A Guide to the Ranch Style House

When people think of great movements or styles of architecture, they don't often think about the Ranch style. For many this style is too new, too modern or simply too plain to merit much of a mention. In actuality though, this style has been around since the 1920s and some of the earlier examples are now making their way onto the National Register of Historic Landmarks.

The Ranch style is most often identified with tract housing built during the 1940s and 1950s. As veterans returned home from World War II, they married and needed homes. These houses were used because they could be built quickly and provide living quarters, while requiring only minimal space.

Ranch style houses are often characterized by an asymmetrical floor plan, typically an L-shape, though U-shaped floor plans were also popular. These houses are only one story, with a roofline that's usually a low gable or hipped style. Designers often used larger windows in the design, with steel casements popular in the early years. Most of these houses also had garages that were attached on one side for easy access.

Architects created Ranch style houses with livability in mind. Floor plans were often left open, with different rooms leading into others such as an open living room that led into the kitchen and dining room. This was also one of the first styles to use attached garages, which showed how important the use of a vehicle was to people. Designers also focused on creating rooms that held multiple purposes, as opposed to older designs that created set purposes for each room.

The Ranch style house reached its highest popularity level during the 1950s. This was due in part to the fact that architects could tailor make the houses to fit different areas of the country. In the Midwest it was popular to see houses with decorative features that mimicked the Colonia Revival style. In California it was more popular to use Craftsman elements on the exterior of the house.

There are also some two-story versions of the Ranch house that appeared during this era. The Raised Ranch was a version built directly into a hill or raised area. Though it looked like a one-story house from the front, it actually had a second story below ground. The Split-Level style also grew out of the basic concept of a Ranch.

The popularity of Ranch style houses began declining during the late 1960s and early 1970s as designers turned towards two story variations such as the Split-Level. Others were using the houses as a cheap way to create space, often using inferior materials. This led to the Ranch style gaining a bad reputation and home owners and builders began turning to other housing options.

The Ranch style had a resurgence in the 1990s as the number of buyers in the United States increased, especially among first time buyers. There was also an increase in interest from preservationists, who hoped to preserve some of the neighborhoods of Ranch homes, especially those built just after World War II. With the style still used today, it's clear that Ranch houses will continue to exist far into the future.

Sources:

http://architecture.about.com/od/periodsstyles/ig/House-Styles/Ranch-Style.htm

http://www.architecturalhouseplans.com/home_styles/ranch_house_plans.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranch-style_house