Home Elevation Styles

When considering building a new house, the buyers must take into account the variety of home elevation styles available to them. Home elevations refer to the drawings of the house to be built from different angles. These drawings are one of the primary ways in which the architect explains the design of the house to laymen. The drawings are done to scale to provide an accurate visual of what the home will look like when completed.

The front elevation of a home can provide much insight as to what the layout of the rooms inside will be. For example an elevation showing large first floor to second floor ceiling windows is indicative of a loft style second floor with vaulted ceilings in the front of the home. A front elevation will also show the potential buyer what their home will look like in comparison to the other homes in the neighborhood. This will help them determine whether their home is a cookie cutter home, or whether it will stand out in town. Let us discuss now some of the available home styles and different aspects and advantages of their elevations.

Cape Cod Style Elevation

The cape cod style home generally encompasses a few styles of home. The elevations generally represent classic rectangular homes with gable roofs, although some styles also have gambrel or bow roofs. This style of home is often humble and very utilitarian in purpose and appearance, boasting smart usage of space. It is good for small families or couples.

Ranch Style Elevation

The ranch style home refers to a single floored rectangular house with or without a garage attached and a gable or hip roof. The ranch home is a modest option that places all rooms on a single floor, offering ease of access for the elderly or handicapped. Sometimes a ranch home will have a basement floor, depending on its geographical location. These are often a very affordable option well suited to small families.

Craftsman Style Elevation

The craftsman style home plan generally refers to a number of house styles that all feature an outdoorsy, natural sort of look. This elevation often represents a home of over-layed rectangle and square shapes with multiple roof lines and dormers. This home layout often features an open floor plan in the downstairs living area and multiple nooks of varying purpose. It's open floor plan makes it an intimate layout, well suited to couples or small families.

Prairie Style Elevation

The prairie style home is generally comprised of multiple over-laid rectangles or square shapes and featuring two floors with multiple hip or gable style roofs. This elevation may refer to many visually unique layouts and offers a variety of advantages including rooms of greatly varying sizes for different uses. These homes lend themselves well to family life as the layout offers some privacy.

Mediterranean Style Elevation

The Mediterranean style home generally refers to homes comprised over lapped rectangle and square shapes and often tower style sections, large windows, and shady breezeways. These homes offer rooms of varying sizes and generally boast comfortable outdoor spaces to relax out of the elements. They fit well into hillside or tropical locations.

Colonial Style Elevation

The colonial style home is generally of a simple square or rectangular shape and featuring a simple gable roof. These homes are usually large and practical, with a central staircase, many rooms and many windows. Built in the conservative but highly useful style of the early American colonists, these houses are general great for families and are usually good for entertaining guests with their often large dining areas and living rooms.

Contemporary Style Elevation

The contemporary style home features a simple square or rectangular shape with clean angles and a simple gable or shed roof. It generally has an open floor plan and spacious rooms with moderately high ceilings and large windows. Well suited to properties with nice views, the contemporary is an excellent layout for families needing space, yet a homey comfortable feel.

Art Deco Style Elevation

The Art Deco style home is a very modern styled home featuring large windows on all floors, flat roofs, and often multiple balcony areas and breezeways. The elevation speaks of affluence and lends itself well to placement on a private estate. The many large windows and balconies beckon beautiful scenery whether they be well manicured lawns or scenic vistas.

Victorian Style Elevation

The Victorian style home often features towers, turrets, many roof lines, and large porches, all in a generally grand home. This elevation usually represents a house with many rooms, lending themselves to a variety of uses, and a large porch for enjoying the beautiful weather. These are excellent homes for families, offering much privacy to the inhabitants.

Townhome Style Elevation

The townhome style home is comprised of a row of single family units all sharing walls between and a large flat roof. Townhomes are generally laid out to make the most use of the space afforded each unit. These are a great option for highly populated areas where space comes at a premium, or for those looking to minimize maintenance cost by sharing the exterior with the other connected owners.

This is a brief overview of many of the home elevation styles available on the market today. In depth research on each style should be done by prospective home buyers to educate them on all the advantages and disadvantages each offers them.