Home Design in the 19th Century Essay

The bungalow design was influenced by a variety of social and economic trends that expanded the middle class and became a powerful means of transformation in American society. Arts and Crafts promoters associated the bungalow design with creative manual work, independence, and a way to return to manhood of common work practices. The bungalow

In 19th Century England, living conditions were horrible for the poor. If you didn’t have enough money to stay out of poverty you were heading into a harsh and unforgiving life as a person in the slums. People took poison to escape the horrors that a poor person could easily slip into. Both adults and little children drank gin and beer because of all of the sewage and garbage dumped into the rivers. For the many, many poor people there was often no clean water and people went to the bathroom in ‘bathroom’ privies that everyone in the slums used outside. At least half of the poor children died before their fifth birthday. In contrast, the wealthy could have mansions with servants, grand food, and clean drinking water. On top of all of this,

Question 1. Choose an architect or practice whose work is covered by or relevant to this course and discuss critically one or more of their design projects or drawings or urban proposals as precedent case-studies. Selectively situate this work in relation to their body of work, and against the practices and concerns of the period. Focus on the architectural qualities of a specific key aspect of the design of the projects. Selectively consider how they might relate to the historical situation, cultural values, theoretical concerns and design practices of the time. This may involve a selective analysis of compositional design practices, material fabrication production and the experiential reception of built outcomes of the projects.

In June 1911 Archibald Black a Melbourne doctor and art collector gave his daughter a wedding gift but it was no ordinary present. It was a three piece furniture suite handcrafted by one of Australia's leading designers and conceived in the gum nut art nouveau style that was extremely popular with the wealthy elite of Victoria.

Both during and after this period of pop and consumerist development, a change in designoccurred. The American design profession was developed in the late 1920s when people realised that

Elsie de Wolfe designed during the Victorian movement, however “had adopted the 1890’s preference for Neoclassicism” (Smith, 22). Unlike the cluttered and dark interiors of an average Victorian interior, her interiors were, “in the words of one visitor, ‘[models] of simplicity’” (Smith, 20). She redecorated the once cluttered dining room of her apartment in the

For the chandelier and candle sticks I chose stand-out items that are still interesting lit or unlit, based on Elsie’s statement of, “A lamp, or a wall fixture, or a chandelier, or a candlestick, must be beautiful in itself—beautiful by sunlight,—if it is really

The American Georgian style ruled American design from about 1714 to 1830. The Georgian style was inspired by English and European styles of the time, relied on classical elements, and took inspiration from the Italian Renaissance. Georgian design was located mainly along the eastern seaboard, where “the old styles gradually gave way to the Georgian, and there came for the first time a large degree of uniformity to American architecture” (Wertenbaker, 1943, p. 66). Craftsmanship was a big part of early American life, and people liked to show off their quality homes, eventually displaying their stations by “maintaining codes of dress, speech, and behavior” (Architectural Style Guide). Georgian American design had many different influences while adapting to suit the settlers needs. There are several beautiful examples of this style still intact today.

In the late nineteenth century, many American cities were facing large population growths due to the massive amounts of immigrants coming to America via New York City. Immigrants flocked to America in search of a better life and for better jobs than their homelands had to offer. As immigration numbers continued to rise and populations in cities grew, the need for housing increased as workers needed to be close to their jobs. In order to combat the increase in population, tenement housing was built to accommodate the masses. The tenements were cheaply built structures that were split in a certain fashion in order to fit as many possible occupants as possible. As the tenements were cheap and crammed with occupants, many potential safety and health issues developed.

The construction of the longhouse started with a foundation, which was tree trunks or posts dug into the ground. Next horizontal branches were laid across the foundation. Next bendy branches made in an ark were used as rafters (or the roof foundation) were placed on top of the foundation. More horizontal poles were placed on the rafters. The framework was then covered in elm bark and then the structure was built. In order to get a good house, the Mohawk had to take the bark off in the springtime. All the logs were fastened together with bark of or braided bark.

While some aspects of beauty remain the same no matter the time period, beauty and fashion trends do change rapidly each decade, and sometimes within only a few years. A person in modern day clothes transported back to the 1920’s would raise some heads. Here is a rundown of beauty standards of the past 100 or so years and how they are drastically different than they are today: 1. The 1920’s When you think of the 1920’s, you think of flappers and Great Gatsby style parties.

During the same time period, Adolf Loos, a modern architect, was formulating his own anti-ornament theories which eventually cumulated into an essay he wrote in 1913 titled Crime and Ornament. In the essay, Loos argues that ornament and all surface decoration are completely unnecessary and that it is the waste of “human labor, money, and materials.” In fact, he would be appalled by a piece like the Lady’s Writing Table and Chair since he believe that the physical materials should be celebrated for what they are and not covered in superfluous add-ons. Loos did acknowledge the fact that ornament had purpose and value in the past, but his belief was that those who are “cultured” in modern society prefer simplicity and have no need for decoration. This modernist ideal is exactly what Codman rejected when he built the Lady’s Writing Table and Chair. Instead, his beliefs are more similar to that of Owen Jones. Jones was a world traveler who was fascinated with the array of ornaments he encountered on his trips. Thusly, he published The Grammar of Ornament in 1856 which was essentially an encyclopedia containing patterns, contrast and color harmonies, which he believed were the best examples of decorations from other cultures and periods. Codman uses the same appropriation of patterns Jones emphasized. Through collecting influence from other cultures and

Wood peg rails were a feature of many rooms, built on all four walls for hanging garments, chairs, hats or

Housing changed drastically during the early 19th Century, whether it be the size, the shape, or the construction. Houses started out as a simple log cabin, one maybe two large rooms for eating, sleeping, and occasionally cooking (which was mostly done outdoors). During the 18th century most people did not care about the symmetry during the building process, especially when it came to the placing of windows and doors. There was also not much time put into planning rooms for privacy, sleeping arrangements, and living rooms. As time passed on changes were made, men wanted houses bigger and stronger, more fancy with multiple floors. In the living history novel The Reshaping of Everyday Life 1790-1840, Jack Larkin wrote, “Between 1790 and 1830,

The legacy of the Great Exhibition of 1851 started when Prince Albert, spouse of Queen Victoria and president of the Royal Society of Arts, had the idea of an exhibition to impress the world with Britain's industrial achievements, known as the Crystal Palace in 1849. Arrangements were developed and the necessary funds were raised, with Victoria herself leading the list of donations. Joseph Paxton was an english architect and horticulturist. Designed conservatory in gardens at Chatsworth, which served as a model for his design of the Crystal Palace, built of plate-glass and cast-iron for the London Exhibition of 1851 and re-erected into a palace at Sydenham (3). The Crystal Palace was a remarkable construction of prefabricated parts. It consisted