What’s a Modern Home? 7 Styles That Define Modern Architecture
When you hear “modernist architecture,” do you imagine the seamless, naturalistic aesthetic of mid-century modern design? While mid-century modern architecture remains popular across the United States, the modernist styles that preceded it are just as worthy of our attention. (And dare we say, a little more exciting.)
In this article, you’ll learn the following 7 important movements in modern architecture, and how to recognize them:
Prairie Architecture
Craftsman Architecture
Art Deco Architecture
Minimal Traditional Architecture
Ranch Style Architecture
International Architecture
Contemporary & Mid-Century Modern Architecture
Before we jump into seven styles that define modern architecture, let’s spend a little time on the origins of modern architecture in America.
The Origins of Modern Architecture in America
The 20th century American modern design movement began with Charles and Henry Greene on the West Coast and Frank Lloyd Wright in the Midwest and the East at the turn of the 19th century. Together, the three would develop and evangelize modernist architecture in the United States.
Before the turn of the century, Frank Lloyd Wright had already established himself as a prolific and pioneering architect across the US and Europe. The Wisconsin native moved to Chicago early in his career to aid in the city’s recovery post-disaster. It was here that Wright received much of his formative training under the tutelage of Joseph Lyman Silsbee, Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan.
At the same time, West Coast architects Charles and Henry Greene drafted designs for the Craftsman style of architecture. Inspired by the British Arts & Crafts Movement, Greene & Greene developed the first California bungalows. Their intricately detailed Craftsman style would soon emerge as the dominant program for single family homes across the Western US, though it declined in popularity after the 1920s.
Understanding the Influence of the Arts & Crafts Movement Influence on Modern Architecture
In her essay “The Arts and Crafts Movement in America” for the Met’s incredible Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, Monica Obniski chronicles the influence of the British Arts & Crafts movement on American architects. Arts and Crafts designers lashed out against the industrialization of 19th century Europe, and instead “sought to improve standards of decorative design” that they believed were “debased by mechanization.” Early Arts & Craftsman architects and furniture makers hoped “to create environments in which beautiful and fine workmanship governed.”
American modernist architects who embraced the ethos of Arts & Crafts were deeply inspired by British designers like William Morris, Charles Robert Ashbee and Charles Francis Annesley Voysey.
Just as Greene and Greene were inspired by the Arts & Crafts Movement, so too was Frank Lloyd Wright.
The post “Wright and International Arts and Crafts” from the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust notes that “the Arts and Crafts movement provided a powerful impetus to Wright’s architectural principles.” Greene & Greene would later partner with Frank Lloyd Wright, the three spreading modernism across the US and Europe. Leaving Adler & Sullivan under uncomfortable circumstances in 1893, Wright decided to establish his own eponymous architectural firm. In 1902, Wright presented the first Prairie house design.
Today, we often inaccurately link Frank Lloyd Wright exclusively to mid-century modern architecture. It’s true that American architect did indeed influence later styles of modern architecture, including the contemporary mid-century modern style. However, Wright’s greatest achievement was the creation of Prairie style architecture. Thus, his work fits squarely in the early Modern movement, from about 1900 to 1930.
Next up: 7 styles of modern architecture, and how to identify a modern home.
7 Styles of Modern Architecture that Define Modern Homes
#1 Prairie Architecture
In her book A Field Guide to American Houses, Virginia Savage McAlester outlines Wright’s transition from young architect to pioneering modernist. Wright’s “entirely new kind of house -- the Prairie -- [had] free-flowing interior spaces, new spatial effects and an innovative vocabulary of ornament that did not mimic historic forms."
For reference, the architectural programs that directly preceded early modernism were rooted in revivalism. Neoclassical, French Revival, Spanish Revival, Pueblo Revival, Colonial Revival and other eclectic styles of the late 19th century applied historic elements to new builds - typically in a somewhat bizarre hodgepodge.
Wright's Prairie style was quite the opposite: streamlined, rooted in place, and absolutely singular.
According to McAlester, Prairie architecture represents "one of the few indigenous American styles."
