Houston -- They bring back memories of a time when people weren't too frantic to sit on a swing for a few minutes and watch day fade into night.
They are a piece of Americana, conjuring up images of mom and dad and the kids lazily sitting around talking or just watching the neighbors walking by.
They're front porches, and they're coming back.
"Porches are neighborly places to socialize," said architect J. Carson Looney. "They're also practical, because they offer protection from the harsh sun and heavy rain."
Mr. Looney made a porch the focal point of his New American Home '95, the showpiece for the National Association of Home Builders convention held last week in Houston.
The house was built in the affluent Houston suburb of Greatwood -- about 30 miles from downtown -- to offer a glimpse into the latest design, construction and product trends.
In addition to its old-fashioned and modern comforts, a key feature of the three-bedroom home is its price. It cost $186,000.
"We wanted to show that quality construction and good design can be affordable," said Brian Binash, whose Emerald Homes built the model.
According to Builder magazine, the house is intended for a "mainstream American family. Nothing flashy or avante-garde, but a simple, comfortable house that's value-packed with thoughtful features."
The house has 3,144 square feet of living space, a brick exterior, vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, two fireplaces, a security system and a built-in home theater.
Flexibility was also important to the designers.
The house can be expanded to six bedrooms, because all four bathrooms are equipped with showers, said Mr. Binash. Space over the garage can be turned into a bedroom, as can the upstairs playroom and the first-floor parlor.
The house is built on a long, narrow, 65-by-125-foot lot. There is a garden courtyard just off the kitchen door.
Once inside the kitchen, visitors can see the main stairway leading up to the second floor. The house eschews the more traditional grand staircase leading off an entry foyer.
Mr. Looney concedes that the staircase lacks the pizazz of a front-and-center staircase, but it does have a few advantages, he said. Children can go to and from their rooms without traipsing through the formal living area.
His staircase comes down by the breakfast room, where everyone can gather in the morning.
Some of the house's smaller touches include raising the shower head in the bathroom so people can avoid hitting their heads. The light switches are lowered so children can reach them.
Mr. Looney also added two computer alcoves, good for a home office and a children's study area.
The house's energy package includes insulating sheathing, housewrap to reduce air filtration, vinyl windows and patio doors, and zoned heating and cooling.
Home Mechanix, Popular Science, Builder Magazine and Ladies' Home Journal participated in the design of the New American Home.
"The home is both gracious and affordable," said Leslie Lampert, senior editor of Ladies' Home Journal. "We combined traditional charm with up-to-the-minute technology."
Mr. Looney -- who works for the Looney Ricks Kiss Architects of Memphis, Tenn. -- recognized the need for a front porch during a visit to the suburban Houston neighborhood, where he noticed that people were walking in the evening but had no place to gather.
"People were . . . meeting their neighbors in the driveway," he said.
"This is a very family-oriented neighborhood. But the homes didn't relate to each other in a neighborly manner."