5 stars (Great Photographs-Line Drawings Weak) - At 525 pages, Virginia and Lee McAlester's " A Field Guide to American Houses " is an exhaustive study of the different styles of American domestic architecture. They identify and categorize 39 different architectural styles. This is much more than most field guides. I have been collecting architectural field guides for a number of years. The only thing I do not like in this well prepared book is the over-reliance on black and white photos of homes. The quality of the photos vary significantly. The photos are not of the same high caliber as the photos taken for Historic American Building Survey.(HABS) I believe the best field guides are made up line drawings. Line drawings get to the point and the different archiectural features can be labled. The best line drawings really help in clarifying stylistic points. Photos can be distracting because trees, power lines and vehicles end up in many of the photos. There are line drawings in this book at the beginning of each section. Unfortunately, the line drawings are the weakest part of the book. This is a great book and you cannot go wrong with purchasing it. However, as a devotee of these types of books, I would recommend purchasing Lester Walker's "American Shelter". His illustrations are really beautiful and very informative. 5 stars (Great Book for Preservationists!) - This book has helped me through school! Its a great book to have in your collection if you study preservation or interested in architecture! 5 stars (Invaluable Reference) - You will truly value this book if you are interested in the styles of residential architecture in America. After an engaging survey in the introduction, the styles and movements are presented in chronological order. Also included at this point are outline drawings of the various types of houses, illustrating style, basic shapes, elevations, plans, types of materials and building techniques used as well as a pictori... Knopf :: Architecture & Reference :: United States :: U S Architecture - General :: Reference :: Guides :: Guidebooks :: Domestic :: Description and travel :: Architecture :: D :: A Field Guide to American Houses
5 stars (A book of equal quality to the firm's body of work.) - I won't bore you with what an excellent firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson is, their 250 architectural design awards are evidence of the quality of the body of their work. I instead would like to review the quality of this publication. In over thirty years of architectural practice and school I don't know if I have seen a better constructed book. The contributions by Peter Bohlin and James Cutler as well as the introduction by Thomas Fisher frame the twelve houses is such a way as to clear understanding of the design and construction process that make these projects worth serious study. It is seldom that I open a book for the first time and fell such "WOW" at the quality of its content and construction of the book. It is a work of art in my opinion. Oscar Riera Ojeda has done an excellent job as editor of this work. 5 stars (Where does the richest man in the world hang his hat?) - Question: Where doe the richest man in the world hang his hat? Answer: In a house built by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. In a new monograph from Rizzoli, Arcadian Architecture focuses on 12 private commissions built by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. As the title suggests Arcadian Architecture showcases homes that have a rustic or peaceful feeling, heightened by harmonious blending into their surroundings. The houses have a warm earthy minimal style inside and outside, created from wood, concrete, rock and stone. They look as if they grew in the landscape rather than being built there. Each of the 12 houses is presented in great detail, the captions, elevation drawings, sketches, and photos provide the reader with a personal tour of each property. One of the featured projects in Arcadian Architecture is, " A Pacific Rim Estate", is a residential compound near Seattle perched on a steep site, leading down to the edge of Lake Washington. Arcadian Architecture does not advertise this as Bill Gates' house in the table of contents; this is ind... Rizzoli :: Architecture & Individual Architect :: U S Architecture - General :: Individual Architect :: Domestic :: Architecture :: Architectural Firms :: Thomas Fisher :: Os :: Arcadian Architecture - Bohlin Cywinski Jackson-12 Houses
