Terraced house

**Historical Context and Evolution of Terraced Housing:**
– Terraced housing originated in 16th century Europe.
– Known as row houses in the US and Canada.
– Term ‘terrace’ derived from garden terraces.
– Terraced houses in the UK built for various income levels.
– Finnish rivitalo inspired by English Garden City movement.
– Terraced housing in France dates back to the 17th century.
– Paris utilized terraced buildings during Haussmann’s renovation.
– Georgian terraces in Dublin housed the upper classes.
– Standardized format with variation in façade details and floor-plans.
– Tower blocks replaced many terraced houses post-World War II.
– Repairing Victorian terraced houses is 60% cheaper than building new houses.

**Terraced Housing in Different Geographic Locations:**
– Terraced houses in Australia are Victorian and Edwardian era style.
– Terraced houses in Halifax known as rowhouses, townhouses, and terraced housing.
– Montreal has the largest stock of terraced houses in Canada.
– Toronto features abundant terraced homes in Old Toronto.
– Terraced housing in the United States concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic region.
– Savannah, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and other US cities have distinctive styles of terraced houses.

**Architectural Features and Design of Terraced Houses:**
– Terraced houses share side walls with neighboring units.
– Townhouses do not have units above or below them.
– End terraces have different layouts from mid-terrace houses.
– Terraced housing was popular for workers during the industrial revolution.
– Adapted from British terraced home designs.
– Modifications for tropical weather.
– Incorporation of inner courtyards.
– Influence of Western, Malay, Indian, and Chinese architecture.
– Shift towards modern styles like Art Deco and International in the mid-20th century.

**Urban Development, Gentrification, and Repurposing:**
– Terraced houses are increasingly associated with gentrification.
– Urban renewal programs in the 1950s aimed to eradicate terraced houses.
– Proximity to CBDs makes terraced houses in Australia expensive.
– Conversion into shophouses, businesses, or residences.
– Issues of abandonment and neglect.
– Expansions and additions to original structures.
– Concerns about maintenance of deserted homes.

**Variations and Related House Types:**
– Terraced houses in urban areas often combine commercial and residential spaces.
– Economic motivation for narrow and deep structures.
– Decline in such designs post-1960s.
– Terrace houses on outskirts with larger front yards.
– Accommodation for cars or gardens.
– Diversification of design with modernization.
– Related house types include alley house, back-to-back house, semi-detached house, shotgun house, and townhouse.

Terraced house (Wikipedia)

A terrace, terraced house (UK), or townhouse (US) is a kind of medium-density housing that first started in 16th century Europe with a row of joined houses sharing side walls. In the United States and Canada these are sometimes known as row houses or row homes.

East side of the Place des Vosges in Paris, one of the earliest examples of terraced housing

Terrace housing can be found worldwide, though it is quite common in Europe and Latin America, and many examples can be found in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia. The Place des Vosges in Paris (1605–1612) is one of the early examples of the style.

Although in early larger forms it was used for housing the wealthy, as cities and the demands for ever smaller close housing grew, it regularly became associated with the working class. Terraced housing has increasingly become associated with gentrification in certain inner-city areas, drawing the attention of city planning.


Definition from ChatGPT:

Terraced house:

A terraced house is a style of housing where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls with each other. These houses are typically connected in a continuous row and have a uniform appearance from the front. Each house in a terrace usually has its own entrance and may have multiple floors.