The Atlantic Cities blog this month takes a look at a quarterly home design trend survey from the American Institute of Architects. Apparently in hard economic times, homeowners have different priorities when it comes to what they want from their house:
Most of us can recognize a product of the 1990s McMansion boom when we pull into a subdivision and see one. But these trends suggest that 10 years from now, a keen eye will be able to identify the homes that were built – or renovated – during the recession. Their hallmarks? Infill location, simpler detailing and more durable, low-maintenance exteriors. And porches. People are pretty into porches right now.
“I always interpret it as of one of the obvious manifestations of the New Urbanism movement, where there was more outward emphasis on homes integrated into a larger community, homes where people would interact more with their neighbors, going back to small-town living,” Baker says. “Rather than isolation and security and safety, where everyone had their own privacy, their own big yard with big fences around it, where they were trying not to interact with others.”
The rise of the porch, in other words, may suggest a decline of interest in the heavily fortified privacy that was promised by the McMansion.
The article also explores how demand for amenities inside the home are changing as well. Apparently towel warmers don’t seem quite as important these days. It’s well worth the read, here.
Interesting. It may simply be part of a short term trend. It could also be connected to a rise in gated communities.
Now drive around and observe how many of those porches are being used.
Now do the same for the balconies in the newly constructed urban mixed use areas.
perhaps one out of a 1000 is being used during peak hours when use would be most likely to occur. Or at least that is my observations from having done it on a number of occasions.
Of course not building a balcony is financial suicide even though it will never be used because what people romanticize using is not the same as their actually using it.
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