House Styles

International Style

• The International style of architecture began in the late 1920's and is most often found in California and in the North East part of the the country.
• Although it never completely disappeared, International style experienced a revival beginning in the 1970's when the New York Five began to use it. The New York Five architects include: Charles Gwathney, Micheal Graves (the designer of the Topeka-Shawnee County Public Library and numerous items at Target), John Hejduk, Richard Meier, and Peter Eisenman.
• International style features flat roofs that often cantilever out over the body of the structure, metal casement windows, windows that wrap around corners, smooth walls (most often stucco), open floor plans, and an accent on the horizontal.
• Art deco style is often confused with International style. The primary difference is in that while Art deco is an architectural style it is primarily defined by its decoration, whereas International style is defined by its lines, floor plan, and materials. (There are no art deco style houses in Topeka, it is a very unusual architectural style.)
• Another great example of International Style is on the NW corner of 17th and Plass in Topeka.