Book Description

Book Description

Federal Style Patterns 1780-1820 is a comprehensive collection of pattern drawings of the Federal Style from 1780 to 1820, which is useful to architects, interior designers and preservationists. It's organized with patterns for cornices, door and window casings, chair rails, baseboards, mantels, and fences. An accompanying CD contains the drawings in the following formats: vector PDF, Postscript, DXF forPC, and PowerCadd for Mac. ... Read more

Book Description

For anyone who has dreamed of living in a Colonial-style home, this showcase of Colonial Williamsburg standouts is an irresistible wish book. And for the home design do-it-yourselfer, it is even more than that. Domestic design and construction expert and award-winning historic preservation writer Hugh Howard provides a tour of favorite Colonial Williamsburg restorations that will fast become a primary resource of ideas and no-nonsense information.

This magnificent treasury presents each house in beautiful new color photographs and an easy-to-read floor plan, revealing all the characteristic architectural details that define the Williamsburg style. Relating the stories of the restoration projects that gave these structures new life, this book covers large and elegant dream houses along with equally charming smaller houses, including those that are open to visitors as well as rarely shown private examples. Colonial Houses will have enormous appeal for the 800,000 guests who flock to Colonial Williamsburg each year, and for all those who simply love its aesthetic. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Williamsburg at its Best
I absolutely love Colonial Williamsburg so when this book was published I couldn't wait to receive it. The photographs of the homes and their interiors are of high quality. The book offers you a look at more that a dozen homes of the historic area with a brief history on each. In addition are several of the floor plans, before and after photos, photos of carved moldings, beautiful staircases, and furnishings. I have reordered this book for Christmas presents. A great book @ a great price! ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Make any renovation job go smoother. Building renovation, conservation and reuse represents more than half of all construction work - and is projected to increase to 80% by 2004. Structural Renovation of Buildings, by Alexander Newman, puts a single, convenient source of information about all aspects of structural renovation and strengthening of buildings at your fingertips. While its focus is largely on low and midrise buildings, you can apply the principles it clarifies to buildings of any size - steel-framed, masonry, or wood. Whether you're repairing deteriorated concrete...rehabilitating slabs on grade...strengthening lateral-load resisting systems...renovating a building facade...handling seismic upgrades or fire damage, you'll find this time-and-trouble-saving guide loaded with practical tips, methods, and design examples. It's also heavily illustrated with autoCAD generated details, supplier illustrations of materials, procedural techniques, and much, much more. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A staple handbook for renovation
In my office where projects are small commercial or residential, I find Mr. Newman's book a basic resource for renovation work. This comprehensive handbook provides either a solution or more considerations that were not obvious at first. It is a main staple I turn to for guidance on renovations of all structure types and materials.

A good handbook for a difficult subject
This book is well organized and presented. It covers a lot, and is more comprehensive than other books of its type. It has very good material on concrete design/repair, and also covers wood structures, steel, and pre-engineered buildings quite well. The material on masonry is also good, but a discussion about rusted steel lintels embedded in masonry would have helpful, as this is a common source of problems in 20th century buildings. There are few handbooks that come as close as this one to a thorough treatment of the subject, and it is a useful book for architects and engineers who deal with renovation. ... Read more

Book Description

This practical guide to the assessment and repair of historic buildings is invaluable for structural engineers, architects, surveyors and builders working in all aspects of building conservation. Taking a practical step-by-step approach, the authors discuss the appraisal of buildings and the differences in structural behaviour between new and existing structures. Each stage in the appraisal is explained, using examples from the authors' own work.

Each major construction material is assessed in detail, with separate sections on masonry, concrete, timber and the particularly complex issues of iron and steel framed buildings. Techniques for testing the ability of a building to continue its existing use or to be converted to a new use are explained.

· Detailed guide to appraisal and repair of historic buildings
· Analyses the key differences between new and existing structures
· Written by practitioners and illustrated with examples from their direct experience ... Read more

Book Description

This amply illustrated guide provides detailed information on how to refurbish windows within current preservation standards. Packed with useful, hands-on material, it focuses on window problems, maintenance and replacement. ... Read more

Book Description

Conservation and Restoration of Glass is an in-depth guide to the materials and practices required for the care and preservation of glass objects. It provides thorough coverage of both theoretical and practical aspects of glass conservation.

This new edition of Newton and Davison's original book, Conservation of Glass, includes sections on the nature of glass, the historical development and technology of glassmaking, and the deterioration of glass. Professional conservators will welcome the inclusion of recommendations for examination and documentation. Incorporating treatment of both excavated glass and historic and decorative glass, the book provides the knowledge required by conservators and restorers and is invaluable for anyone with glass objects in their care.

