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Is my house a ranch
The postwar ranch house has many moods: wild Modernist, safe traditionalist, split-level suburbanite, unassuming stucco box. And local custom may slap other names on the variable style: rancher, traditional, rambler, contemporary, raised ranch, and most often, “starter home.”
If you ask someone what type of home he or she has, often they pause, seemingly at a loss. “I don’t know; it doesn’t really have a style,” they might say. Chances are the ubiquitous “just a house” is a ranch. When one home might be a wild Googie-inspired ’60s interpretation of modern with an outlandish raked roof, and another a prim schoolmarm of a house, all polite brick and sober clapboard, it can be hard to see they shared the same drawing board.
But it’s the details that matter and that make the ranch such a residential success story: the walls of glass, fanciful rooflines, open floor plans, atriums, post-and-beam construction, quiet facades, clerestory windows, and more.
But it’s the details that matter and that make the ranch such a residential success story: the walls of glass, fanciful rooflines, open floor plans, atriums, post-and-beam construction, quiet facades, clerestory windows, and more.
A ranch house? Those homes are ugly.
If you’re house hunting or live in one of the millions of ranches built across the nation after World War II, you’ve probably heard a sentiment like that from one of your less tactful friends. Maybe you even think so too.
There’s more to Montreal’s architectural stepchild than first meets the eye. You say they don’t have the curb appeal of a Victorian or bungalow? That their attached carports and garages and sometimes bland facades don’t really do it for you?
Well, come inside a ranch house that still shows its midcentury roots and you’ll see why fifty years ago young homeowners found them to be cutting edge and their own piece of Tomorrow land.
The open floor plans that bring residents together in the kitchen/family/dining/living room foreshadowed today’s ubiquitous “great rooms,” yet were designed on a livable, human scale. The private bedroom wings, the walls of glass that flood the interior with light, and the sliding glass doors that erase the barrier between indoors and out—these are other hallmarks of the late-’40s through 1970s ranch. Durably built with materials that combine the natural (wood post-and-beam construction, aggregate and cork flooring, rock roofs and stone fireplaces) with the modern (Formica counters, radiant heated concrete floors, aluminum windows, plywood cabinetry)—these postwar homes may not look flashy but they were designed to last.
The homes may be decidedly modern looking, like the flat- or gable-roofed Joseph Eichler tracts in the San Francisco Bay area, or the butterfly roof houses in Palm Springs and Sarasota, Florida. Or they may be modest, unassuming L-shaped or split-level ranches that have been built so often across the nation that they’re virtually invisible. You probably drive past dozens of such homes on your way to work every day.
We think that the midcentury ranch house deserves a place of honor in our hearts and minds, and we think that postwar neighborhoods should be preserved for the next generation. Buying, renovating, and living in a ranch-style home can be a great joy, and we’ll show you inspiring examples of people who “get” what a ranch house was designed to be. This mousey little wallflower of a home may very well be the stuff of your dreams.
If you’re house hunting or live in one of the millions of ranches built across the nation after World War II, you’ve probably heard a sentiment like that from one of your less tactful friends. Maybe you even think so too.
There’s more to Montreal’s architectural stepchild than first meets the eye. You say they don’t have the curb appeal of a Victorian or bungalow? That their attached carports and garages and sometimes bland facades don’t really do it for you?
Well, come inside a ranch house that still shows its midcentury roots and you’ll see why fifty years ago young homeowners found them to be cutting edge and their own piece of Tomorrow land.
The open floor plans that bring residents together in the kitchen/family/dining/living room foreshadowed today’s ubiquitous “great rooms,” yet were designed on a livable, human scale. The private bedroom wings, the walls of glass that flood the interior with light, and the sliding glass doors that erase the barrier between indoors and out—these are other hallmarks of the late-’40s through 1970s ranch. Durably built with materials that combine the natural (wood post-and-beam construction, aggregate and cork flooring, rock roofs and stone fireplaces) with the modern (Formica counters, radiant heated concrete floors, aluminum windows, plywood cabinetry)—these postwar homes may not look flashy but they were designed to last.
The homes may be decidedly modern looking, like the flat- or gable-roofed Joseph Eichler tracts in the San Francisco Bay area, or the butterfly roof houses in Palm Springs and Sarasota, Florida. Or they may be modest, unassuming L-shaped or split-level ranches that have been built so often across the nation that they’re virtually invisible. You probably drive past dozens of such homes on your way to work every day.
We think that the midcentury ranch house deserves a place of honor in our hearts and minds, and we think that postwar neighborhoods should be preserved for the next generation. Buying, renovating, and living in a ranch-style home can be a great joy, and we’ll show you inspiring examples of people who “get” what a ranch house was designed to be. This mousey little wallflower of a home may very well be the stuff of your dreams.
ROOFLINES
The sometimes whimsical roofs are the first thing many people notice. Flat, butterfly, steeply pitched, saw-tooth, and a dozen variations on these themes are commonly seen, particularly in homes that were designed to appeal to modern sensibilities. Other more traditional styles have hip roofs based on early 1900s Prairie School architecture, or the ubiquitous side-gable roof that seems to be the most popular design of all.
The sometimes whimsical roofs are the first thing many people notice. Flat, butterfly, steeply pitched, saw-tooth, and a dozen variations on these themes are commonly seen, particularly in homes that were designed to appeal to modern sensibilities. Other more traditional styles have hip roofs based on early 1900s Prairie School architecture, or the ubiquitous side-gable roof that seems to be the most popular design of all.
