Historic Sources
American Builder's Companion by
The most widely used early 19th century architectural style and source book, this work ranges from the Colonial up into the Greek Revival periods. Benjamin covers the extensive development of carpentry and construction techniques, as well as the evolution of the designs for domestic and public buildings. Excellent resource for historians, architects, restorers. Over 375 figures.
Publication Date: originally 1816
The Builder's Jewel or The Youth's Instructor and Workman's Remembrancer by Publication Date: 1800- Gothic Architecture Improved by Rules and Proportions by Publication Date: 1790
Ordonnance for the Five Kinds of Columns after the Method of the Ancients by
Perrault argues that rules of architecture be determined by reason, not by ancient precedent.
Publication Date: originally 1683- Précis des leçons d'architecture données à l'École polytechnique by Publication Date: 1802-1805
- A Treatise on Civil Architecture by Publication Date: 1759
Contemporary Sources
- African Traditional Architecture by Publication Date: 1978
American Houses by
American Houses is a historical guide to the architecture of the American home.While other architectural field guides show only façades, this book includes floor plans, showing how the form of a house arises from its function.Photographs and drawings of exteriors illustrate the significant field marks of each style and help pinpoint the key elements that can identify a house even when it has been remodeled beyond recognition.Beautifully illustrated, clearly written, and impeccably researched, American Houses is an essential reference for anyone interested in the history of American residential architecture.
Federal Style Patterns 1780 - 1820 by
The detailed, clearly illustrated guide to federal patterns Federal Style Patterns 1780-1820 is a single-source book of pattern drawings illustrating the form, character, scale, and proportion of Federal Style ornament and detail built in New England primarily from 1780 to 1820. Conveniently organized in sections for cornices, door and window casings, chair rails, baseboards, mantels, and fences, Federal Style Patterns 1780-1820 features 300 detailed line drawings that are useful to architects, interior designers, and preservationists. An accompanying CD-ROM contains the drawings in the following formats: vector PDF, Postscript, DXF for PC, and PowerCadd for Mac. Federal Style Patterns 1780-1820 offers architects and interior designers a fresh look at this uniquely American style to provide a springboard for design inspiration and new ideas.
Publication Date: 2005
A Field Guide to American Houses by
The guide that enables you to identify, and place in their historic and architectural contexts, the houses you see in your neighborhood or in your travels across America. 17th century to the present.
- An Illustrated Glossary of Early Southern Architecture and Landscape by Perhaps more helpful for terms than images, but does include great details of building components
Rem Koolhaas. Elements of Architecture by
Elements of Architecture focuses on the fragments of the rich and complex architectural collage. Window, façade, balcony, corridor, fireplace, stair, escalator, elevator: the book seeks to excavate the micro-narratives of building detail. The result is no single history, but rather the web of origins, contaminations, similarities, and differences in architectural evolution, including the influence of technological advances, climatic adaptation, political calculation, economic contexts, regulatory requirements, and new digital opportunities. It's a guide that is long overdue--in Koolhaas's own words, "Never was a book more relevant--at a moment where architecture as we know it is changing beyond recognition." Derived, updated, and expanded from Koolhaas's exhaustive and much-lauded exhibition at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale, this is an essential toolkit to understanding the fundamentals that comprise structure around the globe. Designed by Irma Boom and based on research from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the 2,600-page monograph contains essays from Rem Koolhaas, Stephan Trueby, Manfredo di Robilant, and Jeffrey Inaba; interviews with Werner Sobek and Tony Fadell (of Nest); and an exclusive photo essay by Wolfgang Tillmans. In addition to comprehensively updated texts and new images, this edition is designed and produced to visually (and physically) embody the immense scope of its subject matter: Custom split-spine binding: our printer modified their industrial binding machine to allow for the flexible, eight-centimeter thick spine Contains a new introductory chapter with forewords, table of contents, and an index, located in the middle of the book (where it naturally opens due to its unique spine) Printed on 50g Opakal paper, allowing for the ideal level of opacity needed to realize Boom's palimpsest-like design Translucent overlays and personal annotations by Koolhaas and Boom are woven in each chapter to create an alternative, faster route through the book Printed at the originally intended 100% size for full readability
A Visual Dictionary of Architecture by
The classic, bestselling reference on architecture now revised and expanded! An essential one-volume reference of architectural topics using Francis D.K. Ching's signature presentation. It is the only dictionary that provides concise, accurate definitions illustrated with finely detailed, hand-rendered drawings. From Arch to Wood, every concept, technology, material and detail important to architects and designers are presented in Ching's unique style. Combining text and drawing, each term is given a minimum double-page spread on large format trim size, so that the term can be comprehensively explored, graphically showing relations between concepts and sub-terms A comprehensive index permits the reader to locate any important word in the text. This long-awaited revision brings the latest concepts and technology of 21st century architecture, design and construction to this classic reference work It is sure to be by the side of and used by any serious architect or designer, students of architecture, interior designers, and those in construction.