* Includes both theoretical background and practical procedures, providing a comprehensive view of the subject
* Contains new highly illustrated case studies
* Concentrates on 2 and 3 dimensional glass object restoration ... Read more

Book Description

A thoroughly revised and significantly expanded edition of the popular 1980s original, Googie Redux is the authoritative history of the mid-20th century icon that ignited an architectural revolution: the coffee shop. Emblematic of Southern California car culture, stylized eateries and other roadside buildings built from the 1930s to the 1950s were dismissed as lowbrow stylistic folly in their heyday. Yet, as Alan Hess points out, in many ways they were the realization of modern architecture's grand promises. They were populist, employed new materials, and captured their purpose, place, and culture as vividly as any great architectural style. The influential original edition helped to spark a robust preservation movement and kick-started the reappreciation of mid-century architecture and design. This latest edition features extensive up-to-date research and dozens of rarely seen and newly found photographs. Googie Redux is the definitive document of a style born in California that has spread to all corners of the world. ... Read more

Book Description

"A" was the architectural letterform of leisure building in postwar America. Eager to stake out mountain and lakeside retreats, an entire generation of high-end homebuilders and weekend handymen found the A-frame an easy and affordable home to construct; its steeply sloping triangular roof distinctive and easy to maintain )almost no exterior walls to paint!). Fueled by A-frame plans and kits, the style became something of a national craze, with tens of thousands of houses built.Indeed, the A-frame was an icon for recreation, and acceptable form of modernism (although its origins go back thousands of years), and a convenient tool for marketing a wide range of products, including gas-powered toilets, motorcycles, and canned vegetables; Fisher-Price even made one for children. So popular on the domestic front, the A-frame was eventually adapted to other building types, from roadside restaurants to churches.In a fascinating look at this architectural phenomenon, Chad Randl tells the story of the "triangle" house from prehistoric Japan to its lifestyle-changing heyday in the 1960s. Part architectural history and part cultural exploration, A-Frame documents every aspect of A-frame living using cartoons, ads, high-style and do-it-yourself examples, family snapshots, and even an appendix with a complete set of blueprints in case you want to build your own! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great coffee table book
Love the retro look of this book. I've looked through all of it and read (with interest) most of it. Love to just pick it up and look again. The pictures and illustrations are eye-catching and help tell the story. Find myself constantly on the look-out for a-frames as I travel through Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Good fun!

"A" for A-frame
Randl's summation of the A-frame is wonderful. The book contains vibrant photos of the structures from around the country, cartoons, advertisements, and a multitude of other media. The writing was clear and easy to read. This hardcover edition, at first glance, reminds me of a 1960's textbook which is a treat given the era that the book covers. The blue prints included practically inspire me to build my own A-frame. Bravo. ... Read more

Book Description

From an historical perspective on landscape development in America, this well illustrated book tells how to select the right period for your garden, identify authentic plants, research and plan its development, and maintain the restored landscape. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The first thing you notice about Case Study Houses: The Complete CSH Program, 1945-1966 is its size: it's big. Contained within its 16-inch frame is the history of Arts & Architecture magazine's famed program created to inspire the building of low-cost modern homes in America. The brainchild of magazine editor John Entenza, the program drew well-known architects including Charles Eames, Eero Saarinen, and Richard Neutra. Throughout the book are spectacular photographs of modernist glass- and patio-filled homes. Most of the homes were built in the Los Angeles area and make wonderful use of the surrounding scenery. A 17-foot-tall front door opens up onto a canal; streamlined Herman Miller furniture fills out a living room that overlooks a breathtaking panorama. While not all the projects were built, each received a detailed spread in the magazine, including drawings and models. Some of the architectural drawings are lovely, drawn with the movement and fluidity of a master. Included are short biographies of each architect, a provocative epilogue by photographer Julius Shulman, and the reprinted original magazine pages that announce the birth of the Case Study idea. This book is a true gem, and considering its size it's the Hope diamond. --J.P. Cohen ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Must have for the modern architecture library
This book is the definitive survey of the Case Study house. It is filled with excellent detailed drawings and plans. The text is very informative. There is no "fluff" in this book. Buy this book before it goes out of print!

Case Study Houses
Surprisingly, this massive tome is not bound in plates of steel as a complement to the wood boards enclosing TaschenÕs equally massive tome on Neutra. Though oneÕs first reaction is to call for a forklift and a lectern, this bookÑlike its predecessorÑjustifies its bulk and price. ItÕs the tribute John EntenzaÕs initiative has earned: for his achievement in proposing 36 innovative houses and getting 24 built, and for the projectÕs enduring fame, from Tokyo to Auckland. In contrast to the MOCA catalogue for SmithÕs exhibition Blueprints for Modern Living, the classic photos and many unfamiliar sketches leap off these pages. The story is told chronologically, with covers and text from the issues of Arts + Architecture in which these plans were first unveiled. A treasureÑwell worth a splurge. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.)

