Contemporary (1965 – Present)
Contemporary homes are designed for today’s lifestyles with huge windows and large, open spaces. Some homes have flat roofs. Others have gabled roofs with cathedral ceilings and exposed beams
History:
“Contemporary” describes a catch-all style that can take on many different shapes. A Contemporary home can have the quirkiness of Postmodernism, but it will not express the same kind of irony or humor you find in a Postmodern house. Some Neoeclectic homes are called “Contemporaries,” but a true Contemporary does not use odd mixtures of historic details the way a Neoeclectic house does.
Confused? Your most important clue is the windows: A Contemporary home will always have expansive, very tall panes of glass.
Features:
Odd, irregular shape
Lack of ornamentation
Tall, over-sized windows, some with trapezoid shapes
Open floor plan
Natural materials such as cedar or stone
Harmony with the surrounding landscape
Next: Postmodern (Pomo)
