This week, Latest Sale discusses the downfall of McMansions from the Architecture Business Directory and answers the question, “Can McMansions regain their popularity?”
McMansions are nothing short out of a horror movie, aptly coined “McMansion Hell” by an author who reviews McMansions from around the world. These expansive, cheaply built architectural disasters dominated the American real estate market for more than twenty years. Once popular in the 1980s, these large castle-like houses fell out of favour in the early 2000s. These one-hit wonders are present in the United Kingdom as well, but it is safe to assume that architects from both these countries agree that these types of houses are a monstrosity.
Maintaining this extra-large house is not an easy task, with only the upper-middle-class families being able to afford its maintenance. The main expenses with buying a McMansion include the high utility bills, routine upkeep, and landscape care. Most architects do not favour this design due to various elements of the home not complementing each other and looking odd and forced together. Some examples include a four-car garage, plastic shutters, busy rooflines, and mismatched windows. The houses are mostly described as featuring a formal layout with a chosen theme – Mediterranean, colonial, Shingle, Tudor, and chateauesque.
The three contrasting and disproportionate features of the McMansion are the central core with multi-story entrance, the garage wing, and the side wing. Most architects revisit this dying trend due to several design and construction issues, which they have voiced through various mediums several times. From pointy roofs and extremely tiny windows to frosted glass windows located on the upper level, over the years, McMansions have become the joke of the architectural world. Considering their present situation, McMansions will not rise from the ashes, as their reign is over.
Image by Elana Centor