. Roofs are flat
with parapet walls that have an emphasized coping. Porch roofs have curved corners and are
cantilevered with no visible means of support, or with overemphasized fin
walls. Architectural elements generally
have a horizontal line, mimicking the movement of air across the building.
International style
architecture removes most elements that serve no purpose other than decoration.
 |
| Source: www.jomstyle.com |
Houses are boxy, with only occasional
use of curved walls. Flat roofs have
parapets with minimal or no coping or are projecting slab roofs with deep
overhangs. Design details are based on
the function of materials. Development
of curtain wall structural systems allow for extensive use of glass and windows
are often grouped into long rows and turn corners.
 |
| Source: A Field Guide to American Houses |
