The Mid-Century Builder emerged after WWII to provide inexpensive housing for returning soldiers and their families. These homes are common in suburban areas but can be found anywhere. As communities sprawled in the 1950s and 1960s, housing had to be built fast to accommodate them. Function rather than style was its defining feature.
The West Coast Modern style developed from a modernist approach to suburban living and a rainforest climate. The style first appeared in Vancouver, Seattle and Portland in the 1930s. Architects in these regions drew inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture, the International Style, and Japanese residential design.
The Rancher first appeared in the mid 1930s. They were developed by California architects but popularized in the post-war period. In the 1950s, the Rancher style became one of the most common house types.
Like the Rancher, the explosion of suburban developments after WWII made the Split-Level style possible. It became popular in the 1950s as a solution to the problem of increasing floor-space in the single-level Rancher without needing wider lots.