Few words are spoken with as much disdain as \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcMcMansion.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll admit to criticizing a property with the term on occasion, though I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not one of those people who could wax poetic about the evils they represent.<\/p>\n
In fact, I recently discovered that I had trouble even defining the term while I was talking with a local builder\/developer about a project in which he may participate. After mentioning the main value drivers in the finished home, like location<\/strong>, quality, location<\/strong>, price point, and location<\/strong>, I suggested that he make sure to differentiate the property from a McMansion.<\/p>\n And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s when I began to really think about the term. Wikipedia has an extensive page outlining all the characteristics (evils) of McMansions<\/a><\/strong>. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s actually amusing that the tone of the entire piece is so\u00c2\u00a0negative, all the way down to the final sentence and its snarky footnote. Articles<\/a><\/strong> and photo galleries<\/a><\/strong> have also taken McMansions to task.<\/p>\n It seems to me that \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcMcMansion\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 is just another way to say \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcnew construction.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Properties that wear the scarlet \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcMc\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/a><\/strong> are purchased by folks who are interested in homes that have modern features and amenities. The 1,700 square foot, 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath colonial just isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t big enough for some people. And when choosing between 3,000 square foot homes, why not pick something brand new instead of something 100 years old if the prices are comparable?<\/p>\n A\u00c2\u00a0high percentage of new homes meet at least some criteria laid out in the various definitions of McMansions. Doesn’t that suggest that they are their own unique style?<\/p>\n Would the West End of Hartford have been considered McMansions during the early 1900’s if the term existed?\u00c2\u00a0 It’s full of starter castles that were built in former farmland at the edge of town with few mature trees.<\/p>\n Perhaps we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re seeing another example of our collective preference for historical artistic styles<\/a><\/strong> over current artistic styles<\/a><\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0Maybe one day there will be a judgment-neutral term describing this style of architecture and even associations celebrating the structures.<\/p>\n The good news for McMansion-haters is that there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a good chance public sentiment (and their preferred architecture) is currently\u00c2\u00a0changing due\u00c2\u00a0to reflect the rising energy prices.<\/p>\n I’m very interested to hear what others think…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Few words are spoken with as much disdain as \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcMcMansion.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll admit to criticizing a property with the term on occasion, though I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not one of those people who could wax poetic about the evils they represent. In fact, I recently discovered that I had trouble even defining the term while I was talking with a local builder\/developer about a project in which he may participate. After mentioning the main value drivers in the finished<\/p>\n