McMansion or not?

CouttsClient · Apr 12, 2011

Originally Posted by RSS

Growing up I was told never to use the word mansion ... but rather house. I'm told the term great house is acceptable.
Yes...and always use the word BOAT.

Dakota rube · Apr 12, 2011

Originally Posted by RSS

Growing up I was told never to use the word mansion ... but rather house. I'm told the term great house is acceptable.

That's an interesting point which I'd never considered until just now. Is "mansion" derived from "manse"? 'Cause a manse, afaik, is a minister's house, usually of the Calvinist bent. Not an imposing, nor ostentatious abode at all.

Perhaps I've mixed up my word roots.

Piobaire · Apr 12, 2011

Originally Posted by RSS

Growing up I was told never to use the word mansion ... but rather house. I'm told the term great house is acceptable.

Growing up, I was told rich people didn't need to put plastic over their windows in the winter.

CouttsClient · Apr 12, 2011

Originally Posted by Dakota rube

That's an interesting point which I'd never considered until just now. Is "mansion" derived from "manse"? 'Cause a manse, afaik, is a minister's house, usually of the Calvinist bent. Not an imposing, nor ostentatious abode at all.

Perhaps I've mixed up my word roots.

Per Oxford: Origin: late Middle English (denoting the chief residence of a lord): via Old French from Latin mansio(n-) 'place where someone stays', from manere 'remain'

RSS · Apr 12, 2011

Originally Posted by CouttsClient

Yes...and always use the word BOAT.
Did we share a mother?

Dakota rube · Apr 12, 2011

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Growing up, I was told rich people didn't need to put plastic over their windows in the winter.

Nor do they pile straw bales around the foundation.

Piobaire · Apr 12, 2011

Originally Posted by Dakota rube

Nor do they pile straw bales around the foundation.

Yearly fall event at my place.

I also heard the rich people have furnaces and not two space heaters.

Holy ****. Holler if you grew up with space heaters. Been years since I thought of them. They were great for putting your ski-doo boots and gloves in front of to dry out after playing the snow.

CouttsClient · Apr 12, 2011

Originally Posted by RSS

Did we share a mother?
I am most certainly an only child

ramuman · Apr 12, 2011

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Yearly fall event at my place. I also heard the rich people have furnaces and not two space heaters. Holy ****. Holler if you grew up with space heaters. Been years since I thought of them. They were great for putting your ski-doo boots and gloves in front of to dry out after playing the snow.
My parents still use a space heater in their bedroom at night so that they can have the rest of the house at about 50F. It harkens back to perhaps 20-25 years or so ago when they had to squeeze every penny they could. They rode the dot com bubble up and thankfully not down, but the heater stayed.

Dragon · Apr 12, 2011

Originally Posted by venessian

I suppose the definition of what constitutes a "mansion" has changed over the years and from country to country, but I think that the following characteristics still hold true, in general:

* Over 5,000-7,500 sf.
* Special rooms designed expressly for entertaining and/or to accommodate various activities, such as large formal dining; conservatories/greenhouses/indoor pools; library/gallery/offices; luxe home theatres; etc.
* More bedrooms than required by occupants (i.e. several guest rooms with ancillary baths).
* Private domestics' quarters.
* Extensive, designed grounds if in the country.
* Various out-buildings (i.e. guest house/s; luxe garage/s; maintenance buildings; possibly domestics' quarters) if in the country.
* These days, probably very high-tech security; a-v systems; and domotics.

I have no idea if a strict definition exists.

^^ It would be nice if someone can share some examples of a modern mansion, as we now have many examples of McMansions.

mm84321 · Apr 12, 2011

Originally Posted by Dragon

^^ It would be nice if someone can share some examples of a modern mansion, as we now have many examples of McMansions.
I'll try to take some pictures this weekend.

zjpj83 · Apr 12, 2011

Originally Posted by Dragon

^^ It would be nice if someone can share some examples of a modern mansion, as we now have many examples of McMansions.

Wafic SaÃ¯d's house (Tusmore House), which was featured in Country Life, is a modern palladian mansion.

ramuman · Apr 12, 2011

Is there a good book on architecture for a noob?

edinatlanta · Apr 12, 2011

Originally Posted by ramuman

Is there a good book on architecture for a noob?

Read Witold Rybzinksi's stuff, he has a column on slate and wrote several books. I like Home: A brief history of an idea alot.

My parents still use space heaters almost exclusively in the winter. My room had to have one as the previous owners (Architects no less) added on to the house and just put a duct in the heating/ac system to run air up to the new second floor. Which meant no air went to my room as it all got sucked away. More or less ok in the summer as it was protected by trees and much cooler than other rooms but awful in winter.

StephenHero · Apr 12, 2011

Originally Posted by ramuman

Is there a good book on architecture for a noob?

Do you want to read about architecture or look at architecture? What are specifically interested in?

McMansion or not?

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