Historians identify Wright's 1893 Winslow House as the first example of Prairie architecture, though the 1909 Frederick C. Robie House is his most celebrated. It was after completing the Robie House that Frank Lloyd Wright moved into his Usonian period. Savage McAlester writes that "Wright's ideas about domestic architecture - first explored in Prairie homes - were refined in his Usonian houses and had an even greater effect on typical American homes through the Contemporary style."
Both Wright and the Greene brothers were unusual in their time because of their focus on domestic architecture and the needs of middle class homeowners. In that way, modern architecture can be seen (in some instances) as uniquely democratic, and pleasingly suburban.
The Enduring Influence of Prairie Style Houses on Modern Architecture
In his article “Roots of Style: Prairie Architecture Ushers In Modern Design” for Houzz, contributor Steven Randel writes that “three conditions define the importance of Prairie-style houses.”
The first of these three is that Prairie architecture was “developed as a contemporary solution to a blossoming culture and nation.” The second in Randel’s list is that Prairie architecture could be “considered the first modern residential architecture predating the West Coast–born Craftsman style and the birth of European modernism.” Lastly, though the style fell out of favor around 1920, “its influence continued throughout the 20th century.”
In fact, writes Virginia McAlester, “the moving force behind Contemporary houses [the category into which mid-century modern architecture falls] was Frank Lloyd Wright.”
#2 Craftsman Architecture
McAlester writes in A Field Guide to American Houses that the Greenes created their first Craftsman bungalow in 1903, later evolving the style into what they called “ultimate bungalows” around 1909.
The Craftsman style is hallmarked by “low-pitched, gabled roofs,” decorative beams, exposed roof rafters, columns extending from the covered porch to the ground and a single story living space. Though the “high-style” Craftsman bungalow is unique to California, other styles inspired by the Greenes quickly spread across the US. Virginia McAlester notes that photographs and plans of their builds were published in magazines like The Architect, House Beautiful and Good Housekeeping. Soon after, the carefully detailed bungalows evolved into prefab kits that were shipped across America.
Though Frank Lloyd Wright studied civil engineering and began his career as a draftsman, the Greene brothers learned other skills that would later inform their architectural practice. In his article "The Splendor of Greene and Greene" for Smithsonian Magazine, Arthur Lubow writes that “the Greene brothers learned carpentry and metalworking as high school students, and their designs display a craftsman’s know-how.”
Armed with their experience as craftsmen, the Greenes often designed all the furniture within each of their homes. Quoting Huntington Library curator Edward R. Bosley, Lubow writes that because of this, “‘not only do the pieces not look right outside of their house, they don’t even look right out of their room.’”
Differences Between Wright and the Greenes
Unlike Frank Lloyd Wright’s distinctly American Prairie style houses, Greene and Greene’s designs were inspired by Japanese architecture.
Lubow notes that “in their loving gaze across the Pacific toward Japanese craftsmanship and their passionate use of local wood and stone, the Greenes produced a hybrid architecture that is a uniquely Californian achievement.” Though both “wanted control over the entire environment...the Greenes worked in one small area of the country and didn’t have the drive to expand their practice beyond Southern California.”
As such, their Craftsman bungalows are best suited to the mild climates of California and not easily translated to other regions like the Midwest or East Coast, unless adapted beyond the Greenes’ original plans.
Craftsman Architecture in Charlotte, NC
Interestingly, Charlotte is home to a few neighborhoods that feature lovely, ornate Craftsman-inspired bungalows. Amid the leafy tree canopy, this natural style of architecture feels right at home.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Landmarks Commission notes that the bungalow style was remarkably popular in the Southeast, and became the preferred home style for Charlotte’s middle class in the early 20th century. This was due to its combination of lovely, livable front porch and relatively small size. This made it perfect for warm, quick-growing, middle-class Southern neighborhoods in Charlotte’s urban core.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Landmarks Commission provides information on two of these bungalows in particular:
The Woodlawn Bungalow, according to the Landmarks Commission, “may very well contain the most complete and best preserved Craftsman Style bungalow interior in the City of Charlotte.” The floor plan is functionally the same as when it was built in 1909, and you can see how the design really maximizes space.
The design for the Dilworth Airplane Bungalow, on the other hand, came from a catalog advertisement in Craftsman Bungalows: A collection of the latest designs, published in 1920 by Seattle’s Yoho & Merritt. This design is directly influenced by Greene & Greene’s Japanese-inspired bungalows - just check out those curving rafters!
