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While one may disagree that the ranch house is one of the great architectural achievements of the 20th century in America, I do, an interesting article in the Washington Post talks about the influence of future building styles that was created by the ranch house.

The ranch house is ubiquitous in surburban America. It does come in many styles and flavors, but the homes never have done much for me. I have been fortunate to have gone upstairs for bed my whole life excluding the apartment years. However, it is a predominant style of architecture in the country, and this is an interesting read on the genesis of the ranch home in America.

A small number of architects working in California and the Southwest during the 1920s and ’30s designed the first suburban ranch-style houses. These were based on the simple, one-story houses built by ranchers who lived in the harsh climate of the plains and mountains of the West. For young architects seeking forms that were defined by their function and not layers of Victorian bric-a-brac or the Colonial-style treatments popular in the East, the ranchers’ houses had particular appeal.
The architects also admired the way the casual lifestyle of ranch families was reflected in their houses. All the rooms opened onto a shaded veranda, which functioned as a hallway and as an important living area for much of the year.
On their drawing boards, the young architects re-created the solitude of the vast prairies by arraying the living and dining areas around a private back yard from which no neighbors could be seen. Even more startling to the homeowners of the time was the way some of these designers merged indoor and outdoor spaces. Drawing on the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, they used multiple windows and French doors on the walls that faced the landscaped back yard, an innovation that made the outdoor area appear to be part of the indoor living space.
Another Wrightism was using the same space for multiple functions, as in a living-dining room or an eat-in kitchen. Placing the bedrooms in the front of the house was also unusual.

Read the rest at the washingtonpost.com.

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