Hacienda House Plans History

Although long considered to be the butt of trendy Levittown jokes about design, hacienda house plans are now staging a major comeback. In fact, the origins of hacienda-style homes differs from what this style became known for later.

Ranch-style homes have a fascinating history and evolution, and also an underlying philosophy which unites their architectural elements. The first homes were created in the 1920's by American architects who simplified design elements of Mexican hacienda house plans and Spanish colonial homes, thereby creating a new and modern architectural style.

Foremost among early architects noted for designing ranch homes are William Wurster and Cliff May. The style became quite popular in the western parts of the United States, especially in California, and it was often used in tract house developments.

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The basic features of a classic hacienda house plans includes being all on one level with a long, rambling floor plan based on rectangles which allowed living areas to be flexible, and to overlap one another. Read about Home Plans!

The classic home had a low roof and simple exteriors and interiors, with little in the way of decorative elements besides rustic trim. The idea was to have an informal, breezy feeling which integrated the outdoors with the indoors through large picture windows and sliding doors leading to outdoor patios and recreation areas.

Ranch-style homes are called different things in different places: in the American west, where the style was most influenced by the Spanish colonial, they are known as California ranch, American ranch, or ramblers. In the Midwest and in the East the Colonial they added a faux colonial facade to the typical modernist structure.

The history of hacienda house plans is an extension of Bauhaus ideals of form following function. The simplicity of raised hacienda house plans design and its emphasis on flexibility and livability as opposed to ostentation has kept large ranch house plans popular for almost a century.

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