At the time, this $20 plan cost an estimated $5500 to construct. While there are other examples of this house plan in the US, this is one of the only ones to feature stone so extensively, according to CMLC. (That’s one of my favorite features of this unique home!)
It’s almost exactly the same today as it was when constructed. One or two small changes were made to the rafters on the exterior, and the interior floor plan remains essentially unchanged.
All above images via the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Landmarks Commission.
Want to see a few bungalows in person? Based on my not-very-scientific research, the neighborhoods with the highest concentration of Craftsman architecture in Charlotte are Dilworth, Elizabeth, and Plaza Midwood.
#3 Art Deco Architecture
The last styles of Early Modern American architecture are those of the Modernistic period. From 1920 to 1940, American architects developed the Art Moderne (or Art Nouveau) and Art Deco styles - hallmarked by smooth wall surfaces, a streamlined aesthetic and geometric decorative elements.
After Art Nouveau’s presentation by famed Finnish-American architect Eliel Saarinen in 1922, it became a sensation. (Interesting cocktail party fact: Eliel was the father of architect Eero, who designed the famous tulip table and chairs!)
Unlike earlier architectural movements, Modernistic buildings were inspired by “more diffuse influences.” The streamlined designs of “ships, airplanes and automobiles” influenced the “smooth surfaces, curved corners and horizontal emphasis of the Art Moderne style,” McAlister notes. Elaborations like geometric floral, sunrise patterns, chevron with lozenge and fluting motifs often adorned Art Deco builds.
Art Deco style architecture is perfect for grand spaces. It’s difficult to translate Art Deco elements to modern domestic architecture, however. When we see Art Deco in homes, the overall effect is one of elegant, flowing lines. (Here’s one gorgeous Art Deco domestic renovation in Illinois for you to drool over.)
In his article “Art Deco + Art Moderne (Streamline Moderne): 1920 – 1945” for Circa, architectural conservator Hänsel Hernández-Navarro writes that neither Art Deco nor Art Moderne are common in domestic architecture. However, “many Deco interiors were designed and built in American houses and apartment” and Art Deco architecture was frequently applied to apartment buildings in New York and abroad. According to Hernández-Navarro, both would eventually “be largely superseded by the minimalism of the International Style in the 1950s and early 1960s.”
Personally, I adore Art Deco. I remember looking at 1920s advertisements for the time when I was first studying art formally, and the shapes are just so pleasing.
Our Berlin apartment has a few charming Art Deco elements, including original doorknobs, stained glass fixtures, and elegant, sweeping molding on the doors. We love it - but these elements would feel completely inconsistent in our Charlotte home.
#4 International Architecture
Unlike Minimal Traditional and Ranch, which we’ll cover next, the International style of architecture does not fit into the Bankers Modern period. Rather, it falls within the Mainstream Modern period. With open floor plans and soaring windows, some mid-century modern homes fall within the International style.
The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum commission defines International Style in the Pennsylvania Architectural Field Guide as that movement with roots in Bauhaus and Brutalism. According to their chapter International Style 1930 - 1950, “the International style was born in western Europe in the 1920s from the precedent breaking work of noted architects Le Corbusier in France, and Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe in Germany.” It strove to “create a new modern form and functional theory of architecture.”
A quick primer on these godfathers of late Modern architecture: Le Corbusier was known for combining functionalism and expressionism, Gropius for founding the Bauhaus school, and van der Rohe became synoymous with minimalism.
In order to create these new modern buildings, architects favored a “pared down, unornamented style that emphasized geometric shapes.” International style architecture is hallmarked by asymmetry, flat roofs and immense panes of glass.
Despite the starkness of these shapes, Bauhaus styles in particular were designed to be accessible. Bauhaus architects tended to consider affordability and usability in their designs; in this way, I’ve heard IKEA described as the perfect extension of the Bauhaus ethos.
In the 1930s, American domestic architects began pulling from the International style in their designs, combining elements of International style with other styles of modern architecture popular at the time.
Today, we see the influences of International architecture - and the tendency to combine it with others - in what’s known as “transitional” style, too.
