[1] Polite architecture is characterised by stylistic and romantic features which have been intentionally incorporated by an architect for affectation.
The rise in the number of buildings reflecting polite architectural features has been influenced by the expansion of the profession of architecture, the availability of more artistically amenable and often more resilient man-made building materials for most structural and decorative purposes, such as cement render, decorative bricks, plastics, glass and metals, and the availability of transport networks capable of delivering materials produced outside of a building's immediate locality.
Other polite architectural features, such as height and lighting, were employed in order to create an aesthetic surrounding social class.
Specific features that further expressed differences in social groupings included moats, gatehouses, emblems, and crenelations.
[6] The growth of these elements in the late 18th and 19th centuries, led to an expansion in the proportion of buildings which are of polite design, which may be as a result of aesthetic architects being demanded by choice or by economic convenience.