Designing The British Post War Home

In Designing the British Post-War Home Fiona Fisher explores the development of modern domestic architecture in Britain through a detailed study of the work of the successful Surrey-based architectural practice of Kenneth Wood. Wood’s firm is representative of a geographically distinct category of post-war architectural and design practice - that of the small private practice that flourished in Britain’s expanding suburbs after the removal of wartime building restrictions. Such firms, which played an important role in the development of British domestic design, are currently under-represented within architectural histories of the period. The private house represents an important site in which new spatial, material and aesthetic parameters for modern living were defined after the Second World War. Within a British context, the architect-designed private house remained an important ‘vehicle for the investigation of architectural ideas’ by second generation modernist architects and designers. Through a series of case study houses, designed by Wood’s firm, the book reconsiders the progress of modern domestic architecture in Britain and demonstrates the ways in which architectural discourse and practice intersected with the experience, performance and representation of domestic modernity in post-war Britain.

In Designing the British Post-War Home Fiona Fisher explores the development of modern domestic architecture in Britain through a detailed study of the work of the successful Surrey-based architectural practice of Kenneth Wood. Wood’s firm is representative of a geographically distinct category of post-war architectural and design practice - that of the small private practice that flourished in Britain’s expanding suburbs after the removal of wartime building restrictions. Such firms, which played an important role in the development of British domestic design, are currently under-represented within architectural histories of the period. The private house represents an important site in which new spatial, material and aesthetic parameters for modern living were defined after the Second World War. Within a British context, the architect-designed private house remained an important ‘vehicle for the investigation of architectural ideas’ by second generation modernist architects and designers. Through a series of case study houses, designed by Wood’s firm, the book reconsiders the progress of modern domestic architecture in Britain and demonstrates the ways in which architectural discourse and practice intersected with the experience, performance and representation of domestic modernity in post-war Britain.

Italy and the UK experienced a radical re-organisation of urban space following the devastation of many towns and cities in the Second World War. The need to rebuild led to an intellectual and cultural exchange between a wave of talented architects, urbanists and architectural historians in the two countries. Post-war Architecture Between Italy and the UK studies this exchange, exploring how the connections and mutual influences contributed to the formation of a distinctive stance towards Internationalism, notwithstanding the countries’ contrasting geographic and climatic conditions, levels of economic and industrial development, and social structures. Topics discussed in the volume include the influence of Italian historic town centres on British modernist and Brutalist architectural approaches to the design of housing and university campuses as public spaces; post-war planning concepts such as the precinct; the tensions between British critics and Italian architects that paved the way for British postmodernism; and the role of architectural education as a melting pot of mutual influence. It draws on a wealth of archival and original materials to present insights into the personal relationships, publications, exhibitions and events that provided the crucible for the dissemination of ideas and typologies across cultural borders. Offering new insights into the transcultural aspects of European architectural history in the post-war years, and its legacy, this volume is vital reading for architectural and urban historians, planners and students, as well as social historians of the European post-war period.

Employing numerous examples of classic British design, Designing Modern Britain delves into the history of British design culture, and thereby tracks the evolution of the British national identity.

Nine essays and a collection of documents intended as a working tool for students of the post-war period and in particular of design within the period. They discuss the textiles, pottery, and furniture industries in terms of the shifts in meaning and location during the transition from highly controlled wartime production to the more market-based structure that would become characteristic after the immediate reconstruction. Among the specific topics are the place of the exhibition in the history of design; patriotism, politics, and production; adapting utility furniture to peace-time production; and aesthetic idealism and economic reality. Distributed in the US by Books International. The CiP data shows the main title as Popular Politics and Design in Post-War Britain. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The Interior Urbanism Theory Reader expands our understanding of urbanism, interiority, and publicness from a global perspective across time and cultures. From ancient origins to speculative futures, this book explores the rich complexities of interior urbanism as an interstitial socio-spatial condition. Employing an interdisciplinary lens, it examines the intersectional characteristics that define interior urbanism. Fifty chapters investigate the topic in relation to architecture, planning, urban design, interior architecture, interior design, archaeology, engineering, sociology, psychology, and geography. Individual essays reveal the historical, typological, and morphological origins of interior urbanism, as well as its diverse scales, occupancies, and atmospheres. The Interior Urbanism Theory Reader will appeal to scholars, practitioners, students, and enthusiasts of urbanism, architecture, planning, interiors, and the social sciences.

Drawing from archeology, history, town planning, and sociology, this study considers family homes and new neighborhoods, the products and plans for everyday life, and the family lifestyle. Information is presented chronologically and in terms of class. Chapters focus on specific periods of time between 1918 and 1969, as well as on issues like health, comfort, and happiness. Forty-nine illustrations and black and white photographs are featured. Distributed by Palgrave. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR.

Flow combines cutting-edge scholarship with practitioner perspectives to address the concept of 'flow' and how it connects interiors, landscapes and buildings, expanding on traditional notions of architectural prominence. Contributors explore the transitional and intermediary relationships between inside/outside. Through a range of case studies, authors extend the notion of flow beyond the western industrialised world and embrace a wider geography while engaging with the specificity of climate and place. Accompanied by stunning colour illustration and photography, Flow brings together historical, theoretical and practice-based approaches to consider themes of nature, mobility, continuity and frames.