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While the adoption of electric fans and air conditioning caused the dogtrot house to lose some of its popularity, it never went entirely out of style. And in the event of inclement weather, the covered breezeway could double as a shelter for goods, equipment, or animals. These spaces took advantage of cross breezes and provided passive cooling to the two separate living areas during the warmer months. Pre-dating air conditioning or electricity, Dogtrot houses - sometimes called a possum-trot, dog-run, or breezeway home- relied on incorporating designs that feature flexible indoor/outdoor space into the floor plan.
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Instead of sharing a wall with the original cabin, the addition would be built a short distance away, with the roof extending across the open space and over the new cabin, creating the iconic dogtrot between the two buildings. Then, when the inhabitants needed to expand their space, they added a second cabin to the original. Most dogtrots were built in two or more stages with a basic cabin consisting of one or two rooms. The heyday of the Dogtrot house dates back to the early-19th century, when homes were built using available building materials that suited their area’s climate and natural resources, and could withstand the warmer temperatures of the Southeastern U.S. Let’s dive into the history of how this house style got its unique name.
#DOG TROT LOG CABIN FLOOR PLANS HOW TO#
This article will walk you through the basics of the Dogtrot style, how to find a Dogtrot in your area, and the pros and cons of this house style to help you determine if the Dogtrot is the right fit for you. Today, modern Dogtrot homes incorporate passive ventilation and hybrid indoor/outdoor living spaces into their floorplans- perfect for people looking for green homes. Characterized by an open breezeway running through the middle of the home, the Dogtrot house plan has been in popular use for the last 200 years of American architecture due to its simple and effective design, allowing it to be modified for different climates and purposes. Indoor-outdoor living spaces are becoming a coveted design trend for homeowners today, and if you’re looking for an iconic house style that seamlessly blends the two, look no further than the Dogtrot house.
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