bkshopr_IHB
New member
At the requests of several members I will post this again. This is all newly revised.
Homes from the 1920s were built from denser woods resistant to insect and decay. The redwood studs from my 1934 garage are still perfect. Over the years the sliding garage doors were replaced with numerous doors and the opening had been resized to fit the standard size door. All non original wood trims have been all rotted away.
1930?s depression wiped out the art of Home design and construction. Architects and builders were out of work during this era. The most talented in order to survive made career change to work in civil sector stimulated by the government. This movement was known as WPA (Work Progress Administration) and PWA (Public Work Administration). Government sponsored projects such as many City Halls, Schools, Bridges, Utility Structures, Court houses, Public housing, Train depots and Dams were the finest during this era. The best talents created the civic projects. Homes became less elaborate and the few homes built during this era were the cr?me de la cr?me.
1940's as America was preparing for war inferior materials were used for domestic construction while the superior resources were for the military use. Un-skilled labor force and women stayed behind to work in both industrial manufacturing and construction while men were fighting the war. Home quality and design artistry never recovered since this period. Home architects and builders never returned to their beloved profession and enjoyed the prosperity and monumentality of government commissions. During this era was the birth of this nation?s large architectural office. At the same time, the returning GIs were also promised a college education and career. The architects from this era were army trained for utilitarian and efficiency.
1950?s were the era of home and car ownership for the masses. Those Army trained architects chose housing as their career left their landmarks such as Bellflower, Hawaiian Garden, Cypress, Costa Mesa, Stanton, Buena Park, Garden Grove and etc. Construction was no longer a glamorous career. Construction was offered as vocational courses by junior colleges and vocational reform for jail inmates. The brightest minds were not involved in construction but cold war technology. The returning GIs with the Veteran Loan assistance fueled the demands of merchant homes. Businessmen became home builders driven by financial performance such as Shapell and Lusk were the early pioneers. There were 2 types of homes created during this era. The large home builders built craps while the smaller home builders experimented with homes that expressed the structural aesthetic such as the post and beam constructions. Eichler and Cliff May were the best of this era.
1960?s was the era when the building code was changed to allowing architectural plans be prepared by non architects. Home owners, drafters, and contractors were able to submit plans to the city. Stricter cities such as PV, San Marino, Pasadena, and Rolling Hills created their local ordinances to override the building code mandates thus restricted plans to be prepared by licensed architects. It is obvious the standards are higher and so have been the prices. Construction was so standardized by this time mass produced hardware and inferior parts were manufactured in Taiwan USA?s new allied. This era was chaotic as builders cut corners since no architects were on premise and cities were at the infancy of bureaucracy. Inspectors were not doing their job and few were good and most were promoted from seniority from other departments. Life expectancy of homes would not last 80 years from this era.
1970?s was the era of discovery of floor plan. Houses were conceived inside out and they were ugly.
1980?s was pink stucco boxes dictated by shrinking lot sizes. All homes were designed to wrap on 2 sides of the garages. There were only 6 floor plans of this type in the universe. Construction was so bad that led to many construction litigations.
1990?s the builders began to exercise better construction quality control to mitigate lawsuits. Marketing consultants were the enforcer of floor plans. The talented architects did not venture into housing. Houses a type V framing was not considered architecture. Designs were executed by professionals who can?t find jobs in the real architectural firms. Colleges discouraged students from entering into the field of housing. Housing dramatically improved in both plans and aesthetic toward the latter part of this decade as the recession dried up commissions from the civic and institutional sectors because of new blood found housing to be a financially rewarding architectural career.
2000?s is the era of McMansions. No yards.
Homes from the 1920s were built from denser woods resistant to insect and decay. The redwood studs from my 1934 garage are still perfect. Over the years the sliding garage doors were replaced with numerous doors and the opening had been resized to fit the standard size door. All non original wood trims have been all rotted away.
1930?s depression wiped out the art of Home design and construction. Architects and builders were out of work during this era. The most talented in order to survive made career change to work in civil sector stimulated by the government. This movement was known as WPA (Work Progress Administration) and PWA (Public Work Administration). Government sponsored projects such as many City Halls, Schools, Bridges, Utility Structures, Court houses, Public housing, Train depots and Dams were the finest during this era. The best talents created the civic projects. Homes became less elaborate and the few homes built during this era were the cr?me de la cr?me.
1940's as America was preparing for war inferior materials were used for domestic construction while the superior resources were for the military use. Un-skilled labor force and women stayed behind to work in both industrial manufacturing and construction while men were fighting the war. Home quality and design artistry never recovered since this period. Home architects and builders never returned to their beloved profession and enjoyed the prosperity and monumentality of government commissions. During this era was the birth of this nation?s large architectural office. At the same time, the returning GIs were also promised a college education and career. The architects from this era were army trained for utilitarian and efficiency.
1950?s were the era of home and car ownership for the masses. Those Army trained architects chose housing as their career left their landmarks such as Bellflower, Hawaiian Garden, Cypress, Costa Mesa, Stanton, Buena Park, Garden Grove and etc. Construction was no longer a glamorous career. Construction was offered as vocational courses by junior colleges and vocational reform for jail inmates. The brightest minds were not involved in construction but cold war technology. The returning GIs with the Veteran Loan assistance fueled the demands of merchant homes. Businessmen became home builders driven by financial performance such as Shapell and Lusk were the early pioneers. There were 2 types of homes created during this era. The large home builders built craps while the smaller home builders experimented with homes that expressed the structural aesthetic such as the post and beam constructions. Eichler and Cliff May were the best of this era.
1960?s was the era when the building code was changed to allowing architectural plans be prepared by non architects. Home owners, drafters, and contractors were able to submit plans to the city. Stricter cities such as PV, San Marino, Pasadena, and Rolling Hills created their local ordinances to override the building code mandates thus restricted plans to be prepared by licensed architects. It is obvious the standards are higher and so have been the prices. Construction was so standardized by this time mass produced hardware and inferior parts were manufactured in Taiwan USA?s new allied. This era was chaotic as builders cut corners since no architects were on premise and cities were at the infancy of bureaucracy. Inspectors were not doing their job and few were good and most were promoted from seniority from other departments. Life expectancy of homes would not last 80 years from this era.
1970?s was the era of discovery of floor plan. Houses were conceived inside out and they were ugly.
1980?s was pink stucco boxes dictated by shrinking lot sizes. All homes were designed to wrap on 2 sides of the garages. There were only 6 floor plans of this type in the universe. Construction was so bad that led to many construction litigations.
1990?s the builders began to exercise better construction quality control to mitigate lawsuits. Marketing consultants were the enforcer of floor plans. The talented architects did not venture into housing. Houses a type V framing was not considered architecture. Designs were executed by professionals who can?t find jobs in the real architectural firms. Colleges discouraged students from entering into the field of housing. Housing dramatically improved in both plans and aesthetic toward the latter part of this decade as the recession dried up commissions from the civic and institutional sectors because of new blood found housing to be a financially rewarding architectural career.
2000?s is the era of McMansions. No yards.
