Garages !

Here is Winspear, Buffalo.

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Each house has a garage behind of the houses and the design/color are same to fit the environment/the landscape.



Yes, American house usually have a garage.( In my country; Japan, many people don't have...)Anyway,my image of American house is set with a garage. Americans do "garage sale" and it's popular. I remember that one of my favorite American TV shows;"That's 70s show" broadcast, including the scenes of garages. The main young characters often talk in front/inside of the garage and the scene shaped up my image of 70s American landscape...

According to the website "Garage door styles for traditional homes", there are many variety of styles and sizes. In my view, the type "Transom over flush door" might be not so popular...because I didn't see them many times.



American garages work as a storage shed at the same time and inside has many stuffs for cars which to maintenance,extra furniture or rough and large stuffs.



However.....
If the garage became messy/ dirty ground, then you can call this company :-)


By the way, some people use a garage as their working place. For example, below this picture that all stuffs are put in order and looks very beautiful and comfortable :-)



Look at this blow picture which the place has became a bar !
This might be jokking ? I don' know how many Americans do like this,but it's interesting idea.

The Runch Style Houses

This looks like really American house to me !!


This is my ideal scene of Raunch Style house with beautiful garden.


Rough sketch of a house.

The Runch style houses are my image of typical American house. When I was a child and watched American TV shows, then I saw such type of houses with the American family which an overweight father sits on couch and watch TV with his fat wife.So, when I do image of American houses, first of all I image it. ( It's my fixed idea and I'm afraid to say it to Americans !!)

Well, since I came to America from Japan and took this course, I knew that there are many types of houses and they are mixed built up. Such various styles are very interesting to me. In my country, recently, people tend to build Western style of houses, but I didn't know what type of it. Americans say " why are you interested in American houses ? You can see them in Japan, right ?" but, the houses are not always exactly the same.

Well, according to the website( http://www.architecturalhouseplans.com/home_styles/ranch_house_plans.php), the character of the Runch style (Floor plans) includes

* Wide and rambling
* Almost always one story
* Very low-pitched roof
* Roof may be gabled or hipped
* Often cross-gabled
* Facade width is maximized
* Detailing minimal, but often with decorative shutters
* Moderate to wide eave
* Ribbon windows are common
* Large picture windows in living areas

The above first picture was designed Architect Edward Durell. Since 1956 when it was introduced, the type of house became quite popular. The second one is very beautiful, charming and my ideal runch style. I don't know which age of is. The last one is a rough sketch of a house in 1538 with 3 bedrooms,master bedroom,main floor laundry,2 - piece bathrooms, a kitchen and a large front living room and garden.

Here are some pictures of western-style houses from Japan. Some Japanese houses are designed mixed with Westerns, but most are import houses.



The Japanese house is built mixed with stick style.



The color of the outer wall is very bright yellow. Usually Japanese houses don't use such bright color, always brown, dark brown or white because they are made up with woods.



Here in Japan, our land is not so big. Therefore, some people build such 3 story- houses using upper space effectively. I often see such more than 2 story- houses in Europe.

Well, my sister works for selling houses, so she must be familiar of this topic :-) On the other hand, my father is a gardener who creates Japanese garden. According to him, Japanese garden and western-style houses does not fit at all. He usually doesn't say any complain, but I have known he has a lot that people don't care to create beautiful, original Japanese sublime... I have heard about the foreign visitors who love Japan. When they came to Japan, they would be disappointed at so many western-style houses because they wanted to see more traditional, Japanese-like designs....I know their feelings,but we Japanese people want to shorten the time to build a house and somewhat western-style looks more fashionable and lovely. So,that's why they prefer western one. Well,I think each Japanese person should takes care this issue seriously and should notice how much we have ignored to create beautiful, original Japanese landscape because there are no Japanese spirit in such houses...

Sitcom Suburbs

Here is Tyler street, near South Campus.


California, from " Full House" American TV show.

Mostly every day when I go to North campus, I see the Millersport Highway and have noticed that the unique layout of the houses in the suburb because the stereotype of American houses are bigger than Japanese one. Western people say " Japanese house is like a rabbit house", therefore, when I see such small houses in the USA, it makes me surprise. Basically America has many economic level of people, so I suppose they are probably low income people... I don't know their actual situation, but might be.

Well, when I think about "ticky tacky",I am reminded of the famous, quite popular American TV show "Full House". In the opening scene, I saw such type of houses that Tanner's family live in California.( the above picture is the opening scene of Full House that we usually see in the drama). Well, the houses in Millersport Highway are exactly fit the lyrics " Little Boxed", but like in the case of California, "ticky tacky" is not always small or poor quality, I think.