Architectural Corner – Georgian – May 2020
Following the Elizabethan style of Renaissance architecture, the Jacobean Style is named after King James I of England. Influenced by Flemish and German immigrant craftsmen and artists rather than the previous Queen’s (Elizabeth) reign, they showed a majesty rarely seen outside of churches.
Flat roofs with open-work parapets, round-arch arcades, columns and pilasters were relied upon heavily, while other classical elements appeared more freely than in Elizabethan architecture. The style itself heavily influenced furniture design and decorative arts for years to come.
While this style of architecture was for too fanciful for the hard lives of the puritans who were its contemporaries, they are not unknown in the United States.
Architectural Corner – Contemporary/Modern
According to Homeplans.com, the contemporary home “runs the gamut from mid-century modern to the latest designs representing current trends towards sleek, contemporary design. Contemporary-Modern design is characterized by clean, simple lines, a minimum of decoration, lots of glass, and flat or shed rooflines. Many feature unusual open floor plans and Indoor/outdoor living spaces.”
The name “Contemporary” may be a little shortsighted considering it will invariably go out of style someday, yet people will still be obligated to call it “contemporary”, but I digress.
Contemporary-modern homes feature my most hated real estate buzzword, namely “open concept floor plan”. From DIY to Discovery Channel, it’s been driven into the ground. But people want it now, even though they’re not really sure what it means…
Architectural Corner – The Dingbat
Still can’t believe this is actually the name of a housing style…
The Dingbat is a boxy, 2 or 3 story apartment/condo, consisting of relatively few units per parcel, with the living areas overhanging street-front parking. They came into prominence in the 1950’s and 1960’s, primarily in the American sunbelt.
The word itself is a bit disparaging, but dingbat refers to the star-shaped decorations (similarto typographic dingbats) that are often found on their stucco facades. Although they’re a very efficient use of limited lot sizes, they are often considered eyesores and are often the target of demolition efforts.
I’ve seen quite a few of these buildings around Dallas. There are quite a few in Oak Lawn, and one in particular on Oram in East Dallas, although I know they’re not confined to those two areas.