[kasey_junk]

One thing that is not pointed out in the article as it is mostly about aesthetics is that most of the traditional houses that McMansions are based on, have regional variants that were developed for the climates and conditions they were built in.

For instance, the top windows in example 2 provide important airflow to a part of the house that will normally get very hot.

McMansions are rarely (if ever) designed with their climate and locality in mind and are therefore very inefficient. They would not be at all livable without AC and are frequently monstrous to heat and cool.

Contrast that with the houses they are modeled on, even in places where AC is a huge boon.

That gets to the heart of why I hate McMansions.