The look not the feel of Case Study Houses
A sumptuous 440 page visual record of this southern Californian house design program. It is a big book (at a BIG price) weighing TWELVE POUNDS and the landscape format opens up spreads thirty-four inches wide, beatifully printed with English, German and French text.

Each of the thirty-six houses is covered in the same way with:
1 A short introduction by editor Smith
2 The relevant editorial copy from Arts & Architecture magazine about the house.
3 Photos, plans, diagrams, illustrations. Lots of the photos are by the brilliant Jules Shulman and I doubt you will see them this big anywhere else.
4 Color photos of the house today.

Some of houses only have a spread or two (the unbuilt ones) while others have several spreads, Pierre Koenig's famous Stahl House (#22) has twenty pages. I was intriqued by a photo on one of these, it shows the living room with a small table on which are the obligatory selection of magazines, two of these are 'America', the Russian language publication put out in the sixties by the US Information Agency, were these on display when the house was open to the pubic or did Shulman put them there just for the photo session?

I have given this glorious book only four stars because it is not as complete as it should be, the focus is very narrow, essentially a visual history of the Study Houses and that's it! What is missing is any historical and contemporary background and surely the reason the whole project was important was the influence it had on other architects, house builders, planners, the public and manufactures.

To get a perspective you will have to get Elizabeth Smith's earlier book 'Blueprints for Modern Living' published in conjunction with an exhibition in Los Angeles in 1989-1990. As the sub-title to the book says...'History and Legacy of the Case Study Houses' I found this a marvellous book telling me every thing I wanted to know, though there are only forty-two pages of text and photos on the actual houses. It is a pity that a lot of the information in the remaining 214 pages was not included in this huge volume.

Now that I have the book, where will I put it, who makes bookcases over sixteen inches deep anyway? Maybe I'll just leave it on a table. I bet it will soon pop up in those house interior photos you see in glossy magazines where folk have piles of large art books neatly arranged on their coffee tables, the cover with its black and white diagonal design will make it very visible. Send me an email if you catch a glimse of it in a magazine. ... Read more

Book Description

This unique study examines how North American architecture had been 'transplanted' elsewhere during the twentieth century. ... Read more

Book Description

Old Dominion's built environment has grown and changed extensively since its beginnings and the Buildings of Virginia reflects those changes. The book chronicles Williamsburg, a restored eighteenth-century town with the Governor's Palace and the Christopher Wren building. And journeys farther west to Richmond, the state capitol, designed by Thomas Jefferson. It then captures the many historical sites including the birthplaces of George Washington and Robert E. Lee in Westmoreland County. Along with this, the chapters delve into the agricultural history of the state, the expansion of the railroad, and construction of deepwater facilities. And, finally, to the times during and after World War II when manufacturing, military activities, and the growth of the federal establishment accelerated the trends toward industrialization and urbanization.Virginia's influences are truly far reaching--virtually every American city shares some of its architectural style. Approximately 800 buildings and 450 photographs and maps are included in this volume's discussion, truly exhibiting the range of architecture that make up this region. Written by the voice behind A&E's America's Castles, this book is an ideal source for research in architectural history and sociology. Travelers and general readers can also utilize the book as a companion to the many fascinating sites throughout eastern Virginia. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

excellent guide for beginners
This book is excellent for all beginners and experienced carpenters alike. It gives all the information needed to complete a timber frame project, and gives the info in easy to understand terminalogy. It has good examples of all the types of joinery needed for a timber frame. I have just finished doing a 16 x 24 foot pottery building that has turned out very nice. I made all my plans and cut the timbers by using the information in this book. It has been a valuable tool in the process.

An excellent primer to timberframing, a must read.
Originally copyrighted in 1977, The Timber Framing Book was one of the first books published about the timber framing revival. Stewart Elliott and Eugenie Wallas have carefully crafted a simple book on the basics, including planning, mathematics and simple engineering, layout, joint cutting and raising. There are a large number of very nice drawings by Linda Foss that illustrate all aspects of timber frames. In the center of the book are 22 pages of black and white photographs by Jeremy Foss and Randy Hillner that clearly document the raising of a frame, beginning to end. The last chapter of the book describes the building of a 12' x 16' timber frame shed. There are drawings, a timber schedule and complete raising plan to test you new found skills. This was done in the March 1980 issue of Rodale's New Shelter magazine, including a clapboards and a slate roof. Also included are a seven page Glossary, a two page Bibliography, a five page Appendix of drawings of basic timber framing joints and their uses. The Timber Framing Book is a great way to get a clear understanding of timber frames before graduating to books by other authors like Tedd Benson. This book is a must have for any timber framer's toolbox. ... Read more