McMansions in the city

McMansions are homes that emphasize size/mass and ornamentation over things like architectural merit. A house with bad architecture is like a sentence with bad grammar: it makes people who know better cringe.

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12/30/2017 13:30

Subject: McMansions in the city

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many posts about McMansions. Sorry, but what talking about?

McMansions are homes that emphasize size/mass and ornamentation over things like architectural merit. A house with bad architecture is like a sentence with bad grammar: it makes people who know better cringe.

If only “people who know better” were not so frequently a synonym for “people with degrees but few skills”...

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12/30/2017 13:35

Subject: McMansions in the city

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Anonymous

Not a lot of cookie-cutter in upper NW (this is what I assume you mean by "neighborhoods that DC lovers crow about"), but .10 acre lots is a strange thing to post as an insult. We're living in a city, you get that right? Everyone can't live on hobby farms.

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12/30/2017 14:35

Subject: McMansions in the city

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:Not a lot of cookie-cutter in upper NW (this is what I assume you mean by "neighborhoods that DC lovers crow about"), but .10 acre lots is a strange thing to post as an insult. We're living in a city, you get that right? Everyone can't live on hobby farms.

Don't you know, it's not a McMansion if it's on .5 acre in McLean!

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12/30/2017 14:37

Subject: McMansions in the city

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Anonymous

Mcmansion means duplicated style brick front vinyl siding 5000sf+ tract homes. Usually found in Ashburn. People are stupid and call anything new this. They are stupid. Ignore architects they think the modern box homes that no consumer wants is the best.

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12/30/2017 14:40

Subject: McMansions in the city

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:Mcmansion means duplicated style brick front vinyl siding 5000sf+ tract homes. Usually found in Ashburn. People are stupid and call anything new this. They are stupid. Ignore architects they think the modern box homes that no consumer wants is the best.

Keep trying!

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12/31/2017 00:11

Subject: McMansions in the city

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:Mcmansion means duplicated style brick front vinyl siding 5000sf+ tract homes. Usually found in Ashburn. People are stupid and call anything new this. They are stupid. Ignore architects they think the modern box homes that no consumer wants is the best.

According to McMansion lovers, it's not a McMansion if it has HardiePlank siding. That's the mark of "quality."

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12/31/2017 03:33

Subject: McMansions in the city

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mcmansion means duplicated style brick front vinyl siding 5000sf+ tract homes. Usually found in Ashburn. People are stupid and call anything new this. They are stupid. Ignore architects they think the modern box homes that no consumer wants is the best.

Keep trying!

No. I agree with the previous poster. McMansion is so commonly thrown around that it now simply means a new house you don't like. I've seen 3k sqft houses called McMansions. I've seen beautiful, architecturally designed houses appropriately scaled for the historic neighborhood it was built in McMansions. I've seen contemporary houses called McMansions. I've seen neo-Traditionals called McMansions. I've seen craftsmen called McMansions. I've seen just about all kinds of new houses called McMansions. McMansions used to mean those large 4+k sqft houses crammed on small lots in the outer suburbs, built cheaply, incorporating elements like bridal staircases, two story foyers and wasteful unused spaces, but no more. It simply means a new house you don't like.

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12/31/2017 08:02

Subject: McMansions in the city

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mcmansion means duplicated style brick front vinyl siding 5000sf+ tract homes. Usually found in Ashburn. People are stupid and call anything new this. They are stupid. Ignore architects they think the modern box homes that no consumer wants is the best.

Keep trying!

No. I agree with the previous poster. McMansion is so commonly thrown around that it now simply means a new house you don't like. I've seen 3k sqft houses called McMansions. I've seen beautiful, architecturally designed houses appropriately scaled for the historic neighborhood it was built in McMansions. I've seen contemporary houses called McMansions. I've seen neo-Traditionals called McMansions. I've seen craftsmen called McMansions. I've seen just about all kinds of new houses called McMansions. McMansions used to mean those large 4+k sqft houses crammed on small lots in the outer suburbs, built cheaply, incorporating elements like bridal staircases, two story foyers and wasteful unused spaces, but no more. It simply means a new house you don't like.

I'd love to see an example of McMansions being used just to deride new houses someone doesn't like, especially for houses with less than 4k. A lot of us who have been around for decades and are familiar with the dynamics in residential architecture and get that there is a substantial market segment that gets taken in by the McMansion concept, somewhat because of poor taste and somewhat because of cynical builders and financiers.

So do share examples if you can. I'm afraid I've yet to see a "false positive" when the term McMansion is used, but I'm always seeing offended folks in denial about how awful these places really are.