1600s - 1800
When North America was colonized, settlers brought building traditions from many different countries. Architecture from America's colonial period continues to influence the houses we build today.

            

1780 - 1860
During the founding of the United States, many people felt that ancient Greece expressed the ideals of democracy. Architecture reflected classical ideals of order and symmetry.

           

1840 - 1900
Mass-production and factory-made building parts made large, elaborate houses more affordable. A variety of Victorian styles emerged, each with its own distinctive features.

             

1880-1929
The rise of Industrialism brought the period we know as the Gilded Age. Business leaders amassed enormous wealth and built palatial, elaborate homes.

                

1901-1955
Frank Lloyd Wright revolutionized the American home when he began to design houses with low horizontal lines and open interior spaces.

 

              

1905-1945
In the early 1900s, builders sloffed off the elaborate Victorian styles. Homes for the new century were compact, economical, and informal.

 

            

1945-1980
Soldiers returning from World War II brought an enormous need for housing. Real estate developers purchased large tracts of land and constructed homes with an eye on simplicity and affordability.

 

            

1930-present
Modernist houses broke away from conventional forms, while postmodernist houses combined traditional forms in unexpected ways.

 

            

1965-present
Neo means new. Many new homes borrow details from historic styles and combine them with modern features.

 

              

Spanish and Mediterranean House Styles
1600s - present
Spanish settlers in Florida and the American Southwest brought a rich heritage of architectural traditions and combined them with ideas borrowed from Hopi and Pueblo Indians. Modern day "Spanish" style homes tend to be Mediterranean in flavor, incorporating details Italy, Portugal, Africa, Greece, and other countries.

 

           

1700s - present
Spanish, African, Native American, and other heritages combined to create a unique blend of housing styles in America's French colonies. Two hundred years later, soldiers returning from World War I brought a keen interest in French housing styles.

 

            

Prehistoric - present
Architects and engineers are taking an new look at man's earliest building material: practical, affordable, energy-efficient earth.

 

            

1906 - Present
Factory-made modular and prefabricated houses have been popular since the early 1900s when Sears, Aladdin, and other mail order companies shipped house kits to far corners of the United States. Today, "pre-fabs" are gaining new respect as architects experiment with bold new forms.

 

               

1954 - Present
The idea of constructing dome-shaped structures dates back to prehistoric times, but the 20th century brought exciting new approaches to dome design.