图为艺术家对Matilda W。纽约奥尔巴尼的霍华德。纽约州农业协会农场住宅委员会授予霍华德夫人20美元，并在年度报告中公布了她的计划。

在霍华德夫人的设计中，厨房通向一条通道，通向起居室的一个功能性附加区——一个盥洗室、一个乳制品室、一个冰室和一个木屋，都集中在内部走廊和外部广场的后面。霍华德夫人写道，房间的布置——以及提供通风良好的牛奶场——旨在“尽可能将实用性和美观性与省力原则结合起来。”。

女性如何成为设计师

女性一直在家庭设计中扮演着重要角色，但她们的贡献很少被记录下来。然而，在19世纪，一种新的习俗席卷了仍然年轻的美国农村地区——农业协会为农舍设计提供奖项。夫妻俩把心思从猪和南瓜上移开，为自己的房子和谷仓勾勒出简单实用的计划。获奖计划在县集市上展出，并在农业期刊上发表。一些已经在复制模式目录和当代历史房屋设计书籍中重印。

霍华德夫人的农舍设计

在她的评论中，玛蒂尔达W。霍华德将她获奖的农舍描述如下：

"The accompanying plan is designed to front south, with an elevation of thirteen feet from the sills to the roof. It should occupy somewhat elevated ground, sloping a little to the north, and should be raised on an underpinning to suit the ground. To give chambers of the size designated, the apex of the roof should be not less than twenty-two or twenty-three feet above the sills. It is highly proper to leave a space for air, between the finish of the chambers and the roof, which will prevent the rooms from becoming heated in the summer." "The site should be selected with a view to the easy construction of drains from the sinks, bathing house, dairy, etc., directly to the piggery or barn yard."

地窖里的炉子

霍华德夫人当然是一位“好农民”，她不仅知道储存蔬菜的必要条件，而且还知道取暖的必要条件。她继续描述她设计的维多利亚时代实用建筑：

"It is of course expected a good farmer will have good a cellar, and in some situations, the best way of warming a house is by a hot air furnace in the cellar. The size of the cellar and its particular divisions should of course depend on the wants or circumstances of the builder. In some cases it may be expedient to have it extend under the whole of the main body of the house. It may be observed, however, that it is not advisable to store large quantities of vegetables under dwellings, as the exhalations from them, especially when unsound, are known to be decidedly prejudicial to health. Hence, the barn cellar, and not that of the dwelling house, should be the repository of such vegetables as are wanted for the use of domestic animals." "Directions in regard to warming houses by furnaces may be found in works relating to the subject, or may be obtained from persons engaged in their construction. There are various modes; but my own experience does not enable me to decide upon their relative advantages."

美观与实用相结合

霍华德夫人总结了她对最实用农舍的描述：

"In the construction of this plan, it has been my object to combine utility and beauty, as far as practicable with the labor-saving principle. In the arrangement of the kitchen and dairy, particularly, special regard has been had to securing the proper requisites for those important departments with the greatest practicable degree of convenience." "In constructing a dairy, it is proper that such an excavation should be made as will leave the floor, which should be made of stone, two or three feet below the surrounding surface. The sides should be of brick or stone, and plastered; the walls high, and the windows made so as to shut out the light, and admit the air. The advantage of thorough ventilation and pure air is acknowledged by every one who has ever paid attention to the manufacture of butter, though it is a matter generally too little thought of, in the construction of the apartments for this purpose. It will be observed, that in the plan herewith submitted, an open space of two and a half feet has been provided for on both sides the dairy." "To render the establishment as perfect as possible, the command of a good spring of water, which may be conducted through the dairy-room, is necessary; when that cannot be had, an ice-house in direct contact, (as in the accompanying plan,) and a good well of water convenient, form the best substitute." "The expense of such a house in this vicinity might be varied from fifteen hundred to three thousand dollars; according to the style of finish, the taste and ability of the owner. The main conveniences may be retained at the lowest estimate, by omitting the ornamental front."

乡村住宅计划

19世纪的美国家庭农舍可能没有当时的专业设计那么精致。然而，这些房屋在效率上是优雅的，而且通常比城市建筑师建造的房屋更实用，因为城市建筑师不了解农场家庭的需求。还有谁能比妻子和母亲更了解一个家庭的需要呢？

历史学家萨莉·麦克默里，《家庭与家庭》一书的作者；19世纪美国的农舍发现，19世纪农场杂志上发表的许多家庭计划书都是由女性设计的。这些由女性设计的房子并不是城市里流行的那种讲究、装饰性很强的建筑。设计效率和灵活性而不是时尚，农妇们忽视了城市建筑师制定的规则。女性设计的房屋通常具有以下特点：

1.主要的厨房小厨房布置在地面上，有时甚至面向道路。多么粗鲁啊！”受过良好教育的“建筑师”对此嗤之以鼻。然而，对于一个农场妻子来说，厨房是家庭的控制中心。这里是准备和提供膳食、生产黄油和奶酪、保存水果和蔬菜以及从事农业经营的地方。

2.产房男人设计的房子往往包括一层卧室。楼下的卧室有时被称为“分娩室”，为分娩的妇女和年老体衰的妇女提供了方便。

3.工人生活空间许多女性设计的房屋包括工人及其家人的私人住所。工人的生活空间与主要家庭分开。

4.门廊一个由女性设计的房子很可能包括一个凉爽的门廊，可以起双重作用。在炎热的月份，门廊变成了夏季的厨房。

通风女设计师相信良好通风的重要性。新鲜空气被认为是健康的，通风对黄油的生产也很重要。

弗兰克·劳埃德·赖特可以拥有他的草原风格的房子。菲利普·约翰逊可以用玻璃做房子。世界上最宜居的住宅不是由著名的男人设计的，而是由被遗忘的女人设计的。如今，更新这些坚固的维多利亚式房屋已成为一项新的设计挑战。

来源

• 《农舍平面图》，纽约州农业协会学报，第七卷，1847年，哈特鲁斯特
• 十九世纪美国家庭与农舍Sally McMurry，田纳西大学出版社，1997