thatonegirl [dot] net

Would you like to super size that “McMansion” or add a side of fries to your “garage Mahal?”

First off, what are these McMansions and why am I so fascinated with them? Wikipedia’s definition of McMansion is as follows: “McMansion is a slang architectural term which first came into use in the United States during the 1980s. It is a pejorative description of a particular style of housing that is—as its name suggests—both large like a mansion and as culturally ubiquitous in the suburbs as McDonald’s fast food restaurants. In addition to ubiquity, almost every reason to poke fun at McDonald’s has been applied metaphorically to this style of houses. Some of the characterizations include: traditional features without the foundation of those styles’ underlying logic and purpose; sometimes cheap and mass-produced construction quality; negative impacts on nature and community; a tendency to look the same despite their superficially unique features.” (For more information from Wiki, click the link at the bottom.)

Ok, so you have your definition but why the obsession? Any time I drive anywhere I am fascinated by the sheer number of housing developments springing up over night. Every where I look, it seems as if more and more houses are going up. Where are all these people coming from?!?! Anyway, in my spare time (haha!) I like to drive around these neighborhoods and take a look at these houses. I found one in Coppell on my way home from Grapevine the other day that I am quite fond of. The houses are HUGE and the lots are small, but the architecture of the houses fascinates me. I’d rather have lots of land, love and leisure than lots of house though. (l-iteration! cheesy!)

“There are two types of McMansions: mass-built houses in suburban areas and those built in existing neighborhoods of smaller homes.” As for the first one, I can divide that category into two more sections: housing developments where the houses all look the same, and the custom built developments. In Sherman, I see the first type as the housing development called Pebblebrook. All the houses are basically the same, chosen from a select set of plans and a few modifications made, the color of the brick or trim changed, or even just the floor plan switched. Nothing too creative. As for the McMansion development with a little bit of character, in Sherman, that is Bentbrook. The houses are all different, the lots are somewhat larger, large enough that you don’t look directly into your neighbor’s house when you look out your window, but still not any sort of acreage.

As far as building new McMansions in already existing neighborhoods, I can think of two places off the top of my head: Highland Park and the neighborhood I grew up in. The parents of one of my college buddies just sold their house in Highland Park and moved into an apartment. What is to happen to their historic home in Highland Park? It is destined for the same fate of many other older, smaller homes in that residential area. It will be demolished and replaced with a larger, more extravagant McMansion. I would almost rather have them tearing down homes that already exist and building new ones than clearing land for new homes. “Proponents assert that McMansions revitalize communities by replacing obsolete housing and maximizing use of in-place infrastructure.” Some efforts are being made to preserve the historic homes and their architecture. New regulations in Dallas are intended to protect the existing architectural and cultural attributes of the neighborhood in the area between McCommas Boulevard, Greenville Avenue, Goodwin Avenue and U.S. 75. which is made up primarily of middleclass Tudor homes built in the 1920s and 1930s. These regulations will guarantee that new construction and remodeling is compatible with the neighborhood’s original architectural styles.

But in the neighborhood where I grew up, most of the houses were built in the early to mid 1980s, the beginning of this McMansion revolution. They all look fairly similar, it’s a cozy little neighborhood, I can’t complain. But now, someone (stupid) has decided to build a few new houses on the small plots of land that remain scattered all over the neighborhood, and these houses just do not fit in with the rest of the group. These new houses are 2 story with modern exteriors, you know, the whole stucco and stone thing, and are very different from anything else around them. And, they are so close together that they allow for little to no privacy.

What happened to all the space? I’m starting to get claustrophobic from all this concrete. We’re almost done expanding out, soon we’ll start going higher. Maybe the next McMansion revolution will be the high-rise. Then there would be even more space to clutter with stuff and not people. That’s another thing; the American family unit is shrinking. Most families don’t have more than 2 kids. But yet, they live in their extravagant homes with enough space for twice that many people. What’s the point? Here’s your point: “The McMansion is not just a place to live, they say, but an assertion of the American sense of identity and a statement of prosperity.”

Useful (or useless) Links!

• Wikipedia
• Really good article from the Mays Business School at A&M (.pdf)
• The McMansion Next Door: Why the American house needs a makeover (MSN)
• This New House. Some crazy statistics from MotherJones.com
• Crowded land of giants
• St. Petersburg Times: Big Mac attack on mansions