The look of many high-end homes and building campuses is informed by International architecture. It’s a style few builders use to its full extent today, but one that still influences a variety of building movements, from art-deco to post-modern, and is preserved in many cities throughout the world.
International architecture has been widely studied and celebrated for introducing many innovative design aspects. Architects who developed the style also brought about new ways of thinking about design that re-shaped the building world, and modern art in general. The movement was founded on three defining principles: the expression of volume rather than mass, balance rather than preconceived symmetry, and the expulsion of applied ornament. These principles show up in features like exterior heating ducts, irregular but balanced building shapes, and architecture that takes its shape from the inside of the building, as opposed to the outside. Internationally-styled buildings are also generally more functional than other types, although new and avant building methods tend to make them seem more form-oriented. International architect Le Courbusier famously described these functional houses as “machines for living. “
Other characteristics of the International style include transparency (called the honest expression of structure), whether through glass or portals between sections of the building, adoption of steel and concrete as supplementary building materials, and use of mass-production building techniques.
Unlike other building movements that gained momentum over time, the International style has a definite and well-documented origin: the International Exhibition of Modern Architecture in New York City in 1932, which showcased only works done in the new International style. A book titled The International Style: Architecture Since 1922 by Henry Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson recorded the exhibition, and identified the new movement’s three founding principles. While many architects had been working with various aspects of the style for decades, the 1932 exhibition and its accompanying book provided the outline and principles that identified the new architectural style.
International architecture was so-named because it was defined by such a broad base of architects from around the world. The style became more worldly as it grew, particularly in the late 1930s when many high-profile German International architects left their country for Turkey, France, Venezuela, Kenya, and India. International architecture’s lack of a central national or historic reference is also one of its strengths.
Posts Tagged ‘Style Architecture’
Understanding International Architecture
December 18th, 2009A Look at Victorian Architecture Styles
December 17th, 2009Ornate, charming, mysterious, elaborate. All of these words can be used to describe Victorian architecture. But what makes a style Victorian? You might be surprised to find that, not one, but many different styles of architecture are considered Victorian. Just about any home built during or shortly after the reign of England’s Queen Victoria (1840-1900) can be considered Victorian.
With the Industrial Revolution (late 1700′s – early 1800′s) having brought about new machines allowing for mass production and the railroads having improved transportation nationwide, the average person was finally able to get the materials they needed for building fancier and more interesting homes. This availability led to the array of styles we refer to as Victorian. Some of the most notable styles that comprise “Victorian” style architecture are Queen Anne, Second Empire, Italianate, and Stick-Eastlake.
Queen Anne
One of the most widely recognized Victorian styles in the Southern and Western parts of the United States is Queen Anne. Characterized by wide wrap-around porches, multiple balconies and chimneys, round “tower-like” structures, and large bay windows, these homes are what most of us visualize when we think of Victorian architecture. This “gingerbread” style of home is also noted for its unique floor plans consisting of two or more stories.
Second Empire
Named for its notable French elements as in the era of the Second French Empire, this architectural style is seen more in the Northeast and Midwest. Popular for public buildings and state institutions, characteristics of this style include a rectangular tower with a short and steep mansard roof. The crest of the mansard roof was frequently topped with iron trim and sometimes even a lightning rod. Examples include the Old Executive Building in Washington, D. C. and Philadelphia City Hall.
Italianate
In the mid to late 1800′s, the Italianate style began appearing in homes in the Midwest, the East Coast, and the San Francisco area. Inspired by Italian Renaissance characteristics, Italianate style homes have bay windows in front; tall, narrow windows and towers, and small chimneys in rather odd locations. The Garden District of New Orleans contains many fine examples of this style.
Stick-Eastlake
Found predominantly in the Northeast, Stick homes are decorative but not overly ornate. They generally include steeply pitched roofs with overhangs, wooden shingles covering the exterior walls and roof, and squared bay windows. Crown detailing can also be found along the roof peaks. More stylized and decorative versions of the Stick style are usually referred to as Eastlake.
While some architects today still borrow ideas from these styles to create a modern day Victorian home, most Victorian style architecture has become a relic of the past. In some communities you can find neighborhoods filled with beautifully restored historical Victorian homes. Many have become bed and breakfasts, places of business, or simply historical sites for the public to view.
There are several communities throughout the country known for beautifully restored or preserved Victorian architecture. One example is Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where you’ll find the largest array of such architecture in the central United States. The entire town of Eureka Springs is listed on the National Registry of Historical Places, due largely in part to its preservation of its historical Victorian architecture.
Atlanta New Hotspot for Fusion Architecture
December 17th, 2009With the housing market in a small recession, home buyers are in a great power position to get the home of their dreams at a spectacular price. This is especially true in Atlanta where a very large surplus of homes has left the market flooded and plenty of choices for buyers to choose from. Builders are dropping prices and offering incentives and upgrades to the exterior to add more curb appeal for buyers. This has included architectural elements such as window boxes, cedar brackets and gables, garage door hardware, functional shutters, and more.
2006 was a year of tremendous housing growth and development in Forsyth county and helped that county to be one of the fastest growing in the nation. Builders were flocking in and trying to get in on the action. Many builders decided to construct custom homes to separate themselves from the track builders and mainstream. Because of this the architectural style in the north Atlanta area has undergone a great transformation in style which has seen a fusion of many differet architectural genres. Custom homes have done quite well compared to track homes in the housing recession due mainly to the fact that the buyers market has allowed buyers to get more for less than before. Many of the track home builders are having to upgrade their exteriors with window boxes and other accents to attract the buyers in. Many of them are now offering upgrades to the homes to try to be competitive.
Classic country-style homes, cedar shingles, and a mix of mission-style architecture are some of the highlights. Most custom homes offer a combination of rock, brick, siding, and cedar shingle fusion into the home that creates a distinct look of character and variety. Now, you can rarely find a boring custom home in Atlanta that offers simple repeated features all over the front. Because most custom homes in Atlanta are built on hills they are 2-story and this has given architects the freedom to expand into unique elevations that are not typical outside of the state. The new combination of custom homes and architectural styles has helped with the growth in the north Atlanta area and has helped combat the housing recession. “I believe that Atlanta is setting a trend in architecture for rest of America to follow. Atlanta is setting a new standard of architecture by being on the cutting edge and is a great place to raise a family and to find custom homes,” says Matthew Buquoi, a window box manufacturer in the Atlanta, Georgia area. “The success of custom homes in the north Atlanta area has helped to revive classic architecture yet bring new elements of other styles to create a nice fusion of many architectural genres. ”