Coastal Home Design: The Florida Cracker

No, we're not talking about a crunchy mid-day snack. The Florida Cracker is a classic and unique architectural home style of the United States. In the book, Classic Cracker - Florida's Wood-Frame Vernacular Architecture, author Ronald W. Haase takes us through the history of this style and the original Floridians that designed and built these homes. If you are planning on building a coastal abode, take a peak at this book. More and more of today's architects are picking up this style when creating 'earth-friendly' houses and when utilizing the natural elements surrounding homes. Orientation to the sun, building materials, and simplistic floor plans are all components that helped cool Cracker homes even before air conditioning was available, and can be incorporated today to save you energy costs. If you're looking for a pre-existing Florida Cracker house design, check out these home plans. Sometimes beauty is all about getting back to the basics.