Mansion

A mansion is a large and stately dwelling house. The word itself derives (through Old French) from the Latin word mansus the past participle of manere "to dwell". The English word "manse" originally defined a property large enough for the parish priest to maintain himself, but a mansion is no longer self-sustaining in this way (compare a Roman or medieval villa). 'Manor' comes from the same root— territorial holdings granted to a lord who would remain there— hence it is easy to see how the word 'Mansion' came to have its meaning.

The modern mansion

Mansions built during the last and present centuries usually have specially designed rooms meant to accommodate leisure activities of a particular kind. Many will have a conservatory or greenhouse, while others will have an indoor swimming pool or an Arts and crafts room with huge North oriented windows. Others will have all of these features. The relative importance of these specially designed rooms changes with the times: At the beginning of the 20th century no true mansion would have been built without a large room to house a private library, while at the beginning of the 21st century the presence of a big room designed for a home theatre or cinema is a must. Most recently, mansions have been built with integrated domotics, sometimes to excess.

Related Topics:
Conservatory - Greenhouse - Swimming pool - Library - Home theatre - Cinema - Domotics

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A McMansion (1980s-2000s) is a speculatively-built, price-inflated suburban house meant to imitate a mansion. They are usually built from standard plans, with only some cosmetic detailing and a few design changes available to the buyer. In contrast a real mansion is normally built by an architect to the exact needs of the clients.

Related Topics:
McMansion - 1980s - 2000s - Suburban - Architect

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The costly time spent by an experienced architect is a better indicator of the lasting status of a mansion than the number of its rooms, its total size, or its special amenities. The homes and mansions designed by the late Richard Neutra and Quinlan Terry are good examples of modern designs which have been nearly perfectly tailored to fit a particular customer.

Related Topics:
Richard Neutra - Quinlan Terry

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A modern mansion today may not necessarily be limited to a single house standing alone. Compounds, or a grouping of larger houses have become more popular with the aspiring middle classes. The Kennedy Compound is an example of one family building large houses on a single plot.

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