Beauty is in the Eye of the Builder

While many of us are far from experts in architecture, we do, at least, tend to know what we like. Our thoughts on what constitutes a perfect home from a design perspective, may not be perfectly honed but the majority of us feel comfortable enough in our tastes to recognize when something looks bad.

Of course, we're not always 'right' and our own personal taste may differ hugely from that of the next person. Some people simply love old buildings. They feel that established properties are imbued with crafted elegance, and a comforting sense of history. Others go for brand new houses, preferring the sheer smartness of an immaculate, recently built structure, and the limited maintenance and high efficiency it provides.

But that doesn't necessarily have much to do with the architectural aesthetics, per se. There are houses built in the 1930s that still look far more contemporary in their design than many stone-fronted family homes built today. For many years, houses were just places to live, raise a family and retire in, but the latter half of the 20th century saw a huge change in how we viewed property, and how we chose our homes. Moves toward simplicity and utility in the post war years saw sleek, uncluttered, spacious homes, with an eye on the coming space age.

The suburbs were born, and an ever growing reliance on cars meant that we could live increasingly further away from the workplace and the amenities we frequently relied upon. This allowed for a less utilitarian attitude toward domestic housing in many quarters, and a new era of architectural creativity was within reach of the average aspirational North American home buyer.

Despite this relative freedom, the nations' home builders soon reverted back to the idea of more cost-effective 'cookie-cutter' housing developments, as the promise of the perfect nuclear lifestyle went through periods of significant challenge. Our idea of what was desirable changed, as it does constantly, and we are left with a legacy of visibly altering real estate styles. In some parts of the country, there is nothing more chic than a renovated classic 50s rancher, while elsewhere only the latest condo development will suffice.

Some of us adore the funky styles of architectural giants such as Frank Gehry and Frank Lloyd Wright, whereas others much prefer the more subtle approach employed by Arts and Crafts designers such as Charles and Henry Greene. Some Americans would adore an old Victorian heritage home, while others would prefer to call a custom-built, large and extravagant faux-Tudor mansion in a gated community, home.

And surely, it's a good thing that we all have conflicting opinions about so many things in life. Imagine a world where all homes were identical, and our aspirations were evenly matched. One only has to take a look at the exciting and wildly varying styles of European, and early American, architecture to appreciate just how important change is to our ever-evolving environment. The current global economic situation will have a long lasting impact on so many areas of North American life in the coming years. Where will we be in 10, or 20 years, as far as urban and suburban communities are concerned? It will be interesting to see what developments occur in the housing industry, as our approaches to home ownership, and lifestyle choices, are molded to meet the coming challenges and conclusions.

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