Creating Your Architectural Style

Create your dream home with this valuable resource to inspire you and guide you through the residential design and construction process. A complete and concise resource for building a fine home, Creating Your Architectural Style presents detailed explanations of the design process, guiding readers from the initial concept to the finishing touches. Filled with beautiful photographs, this reference will enable readers to design a dream home that is an expression of their personal style as well as their lifestyle. Architect George D. Hopkins, Jr., understanding the daunting task of building a new home, walks the reader through each phase of the design and construction process. Step by step, this reference will help readers solve any number of vexing questions, from “Where do I begin?” to “What is the difference between Greek Revival and Dutch Colonial?” Hopkins teaches readers how to make decisions based on their family’s needs, explores the relationship between the architectural style and the floor plan of the home, and defines the roles and responsibilities of the architect, structural engineer, interior designer, landscape architect, and general contractor. He provides important insight into planning the principle spaces in a home and describes special architectural features from fireplaces to staircases and porticos to pools. Creating Your Architectural Style is the authoritative resource for coordinating the planning and design of fine homes. Written to eliminate the intimidating aspects of building a new home, it presents an orderly design process and addresses issues of concern to residential architectural clients. Praise for Creating Your Architectural Style “Especially helpful are his definitions of the responsibilities of the professionals involved, from architect to general contractor.” —Library Journal

Travel through the history of architecture in The LEGO Architect. You’ll learn about styles like Art Deco, Modernism, and High-Tech, and find inspiration in galleries of LEGO models. Then take your turn building 12 models in a variety of styles. Snap together some bricks and learn architecture the fun way!

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between Gothic and Gothic Revival, or how to distinguish between Baroque and Neoclassical? This guide makes extensive use of photographs to identify and explain the characteristic features of nearly 300 buildings. The result is a clear and easy-to-navigate guide to identifying the key styles of western architecture from the classical age to the present day.

Through hundreds of inspiring photos and engaging text, the author describes what gives traditional homes their enduring appeal, and illustrates the creative work of builders who are forging the movement toward building new homes that capture old-home sensibility.

“[A] much needed book both for homeowners who want a beautiful and well proportioned house and for the professionals who help them to realize that dream.” —Sarah Susanka, FAIA, architect and author of The Not So Big series and Home by Design Even as oversized McMansions continue to elbow their way into tiny lots nationwide, a much different trend has taken shape. This return to traditional architectural principles venerates qualities that once were taken for granted in home design: structural common sense, aesthetics of form, appropriateness to a neighborhood, and even sustainability. Marianne Cusato, creator of the award–winning Katrina Cottages, has authored and illustrated this definitive guide to what makes houses look and feel right—to the eye and to the soul. She teaches us the language and grammar of classical architecture, revealing how balance, harmony, and detail all contribute to creating a home that will be loved rather than tolerated. And she takes us through the dos and don’ts of every element of home design, from dormers to doorways to columns. Integral to the book are its hundreds of elegant line drawings—clearly rendering the varieties of lintels and cornices, arches and eaves, and displaying “avoid” and “use” versions of the same elements side by side. “This ‘Rosetta stone’ of design will guarantee Cusato a place in the history of twenty-first century American architecture.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer “[Cusato] provides a vision of how we live together and build on our planet, and points out the consequences of flawed building practices not only to our environment, but to our spirit and our soul.” —Michael Lykoudis, Dean, University of Notre Dame School of Architecture

This book brings the timeless lessons of residential design to homeowners who seek inspiration and direction in the design or remodelling of their homes.

A #1 best seller for years, Bill Hirsch's Designing Your Perfect House: Lessons from an Architect has been called an essential read for Homeowners as well as Professionals. Bill's flowing style of writing makes you feel like you are sitting with him having a chat about your project. The philosophy behind design decisions is explained with stories, photos, sketches, and checklists. The book is divided into Twelve Lessons, with an additional Bonus Lesson ," Building Green, Naturally". You will learn how to evaluate your needs and work towards creating a suitable design, perfect for you and your family. The experience of home design and construction should be controllable, gratifying and enjoyable. With the valuable advice that Designing Your Perfect House: Lessons from an Architect provides, it can be.

Architectural style is defined as a definite type of architecture, distinguished by special characteristics of structure and ornament. This revised edition of What Style Is It? includes new sections on Neoclassical, Romanesque and Rustic Styles. It also provides more examples of how pure styles vary by geographic region across the US. * Includes sections on 25 of the most significant architectural styles including Early Colonial, Federal and Second Empire * More than 200 photos and line drawings make this a visually rich resource. 30% of photos and drawings are new to this edition * A glossary offers quick access to architectural terms * Includes an added guide to using the Historical American Buildings Society online catalogue of more than 30,000 historic structures, giving access to more than 51,000 measured drawings, 156,000 photographs and more than 30,000 original historical reports