Architectural Styles Project Ardrey Kell High School Charlotte, NC Ranch Style Houses

Architectural Style: Ranch Style Houses History: Ranch homes were originally designed and built in California as early as the 1930’s, but didn’t come to prominence nationally until after World War II. Ranches were popular with soldiers returning home from war, because they were affordable as a result of the GI bill which provided financing for veterans. Ranch homes were the first “neighborhood” homes mass produced by builders looking to capitalize on the popularity of the style. The style has become a part of Americana for individuals growing up in the 1960’s and 70’s. Fun Fact: Mr. Glenn’s childhood home. I lived in this house from birth to age 21. The ranch style was one of the first homes built with the idea of adding a garage as part of the house. Garages were necessary as a result of the increased personal ownership of cars during the late 1940’s and beyond.

Architectural Style: Ranch Style Houses Characteristics: Ranch homes are low built, single story structures. (They are sometimes built on daylight basements) B. Ranch homes typically have low pitched hip, gable, or hip/gable combination roofs C. Doors are usually centrally located, but typically they are slightly off-center, and they are usually covered by a small porch. D. Most ranch homes built after the early 1960’s included an attached garage. E. The footprint of a ranch home is typically “L” shaped, or a long, narrow, rectangular shape. F. Ranch homes are expensive to build per square foot because they require large building lots, and more materials than a two story structure of the same size. G. Early ranch homes were known for their closed floor plans, however; modern ranch houses have open floor plans with freedom of movement from room to room

Examples of Ranch Style Houses

Ranch All images used in this presentation are derived from internet sources. They are intended to be used for educational purposes only, and the author of this presentation makes no claim of ownership to these images. These images will be used solely for educational purposes.