Innovations of the International Style
The lightweight design of International style structures set them apart from earlier American houses. According to McAlester, solid masonry walls of earlier houses provided the majority of structural support.
Conversely, American homes made in the International style “were supported by a lightweight structural skeleton” - often crafted from metal. Thus, the walls of these buildings “were freed simply to enclose a volume of architectural space - and could have more flexible fenestration.”
This accounts for the floor-to-ceiling windows of International-inspired buildings. It also accounts for the unusual, asymmetrical ways in which windows are set in International buildings.
The International style is the first style of architecture in which wrap-around windows appear.
With their bold, technical, expressive designs, International style buildings has somewhat fallen out of favor as architects “gravitated to the more ‘natural’ Contemporary style.’”
That said, we really like the Interntaional style’s expansive windows and the materiality of the metal. You’ll probably see this reflected in our renovation - but I don’t want to give away too much yet! (Admittedly, this shouldn’t come as a surprise considering Nils’ business, Bauwerk Building Solutions, focuses on windows.)
#5 Minimal Traditional Architecture
The Minimal Traditional home is "'the little house that could.'"
Minimal Traditional architecture responded to the post-war development needs of American families. Though not avant-garde in any way, unlike the International Style, these houses "could be built quickly to accommodate millions of relocating WWII production-plant workers."
The Minimal Traditional period of American architecture - dating from 1935 to 1950 - includes Cape Cod, Gable-and-Wing and other salt-box inspired homes. Each style harkens back to the Colonial period of architecture with their simple floor plans and minimal exterior ornamentation.
Alongside Art Deco, Minimal Traditional architecture is perhaps the style most divorced from mid-century modern design.
Once excited by pioneering styles like Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie designs, architects were "desperate for work after 1930." As such, they "turned their attention to the design of the small house" and the needs of the average family. McAlester notes that "after the war, developers built instant communities...filled with Minimal Traditional houses, sometimes using only a few designs in a subdivision." These homes were "cookie cutter" styles with small, simple interior spaces that could easily be mass-produced.
Today, one can often find 20th century Minimal Traditional houses alongside Ranch style homes in a single tract neighborhood. However, once the economy recovered after WWII, "postwar prosperity meant that larger homes could be built and financed."
This style of home is simple, understated, and perhaps even homely.
But look a little closer, and you’ll find that they’re full of functional charm. As North Carolina’s Pines Preservation Guild rightly notes, these homes “remain an unprotected part of our country’s history.” As a result, they’re often demolished or expanded beyond recognition.
Fortunately, there are great preservation societies nationwide striving to preserve even unassuming architecture, such as minimal traditional cottages.
Our home is in what you might call a “minimal traditional” neighborhood in Charlotte. We are seeing many of these smaller homes torn down and replaced with so-called “modern farmhouses.” It does tug at the heartstrings.
#6 Ranch Style Architecture
Ranch style architecture emerged after the Second World War in response to growing American families and a booming US economy. No longer crippled by the restrictions of war, American homebuyers adapted their tastes to better suit their full pocketbooks.
Like Minimal Traditional homes, Ranch style homes (sometimes referred to as “California ranch”) were simply designed and easily replicated. Based on Western ranches, the Ranch home is sprawling and engages actively with the outdoors.
Whereas Minimal Traditional homes were designed to be compact and practical, Ranch style homes were larger, looser, and equipped with modern conveniences like attached garages.
Ranch style homes are often considered both the progenitors and the contemporaries of mid-century modern design. In her article “Here’s Why Ranch-Style Houses Are Called Ranches” for House Beautiful, Maggie Burch explains. Burch writes that “by 1950, 9 out of every 10 new homes built in the United States was a Ranch.”
Though many mid-century modern houses share the single-story, elongated design of ranch style homes, they do differ in some ways. Maggie Burch notes that “the majority of middle America’s Ranches were a bit more traditional and reserved in design, whereas Mid-Century Moderns were just that: modern.”
Primary features of Ranch style homes include a casual, open floor plan, “a low-to-the-ground profile that stretches horizontally rather than vertically” and a low-pitched roof with wide eaves.
