Ranch Style Homes

Ranch Architecture In the Historic Districts, Phoenix, Arizona

Old, Modern & Transitional Ranch Style Homes For Sale In Phoenix

Ranch Style Architecture Homes PhoenixRanch Style architecture  homes are single-story, open, and modeled after the casual style of true Western houses.

In Phoenix, Arizona, many, many historic districts and neighborhoods have ranch homes for sale en mass. A few examples of these neighborhoods are Arcadia, Pierson Place, North Encanto, just to name a few.

Ranch Style Architecture Homes Phoenix

The Ranch Style Home is an Art Form

The Ranch architectural style is like jazz and great cheeseburgers. It’s an art form unique to America. Low-slung Ranch homes, modeled after the casual style of homes on true Western Ranches were first built in the 1930’s. Then, over next four decades, they were popping up like wild daisy’s all over the countryside.

Ranch Homes are Making a Comeback

After falling out of favor in the 1980’s and 1990’s, Ranch homes are now enjoying a return to vogue, mostly as custom-built homes. Remember, Ranch homes do not have to be old to have a historic feel with a modern look.

Ranch Homes and Modern-Style Ranch Architecture

Modern Ranch Style Homes Architecture in PhoenixThe Ranch style house can be considered a sub-type of Modern-Style architecture, embracing open spaces and the connection between indoor and outdoor living.

The art form was pioneered by California architect Cliff May, whose houses were often a single room deep so each room could open to the outside and benefit from sunshine and warm breezes.

Key Features of Ranch Homes:

Ranch Style Architecture Homes Phoenix

  • Single-Floor Living. The ranch home’s low profile comes from its roots in the Western United States, where working ranch homes were one-level, practical and unadorned. Modernist influences also kept ranch homes simple and single-story for the most part, although split-level ranches did become popular in the 1950’s.
  • Asymmetry. Classic ranch homes are often shaped like “L”s or “U”s.
  • Sliding Glass Doors. One major purpose of the ranch style is to link the outdoors and the indoors. Sliding glass doors became a standard way to let in as much light and view as possible while connecting the living space directly to a patio.
  • Backyard Emphasis. Earlier American homes focused on the front porch, but ranch homes were designed for a private life out back.
  • The Garage. The spread of ranch homes coincided with America’s flight to the suburbs. This meant these homes had to accommodate cars, usually two.

Transitional Ranch Style Homes

An early, basic form of the Ranch style, known as the Transitional Ranch house, shared characteristics with the Minimal Traditional style. Also known as the Compact Ranch house. North Encanto neighborhood has the most intact Transitional Ranch homes in the State of Arizona.

Transitional Ranch Home Features:

  • One-story horizontal massing
  • Asymmetrical fenestration
  • Low-pitched roofing with wide eave overhang
  • Recessed entrance or small stoop
  • Attached carport/garage
  • The length-to-width ratio is defined as less than 2-1
  • Small and rectangular in form
  • The first Ranch houses typically contained a living-dining room, open kitchen, two to three bedrooms, and one bathroom.

Watch a podcast interview featuring Laura Boyajian about North Encanto Historic District

From Transitional Ranch Style to Linear Ranch Style

Transitional Ranch houses gave way to Traditional Ranch houses that embodied the full linear form of the style. But, later adaptations of the Ranch style introduced additional interior space with the family room gaining popularity in designs.

The 1960s Ranch Rambler

The 1960s Ranch rambler separated the private master suite from the children’s rooms with public living, dining, and kitchen spaces. This reflected the importance of functionality in Ranch style houses and also created the signature rambling, elongated form.

Innovative Ranch Home Design Elements Include:

  • Patios with Sliding Glass Doors
  • Picture Windows
  • Built-in planter boxes incorporated into the plans of Ranch houses

These elements emphasized muted versions of the style mostly lack the attached garages and ornate elements usually associated with the Ranch house.

Famous Ranch Home Examples:

  • Rancho del Cielo. Ronald Reagan’s Western White House near Santa Barbara, California was the former president’s retreat from public life.
  • The homes of Joseph Eichler. Like those of Cliff May, the ranch homes designed by California architect Joseph Eichler are enjoying a resurgence. Eichler’s designs are heavily influenced by modernist principles.

Possible Issues

Ranch homes tend to be easy to maintain because they’re often made of brick. So, this may require a little fuss, but they’re sparsely adorned. Sometimes, their flat style can spell trouble down the road as rainwater tends to collect on poorly drained flat or near-flat roofs and leak as the house ages.

Created for California and Arizona

Ranch houses were created for the California and Arizona type climate. If you’re living in a colder climate, a home designed to enjoy balmy weather is not necessarily a good fit, but ranch homes were mass-produced across the country.

Lifestyle In a Ranch Style Home

Ranch homes are synonymous with laid-back living. So, they emphasize the family-friendly backyard, usually connected to the kitchen or dining area via a sliding glass door and flat patio. It’s hard to picture a Ranch house without a barbecue grill out back.

But, the style also evokes a less eco-friendly era. Its sprawling floor plan gobbles up land and is not particularly conscious about conserving space or resources.