5 stars (An essential tool for the home owner) - This book is a great tool for the home owner. The skill level assumed by the authors is relatively low, though not zero. Like all useful books, you are assumed to have a basic understandig of basic tools and how to use them. However, special tools and techniques are explained in enough detail to be useful to the relative novice. The projects detailed are of the most popular varieties. There is something there for you and many ideas you may not have had. Making improvements to your property and keeping it up-to-date is the best way to protect your investment. Being able to do it yourself is the best way to -maximize- your investment. The photos provided explain most of the things you might otherwise have found mysterious. Finally, though some of the things detailed are outside of the average homeowners skill (mine at least), there are so many things in the book, that you'll find many things you can and want to do. 5 stars (Nice book on Home improvement) - Just like the other books in this series, the information provided is concise and helpful. The pictures are nice and the text is written in a clear manner. 5 stars (Great for the clueless home owner) - I was looking to sound proof an outdoor shed so I could bang away on my drums without my neighbors threatening to kill me. It showed me step-by-step on how to create another wall with a 6" baseboard with staggered 2x4's, weaving the insulation through the studs, applying sound board, then applying dry wall. It also walked me through using the wall compound and tape to cover up the seams and drywall screws. This was only one project out of many. Well worth the price. I highly recommend this book. ... Creative Publishing International :: home improvement :: Remodeling & Renovation - General :: Remodeling :: Pictorial works :: Houses :: House & Home :: Home Improvement & Construction :: Handbooks :: ma :: The Complete Photo Guide to Home Improvement
3 stars (Voice of experience--good advice) - The best part of this book is its easygoing style. Written seemingly entirely from memory, you'll understand and remember every word. The author skips the commonly available info and writes about the crucial nuts-and-bolts problems of building a house: what do you do if you've drilled a hundred foot well and come up dry? (Keep drilling.) His advice on some details, vapor barriers for example, is OK but you'll want to check the latest thinking on the topic too. Some harmless misinformation is passed along, like that Palladio, eponym for those short-tall-short windows, "invented" them. (He may have invented residential architecture, but those windows date to antiquity. In his day they were known as serliana, after the architect Sebastian Serliano.) The scientific explanations fall a bit short, and the chapter where he disparages Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's engineering does not show him in a good light. However he does caution you that drywallers, more than any other trade, will try to rip you off with a high materials estimate. Stuff like that you can't get anywhere else. 5 stars (Great first source) - If you want to have a house built, this is a great book to start with. The author is a general contractor who has seen it all and wants to educate readers about the building process. His intention is to prevent others from the pitfalls and scams of building, and simultaneously he explains the science behind plumbing, electricity, sewarage, insulation etc. He also discusses the attitudes and scams of subcontractors and local bureaucrats. This is not a how-to book; the purpose is to educate you enough so that you know what questions to ask as your house goes up. He begins with purchasing the land and ends with the final detailing of the house. He includes interesting anecdotes to make his points. I was impressed his ability to go from the abstract to simple things usually overlooked. Although I was lost in th... Trojan Homes :: Superintendence :: Subcontracting :: Houses :: Dwellings :: Design and construction :: Building :: Architecture :: Domestic :: Amateur's manuals :: Technology :: Selectio :: How to Plan- Subcontract and Build Your Dream House- Everything You Need to Know to Avoid the Pitfal
5 stars (Absolutely gorgeous) - I have been a Santa Barbara resident for most of my life and I love seeing our local architecture featured in this book. My wife is an interior designer and frequently references the book. Not only is it suited for design and architecture professionals but also for the layman with and appreciation for design. Sven Klein - Santa Barbara, CA 5 stars (fantastic book for both professionals or coffee table) - Beautiful pictures depict romantic spaces with clear details, they helps me as an architect to re-create the Spanish living environment with many examples from different projects. The 20 houses in this book are gorgeous and inspiring -whether you are looking for ideas or merely relax reading. This is not a book showing only pieces of details for decorator use, it's an awesome architectural book as well as a perfect collection for my coffee table. 5 stars (A MUST!) - One of those books that is just full of great images of the Spanish Revival/Moorish style architecture of So. California. While not heavy on text, this book is a very important visual reference for designers, etc. who want to see how it used to be done. Many photos are of the interiors, but most are of the gardens. If interested in the glazed Malibu tiles seen throughout the book, check out "Ceramic Art of the Malibu Potteries: 1926-1932" by Ronald L. Rindge. ... Rizzoli :: Architecture & Interior Design :: Architecture & Domestic :: Vernacular Architecture :: U S Architecture - South :: Residential Buildings Architecture :: Regio :: Casa California - Spanish-Style Houses from Santa Barbara to San Clemente
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