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(More customer reviews)In the beginning of this book the author points out that a culture is reflected in its buildings. Then he goes on to identify the events that caused the various styles--the War of 1812 that stopped our imitation of English architecture, the change to stud framing and the effects of industrialization that mark the Victorian era, the nationalistic spirit of the 1876 Centennial that spawned the revival in Colonial archictecture at the end of the 19th century, etc.--in such a professional style of writing you'd never suspect he was also an architect. A history professor maybe. All of which explains the subject better than the usual bare chronological sequence.
What helps in a book like this are the odd bits of information casually thrown out that show mastery of the subject.
Colonial homes were never white; Greek Revival were never anything but. A particular cornice is usually done incorrectly, compared to the true Classical version.
He also make the sensible point that you can only compare styles within limits, that at some point you're really discussing altogether different building types, as in ranches, bungalows, and certainly octagon houses. And early on he boasts he can design a modern four bedroom house in any style. Then he proceeds to do it, providing a front elevation and a repeating ground floor plan (front: LR, center hall, DR. rear: family room, kitchen, mud room) with added porch, tower, fireplace, chimney, as needed. Not so much to explain the architectural features, I think, but to give the prospective homebuilder something that actually could be built today.
Where most authors stop around WWII, he continues up to the present. His next-to-last chapter shows the recent builder's styles which will be familiar to anyone who's driven through any of those "Vinyl Village" developments with the Olde English names: the Townes, Pointes, Glenns, and Harbours. Here he doesn't hesitate to criticize the tastless examples, and continues his tirade into last chapter, where he argues against the Post-Modern assault on tradition in favor of a return to order and careful design.
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A guided tour of the variety of architectural home styles that have developed throughout America's history. America has an abundance of fascinating and varied house styles, as diverse as its people. This unique book will allow readers to recognize the architectural features of virtually any house they encounter. John Milnes Baker designed a simple four-bedroom house, and then developed a basic plan for each historical style. Starting each drawing with the same plan and adding essential characteristics, Baker leads the reader through a series of additions. Each section of American House Styles begins with a historical overview of the period, followed by commentary. The author shows how different styles developed and what influenced their development. His elevation drawings, each with a floor plan, illustrate the details and embellishments of each style. Through an understanding of earlier styles, we develop insights into the architecture of our own era. Thus the study of architecture allows us to make informed judgments about what is being built today.
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