By 
The “Jetsons” cartoon series of the 1960s was an imaginative glimpse into American home life in the 21st century. George, Jane, Judy, Elroy, and Astro lived in a fancy automated house that looked as futuristic on the outside as it was high-tech on the inside. Here in the 21st century, it would seem logical for home design to evolve into a space age look, but traditional style homes that model themselves from 18th, 19th and early 20th century designs they are more popular than ever. Is the architectural design clock ticking backward, or are these classic exteriors simply handsome leathers hiding the muscles and bones of the 21st century?
A brief history
American home design has weathered four centuries of rapidly changing architectural styles and tastes. The first houses built by European settlers were simple and unadorned, reflecting the familiar shapes of their home countries, but as prosperity grew, they began to acquire a decoration copied from the great buildings of Europe. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the home style followed the fashion of the day: Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Neoclassical, Tudor, Italian Revival. These classic houses are often easily dated by tracing the architectural style back to the time period when it was popular.
The 20th century brought with it an architectural revolt. Tired of modeling their designs on European archetypes, architects invented new forms of home design. The Arts & Crafts movement, for example, sought to create a more intimate connection between the home and the lives of the occupants. Warm and inviting bungalows throughout the country are an enduring legacy of the Arts & Crafts style. The modern movement promoted the house as a “machine for living” and stripped it of all ornamentation. The Prairie School in Chicago promoted architecture born of landscape, a style that Frank Lloyd Wright worked to perfection. Wright houses are still considered innovative eighty years later.
Then came the post-WWII real estate boom and a kind of home-style chaos. In the rush to offer thousands of homes to affluent Americans, good architectural design often took a backseat in new home developments, missing much of the scale, detail, and warmth of “designed” homes. previously. Crafts became a lost art. New homes and quality architecture are only known in passing ever since.
But our recent period of financial good fortune has rekindled interest in the value of good architectural design. Books and television shows discuss design and construction, and even an entire cable network is dedicated to educating us about housing and home design. More and more new communities are employing architectural review boards in an effort to promote a higher level of design quality and help maintain consistent character throughout the community. And in architecture offices across the country, custom home clients – even those on modest budgets – are again asking for attractive, well-designed structures with character and personality.
But these new home customers aren’t asking for a space-age design. They seek the comfort of familiar shapes, gables and sash windows, brick, stone and wood, inviting porches and sidewalks, and seek inspiration in older neighborhood design.
Return to the future
So where are the “futuristic” houses here in 2001? In many ways, they are already here and quickly becoming more high-tech. In one form or another, many of the tech gadgets from George Jetson’s cartoon house are available to us today. The microwave oven and home automation systems were “predicted” by the creators of the Jetsons. And George stayed in touch with Jane and Mr. Spacely via a real-time audio / video link, something the internet has made a reality.
But most of the technological changes in today’s homes are “invisible”; hidden within walls, hidden in the basement, or disguised as man-made products designed to mimic natural materials.
While many foundation walls are still built with concrete blocks or poured concrete, other technologies are gaining acceptance. Foundation walls can now be built from precast parts or assembled from Styrofoam blocks which are then filled with concrete. And while our houses are still built primarily of wood, more of that wood is made from smaller pieces, “engineered” wood, or cut from genetically improved trees that grow in managed forests. High-quality “wood” siding and trim can be manufactured from a resin-wood fiber grout or specialized lightweight concrete. Even window glass is treated with an energy-saving microscopic coating and the space between the panels is filled with argon gas. And that attractive stone exterior next door? Instead, it can be “cultured stone”. It is almost impossible to tell the difference.
Some of these technological improvements give architects more design freedom. Engineered wood with its higher structural capacity allows us to remove some interior walls and open rooms to each other. The higher energy efficiency of window glass means more and bigger windows, better views outside, and more natural light inside.
Heating and cooling systems are also working harder, becoming more efficient each year as engineers find new ways to harness every last calorie of thermal energy from our limited fossil fuel resources. New furnace systems can extract more than 95% of the thermal energy available in a fuel.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubing has largely replaced cast iron in plumbing drainage systems, and plastic water lines are challenging copper’s dominance.
And while only the highest-end custom homes have complete home automation systems that control lighting, heating, and entertainment, nearly all homes are pre-wired for cable television and security alarms.
There is no place like home
Inside and out, our homes are rapidly approaching the Jetsons’ level of technology. But while George and his family lived in a circular space spire with glass walls, the appearance of many of today’s homes still recognizes the comfortable and familiar forms of our architectural heritage.
There is a lot of room in our communities for non-traditional design. But we work hard and have a lot of fun and even in contemporary homes, we want to find comfort and peace. Regardless of the architectural style, comfortable houses are those that relate to our human scale, that surround us with warmth and light, and that bring members of our family closer together. We like spaces that support our living patterns and that can adapt to our changing needs. High tech has its place to bring comfort and convenience to our lives, but the homes that acknowledge our heritage are familiar and intimate.
Most of us are not interested in houses that look like the Jetsons, but we all like the convenience of their devices. I think robot housekeepers will be very popular one day.