March 8, 2013

Granny-house-McMansion--copy

When we add a group of friends on facebook, [where all these Land of Excess posts existed until our founder finally uploaded them here....] Land of Excess likes to re-explain itself, lest it prove interminably mystifying.  The idea of, or for, Land of Excess came to its founder, Anne Rowland, on April 24, 2012 after she read an article in that day’s Washington Post about a giant residential structure being built just down the road from where her family had lived in Great Falls, Virginia, a suburb 14 miles west of Washington, D.C.  This giant building was to be called ‘Le Chateau de Lumiere.’ It was to be 25,424 square feet of imitation Versailles on 5 acres.  Just the idea of it reignited her passion at, and fury about, something that had happened in 2001: the modest house that was designed (by a real architect!!!) and built for her family was torn down by the new owner.  In its place he built a 15,000 square foot residence, properly termed a McMansion.  This picture by our founder shows the original guest house with the new tumor-like McMansion attached.  The guest house would eventually be faced over in similar “style”.