Portal:Housing

A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity, sometimes transferred to the Church for reuse as a monastery. Then they gradually re-evolved through the Middle Ages into elegant upper-class country homes. In the early modern period, any comfortable detached house with a garden near a city or town was likely to be described as a villa; most survivals have now been engulfed by suburbia. In modern parlance, "villa" can refer to various types and sizes of residences, ranging from the suburban semi-detached double villa to, in some countries, especially around the Mediterranean, residences of above average size in the countryside. (Full article...)

• ... that the Felix M. Warburg House was converted into the Jewish Museum after nearly being replaced by apartments?
• ... that the Sofia, a condominium building in New York City, was originally a parking garage?
• ... that British architect Chris Wilkinson redeveloped Victorian-era industrial gasholders in Kings Cross, London into modern residential apartments?
• ... that entrepreneur Ian Schrager paid a record $9 million for two apartments at the Majestic in New York City, but he never lived there?
• ... that supply-side progressivism is a response to rising costs of housing, healthcare, and other essential goods in the United States?
• ... that a former radio host got a free apartment in New York City's King Manor and lived there for more than three decades?
• ... that following its closure, the former Admiral Beatty Hotel was converted into a senior citizens' apartment building?
• ... that The Sims 2: Apartment Life is not about apartment life?

... that the Housing Act of 1937 sometimes called the Wagner-Steagall Act, provided for subsidies to be paid from the U.S. government to local public housing agencies (LHA's) to improve living conditions for low-income families?

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