Rustic Architecture

Rustic Style architecture was intended to provide simple pragmatic solutions, following both function and nature. The style evolved around the turn of the twentieth century from a new romanticism about nature and the American frontier. Perhaps for the first time in the history of American architecture, a building became an accessory to nature. Rustic architecture is typically associated with mountain-area tourist lodges and the buildings and structures constructed by the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). These organizations sought to provide visitor facilities without visually interrupting the natural or historic scene. The NPS used this method of construction from about 1916 to 1942, and it also played a prominent role in promoting the style through various publications, including a three-volume study of Rustic park and recreation structures completed in 1938.

NPS architects promoted principles of local adaptation to each region’s topography, conditions, and cultural influences. For example, in dry areas with an abundance of rock, stone construction with little wood was appropriate. Each stone type required different quarrying and masonry techniques. These variables resulted in a range of appearances within Rustic architecture, based on each site’s unique cultural and natural history.  

Characteristic Features:

• Use of native materials, such as local stone, and colors that blend with the natural surroundings.

•  Use of indigenous forms and construction methods.

• Low silhouettes, low-pitched roofs, and horizontal lines; avoidance of right angles and straight lines.

• Elimination of lines of demarcation between nature and built materials, including the use of plants to screen the demarcation between a site and the building’s foundation.