McMansion

"McMansion" is a slang architectural term which first came into use in the United States during the 1980s. It is a pejorative description of a particular style of housing that is—as its name suggests—both large like a mansion and as culturally ubiquitous as McDonald's fast food restaurants. In addition to ubiquity, almost every reason to poke fun at McDonald's has been applied metaphorically to this style of housing. Some of the characterizations include: traditional features without the foundation of those styles' underlying logic and purpose; sometimes cheap and mass-produced construction quality; negative impacts on nature and community; a tendency to look the same despite their superficially unique features.

Related Topics:
Architectural - United States - Housing - Mansion - McDonald's - Fast food

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Starting in the U.S. boom years of the 1980s, McMansions were a new concept intended to fill a gap between the modest suburban tract home and the upscale custom-designed home often found in gate-guarded, lakeshore, or golf-course communities. Some large tracts of McMansions have now been developed around such amenities.

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Alternative names for McMansions and similar houses include Beltway Baronial, Starter Castle, Tract Mansions and Faux Chateau; again, these are pejorative terms. Closely related to McMansions, but significantly different in both physical characteristics and social associations, are the infamous "Persian palaces" of Los Angeles.

Related Topics:
Faux Chateau - Persian palace - Los Angeles

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