57 replies to this topic

[Sam Stone]

It's not just about lot size. A McMansion is a house built by someone with more money than taste, but where size was more important than anything else. They also tend to have roof lines that are far more elaborate than the floor plan would call for. This substitutes for actual style and lets the builder sell more flashing for the roofer.

[Urbndwlr]

My understanding was that the "Mc" was in reference to McDonald's, implying cheap, high-volume, low-quality houses, and that "mansions" refers to the homes' size and ornament designed to appear expensive.

There are certainly neighborhoods where zero-lot line homes don't appear to fit in well, but I would not categorically say that they don't belong in traditional suburban style neighborhoods. It is possible tastefully and respectfully construct a house with minimal side and front setbacks that is a true urban house - or urban mansion. If you ever head to San Francisco, Presidio Heights is a good example of this. The key is having some continuity and consideration for the surrounding neighborhood.

[safly]

So is it sort of like that one house on 7th street, West of Univ. that has a far different home design than the rest of the neighborhood? Very Asian inspired. It is before you get near the Bass compund and their cottage across the street. After the Golf McCourse. Ha ha, I made a funny.

[courtnie]

Some of the houses from the 40's and 50's have different themes. A McMansion isnt necessarly "inspired" by anything. One such case is a house in Crestwood that replaced a more modern home that was built in the 40's. It had a long one story layout. The house that replaced it was built to look like a castle. When it first went up it stuck out because it was so vastly different from the other houses around it. Now, since more trees and shrubs have been planted around it the house seems to blend better. Even way back when you had the more modern thinkers, that invisioned what the future would look like. Crestwood is more of a bunglow neigborhood. They all seem to carry the same wide overhangs, the larger porches and the cedar shingles or the 105 siding. The homes in montecello vary more because the lots were bigger in some areas. Over off of Hulen St before you get to I-30 there are townhomes that replaced a small but quaint bunglow...they look out of place, Two big brick townhomes which look like one giant house do not fit in with the design of the houses around them. Take for instance the apartments in Downtown that are made to look like vintage houses....Those fit in with the theme around them..

[AndyN]

There was an article in the April 24th Dallas Morning News about teardowns on the east end of the Trinity River. Sounds like they're having the same problems/opportunities.

Recent DMN Article

[courtnie]

Alot of places are starting to see the same trends. Dallas seems to have alot more of those problems. There are some very Artsy areas in Dallas...I once saw a house that had a king tut statue on the front of the front porch. The house was for sale at a bargan of 300k

[Urbndwlr]

So, are some of you (including safly) saying that a McMansion is a house that doesn't conform to the existing architectural genres in a neighborhood?

I would argue that the entirety of Southlake and Colleyville's new subdivisions (that's pretty much every house) is a McMansion - built with the goal to maximize square footage and the appearance of some sort of luxury. Architecture, in those "subdivisions" (notice I don't use the word neighborhood because I don't think it applies), is an afterthought - it is only used as a tool to slap on a theme or cliche affectation that indicates it is an expensive place to those who don't care about or know anything about architecture.

Occasionally we see builders come into our old neighborhoods and throw up similar homes - totally without regard to the homes' surroundings. There are a couple at 6th and Virginia that I think are pretty good - a little overwhelming for their small sites, but not too bad. The ones that drive me crazy are the ones that mix white limestone and brick - argh! There are few material combinations that I categorically oppose using, and that is at the top of my list. C'mon folks, use either stone OR brick OR wood/hardy-plank. IMO, stucco can compliment any of those if colored and textured correctly.

[courtnie]

They dont conform to the neigborhoods..Some are nice. There is one house that I drive by daily in Grapevine(its on my way to work) and it sits on some acreage and has a nice ornamental fence around it and it looks like a older house but its new. It doesnt look out of place because it is not right up against the other houses. If a McMansion is what someone wants then I say go for it but dont put it next to a 60 yr old house unless you make it look like the others. Dont go zero lot line just to have a 3,000 sq ft home. I dont like the mixing of the bricks, and the white stone that the people dont take care of so it yellows..IF you are going to add on to your home..make it match the rest of the house...I have seen some really botched jobs on home additions.