FRONT FACADES
“Private” best describes the street visage of most ranch homes. While they can seem a tad boring when it comes to curb appeal, the front facades display a whole range of materials: stucco, board and batten, brick, stone veneer, vertical or horizontal wood siding, cement block, clapboard, and more. Perforated block privacy walls, exaggerated eaves, decorative shutters, and fanciful dovecotes are other common touches.
“Private” best describes the street visage of most ranch homes. While they can seem a tad boring when it comes to curb appeal, the front facades display a whole range of materials: stucco, board and batten, brick, stone veneer, vertical or horizontal wood siding, cement block, clapboard, and more. Perforated block privacy walls, exaggerated eaves, decorative shutters, and fanciful dovecotes are other common touches.
OPEN FLOOR PLANS
The merged-function room of the ranch house was a modern departure from compartmentalized living. While bedrooms and baths could most often be found in a wing with a central hall, the public spaces for entertaining, dining, cooking, and relaxing became one. Larger ranches tended to place this public area in the center of the home, separating children’s bedrooms from the adult wing, perhaps the beginning of today’s trend for master suites. These floor plans can be simple boxes or rectangles, or have more rambling U- or L-shapes. On tighter lots, the split-level rambler with a garage tucked under the living space and a daylight basement was a popular solution.
1. A butterfly roof split-level ranch.
2. An A-frame roofline.
3. A hip-roof stucco box.
4. Split-level ranches were built on sloping or narrow lots.
5. One of Montreal’s modern flat-roof ranches.
6. In Montreal, this dining room, kitchen, and living room all flow together.
7. A Cliff May home has had the partition wall between the kitchen and living room removed to open it up fully.
The merged-function room of the ranch house was a modern departure from compartmentalized living. While bedrooms and baths could most often be found in a wing with a central hall, the public spaces for entertaining, dining, cooking, and relaxing became one. Larger ranches tended to place this public area in the center of the home, separating children’s bedrooms from the adult wing, perhaps the beginning of today’s trend for master suites. These floor plans can be simple boxes or rectangles, or have more rambling U- or L-shapes. On tighter lots, the split-level rambler with a garage tucked under the living space and a daylight basement was a popular solution.
1. A butterfly roof split-level ranch.
2. An A-frame roofline.
3. A hip-roof stucco box.
4. Split-level ranches were built on sloping or narrow lots.
5. One of Montreal’s modern flat-roof ranches.
6. In Montreal, this dining room, kitchen, and living room all flow together.
7. A Cliff May home has had the partition wall between the kitchen and living room removed to open it up fully.
WINDOWS & WALLS OF GLASS
Step inside the front door of a ranch, and the surprise is the expansive view through the rear wall of glass. Not every postwar home has this heavy emphasis on bringing the outside in, but light and plenty of it is what sets the midcentury ranch apart from its predecessors. Architects achieved this through floor-to-ceiling windows, sliding glass doors and clerestories—windows that go up right to the roofline. In more traditional ranches, you’ll see bay, diamond-paned, and double-hung windows as well.
Step inside the front door of a ranch, and the surprise is the expansive view through the rear wall of glass. Not every postwar home has this heavy emphasis on bringing the outside in, but light and plenty of it is what sets the midcentury ranch apart from its predecessors. Architects achieved this through floor-to-ceiling windows, sliding glass doors and clerestories—windows that go up right to the roofline. In more traditional ranches, you’ll see bay, diamond-paned, and double-hung windows as well.
POST AND BEAM & “PONY” WALLS
Typical midcentury construction consisted of posts that supported beams, which in turn carried the roof load, allowing for both exterior walls of glass and non-load-bearing interior walls. Because of this, when Modernist ranch houses did have walls dividing the public space, they often stopped short of the ceiling—pony walls—or had large pass-throughs. This kept even a partially enclosed kitchen more open and allowed it to share light with adjoining rooms—an internal window, in effect.
Typical midcentury construction consisted of posts that supported beams, which in turn carried the roof load, allowing for both exterior walls of glass and non-load-bearing interior walls. Because of this, when Modernist ranch houses did have walls dividing the public space, they often stopped short of the ceiling—pony walls—or had large pass-throughs. This kept even a partially enclosed kitchen more open and allowed it to share light with adjoining rooms—an internal window, in effect.
ATRIUMS & PATIOS
Nothing said indoor-outdoor like ranches that included entry atriums— an open-air patio between the entry door and the interior itself. Typically two or three rooms open directly into these private areas via sliding glass or french doors, making the differentiation between yard and house a moot point in temperate climates. For homes without atriums, rear or side patios served a similar function and helped modest-size houses live larger than their square footage would suggest.
1. Brick fireplaces were often juxtaposed with large panes of glass.
2. When the sliding glass doors are open, the patio and family room are virtually one.
3. A clerestory window.
4. Post-and-beam construction was used in both the house and its carport.
5. The kitchen is screened off from the dining and family room space, while a pass-through makes it convenient for the cook.
6. Non-load-bearing pony walls divide midcentury floor plans without blocking daylight from the interior rooms.
Nothing said indoor-outdoor like ranches that included entry atriums— an open-air patio between the entry door and the interior itself. Typically two or three rooms open directly into these private areas via sliding glass or french doors, making the differentiation between yard and house a moot point in temperate climates. For homes without atriums, rear or side patios served a similar function and helped modest-size houses live larger than their square footage would suggest.
1. Brick fireplaces were often juxtaposed with large panes of glass.
2. When the sliding glass doors are open, the patio and family room are virtually one.
3. A clerestory window.
4. Post-and-beam construction was used in both the house and its carport.
5. The kitchen is screened off from the dining and family room space, while a pass-through makes it convenient for the cook.
6. Non-load-bearing pony walls divide midcentury floor plans without blocking daylight from the interior rooms.