Week 2 Discussion Questions: The Architectural Designs

Discussion Question 1
The architectural designs present in a country reflect the kind of people who live in it‚ its location and the economy (Abel et al.‚ 37). The architectural design of the houses of the colonial Virginia was shaped majorly by using English builder’s manuals and certain books with architectural patterns. The colony’s relied on publications from England for their architectural designs. The general layout of their houses was built in a way that made them adaptable to the climatic conditions within the locality. The window openings were made smaller and the heights of the ceilings taller as compared to those of the English houses (Canizaro, 47)
The houses had passages through the centre‚ for purposes of allowing proper ventilation during summer season‚ and at the same time‚ not interrupted by partitions and the structures of the chimneys. Most of the buildings were made of bricks. The common log construction was widely spread. It was a tradition of the German people‚ which was quickly adopted by the Scots- Irish settlers. Due to increased population‚ certain building patterns were applied. The Greek motifs were applied. Details like the window lintels‚ mantels and doorways were put. The Virginia settlers abandoned the timber- frame mode of traditional construction. This is due to the need of constructing basic shelter quickly and efficiently. They later adopted construction where the frame was embedded with boards that were wooden (McAlester, 71).
Discussion Question 2
The European settlements were basically of the following types: the large plantation that was in the southern part and the small town loc...