Either designed in the shape of an L (example floorplan here) or a U (example floorplan here), Ranch style homes partially encircle a backyard, reinforcing the casual lifestyle of the new American family. This is the beginning of indoor-outdoor living areas; a new home for the new American family.
#7 Contemporary & Mid-Century Modern Architecture
Finally - around 1945 - we arrive at Mid-Century Modern architecture. Mid-Century Modern, or MCM, largely falls into the category of Contemporary design.
Before looking specifically at Mid-Century Modern architecture, let’s spend a little time on contemporary domestic architecture in general.
Contemporary Domestic Architecture
Contemporary domestic architecture blends all of the styles we’ve covered so far; it draws on the Prairie and Craftsman styles of Early Modern design, the orientation of the Ranch style and the bold Bauhaus aesthetic of the innovative International style.
In her book A Field Guide to American Houses, McAlester writes that the Contemporary style rejects the idea that architecture should be defined by exterior decoration. Rather, Contemporary domestic architecture focuses on "the spaces inside the house and the way in which each space relates to the outdoors."
Contemporary architecture was the first style to incorporate outdoor spaces in the spatial planning of a modern home. Because they prioritized nature, Contemporary homes were designed to adapt to difficult sites - like those on hillsides or in remote areas.
Unlike the more common Ranch style houses, which were ubiquitous in subdivisions at the time, contemporary home subdivisions were - and are - unusual. One of few examples is a subdivision in the San Francisco Bay Area, where famed Californian developer Joseph Eichler built almost ten thousand.
Hallmarks of Mid Century Modern Architecture
Writing about the occurrence of Contemporary or mid-century modern houses in the US interior, McAlester notes that the style "was favored most by American architects from about 1945 to 1965."
In the contemporary period, we start to see a second floor or split level in single family homes. (Three big cheers for split-levels!)
Architects chose to add a second, hovering level to mid-century modern homes because this allowed them to build a larger home on a "smaller footprint...leaving more exterior green space."
In her article “A Pocket Guide to Mid-Century Modern Architecture and Design” for Dengarden, Linda Checar writes that “scholars and experts give Frank Lloyd Wright credit for popularizing the mid-century modern movement in American architecture.”
However, International style architects like Ludwig Mies van de Rohe and Charles-Édouard Jeanneret - aka LeCorbusier - also contributed. Combining aesthetics of LeCorbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright and the Greene brothers gives us “the look we have ultimately come to know as mid-century modern.”
Checar identifies features of mid-century modern architecture as “flat roofs, angular details and asymmetrical profiles.” They also frequently feature “expansive walls of glass, clean lines and wide open floor plans.” Because mid-century modern architecture “married indoor spaces to the outside…[it became] extremely popular on the West Coast.”
Mid-Century Modern Meets the 21st Century
Because homes in this style could be constructed anywhere and could support any type of family, mid-century modern design exploded across the US and Europe in the ‘50s and ‘60s.
In his article “The Reason Behind Midcentury Modern’s Global Success” for Bloomberg, James Tarmy writes that “mid-century architecture was a global movement that promoted ‘adaptability and flexibility, because they pioneered a modern way of living.’”
If you can’t tell the difference between today’s contemporary homes and 20th century modern houses, don’t worry - they share many of the same elements. In the United States, mid-century modern architecture never fell far out of favor because of its practical design and emphasis on indoor-outdoor living.
Minimalistic, functional, natural, and timeless, Mid-Century Modern homes have tons of style. It’s no wonder that Mid-Century Modern homes remain incredibly popular today.
So now you know the 7 major modern architectural styles.
If you’re redecorating or remodeling your living space, you may find it helpful to be aware of these styles. You’ll be able to bring in references, combine styles in new ways, and articulate your design vision more clearly.
This knowledge of modern architectural styles helps me make sure that if I want to move in one direction stylistically, I can because I understand the principles at play. Knowing the rules gives me the freedom to break them.
Here’s how we’re using this knowledge in our split-level home renovation:
Our split-level has clear Mid-Century Modern roots. However, most of the interior updates have a more Minimal Traditional or even mainstream contemporary style. We prefer the feel of Mid-Century Modern spaces, so we’ve decided to emphasize that style in the remodel while de-emphasizing the more traditional elements. We also love European architecture, so we’ll be blending in more of the International style, too.
