Welcome to Quarter 4!
Navigational Links: (Quarter 3)

Day 136

1. For most of this year, we have studied buildings designed to impress. We’ve looked at cathedrals that took 100 years to build, skyscrapers meant to dominate city skylines, and government halls designed to project power. These are what historians call “Monumental Architecture.” They make it into history books because they are rare, expensive, and public. But now we are shifting our focus to the other 99% of the built environment: Residential Architecture.

When an architect designs a skyscraper or a museum, their primary goal is often symbolic. They are designing for a “faceless public”—thousands of people who will walk through the doors but never sleep there. Residential architecture is different because it is personal. A home is a machine for living. It has to handle the messy, practical reality of daily life. The priorities shift completely.

Scale” Monumental architecture is designed to be seen from miles away. Residential architecture is designed to be seen from the sidewalk. The details get smaller and more intimate.

Function: In a museum, the most important space might be the grand lobby. In a home, the most important space might be the “kitchen work triangle” or the mudroom. The success of a home isn’t measured by how it looks in a photo, but by how it works. Can you get the groceries from the car to the fridge without tracking mud through the living room?

Vernacular vs. High Style: Most famous public buildings are “High Style”—designed by a famous architect to look unique. Most houses, however, are “Vernacular.” This means they were built using local materials, local traditions, and practical patterns that have been copied and improved over generations.

2. Why Study Houses? A house is a time capsule that tells you everything about the people who built it.

The Climate: A house in Arizona looks different than a house in the Midwest. Flat roofs work in the desert; they collapse under heavy snow here.

The Technology: Before air conditioning, houses had high ceilings and big windows to catch the breeze. After AC became common in the 1950s, ceilings dropped to 8 feet to keep the cool air trapped. You can often tell when a house was built just by looking at the ceiling height.

The Culture: In the Victorian era (1800s), houses were chopped into many tiny, separate rooms because formal privacy was valued. Today, we build “Open Concept” floor plans because we value connection and casual living.

3. Watch “American House Styles Explained in 15 Minutes.”

Day 137

1. Walk around your house and take a look at it. Can you identify the architectural styles that influenced it?

Day 138

1. Watch the video “What is Colonial?”
2. Read about the early American Colonial style. One key feature you will often notice is that the center of the house is a straightforward, plain rectangle. Even if later ornamentation or wings were added onto the sides or back, the center “starter” rectangle is often visible.
3. Learn how to spot them and take the quiz!

Day 139

1. Watch “Colonial American Architecture: A Design Resource for Contemporary Traditional Architecture: Part I.”

Day 140

1. Watch “Colonial American Architecture: A Design Resource for Contemporary Traditional Architecture: Part II.”

Day 141
1. Watch the video “Colonial Homes of America.”
2. Read more about the Colonial style and peruse the gallery.

Day 142

1. Read about the difference between Georgian and Federal style colonial homes.
2. Read about the difference between a hipped roof and a gabled roof.
3. Watch the video about Georgian Colonial homes.
4. Then watch the video about Federal Colonial homes.

Day 143

1. Read more about Georgian architecture in America.
2. Watch “Building with History – Georgian Style.”
3. Take a tour of Drayton Hall.

Day 144

1. Watch “How Federal and Georgian Styles are Different.”
2. Watch the video about traditional stair details.

Day 145

1. Read more about Federal architecture.
2. Watch “Museums 101: Federal Period Art and Architecture.”

Day 146

1. Read “What is a Cape Cod style House?”
2. Learn how to identify Cape Cods!
3. Watch the video about Cape Cod houses.

Day 147

1. Today, take a walk on your street or in a nearby neighborhood. Are you able to identify the style of any homes you see?

Day 148

1. Take a look at these house plans that are listed as “Cape Cod” style. Feel free to click on plans and look around. As you can see, there’s a lot of variation in what’s considered one these days!
2. Be sure to scroll down and read the FAQs.
3. Read “About the American Cape Cod Style House.”