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A Field Guide to American Houses (Revised): The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture
Here at the fully expanded, updated, and freshly designed second edition of the most comprehensive and widely acclaimed guide to domestic architecture—in print since its publication in 1984, and acknowledged everywhere as the unmatched, essential reference to American houses.
Focusing on dwellings in urban and suburban neighborhoods and rural locations all across the continental United States—houses built over the past three hundred years reflecting every social and economic background—this guide provides in-depth information on the essentials of domestic architecture with facts and frames of reference that will enable you to look in a fresh way at the houses around you. With more than 1,600 detailed photographs and line illustrations, and a lucid, vastly informative text, it will teach you not only to recognize distinct architectural styles but also to understand their historical significance. What does that cornice signify? Or that porch? The shape of that door? The window treatment? When was this house built? What does the style say about its builders and their eras? You'll find the answers to these and myriad other questions in this encyclopedic and eminently practical book.
Here are more than fifty styles and their variants, spanning seven distinct historical periods. Each style is illustrated with a large schematic drawing that highlights its most important identifying features. Additional drawings and photographs provide, at a glance, common alternative shapes, principal subtypes, and close-up views of typical small details—windows, doors, cornices, etc.—that can be difficult to see in full-house illustrations. The accompanying text explains the identifying features of each style, describing where and in what quantity they can be found, discussing all of its notable variants, and tracing their origin and history.
The book's introductory chapters provide invaluable general discussions of construction materials and techniques, house shapes, and the various traditions of architectural fashion that have influenced American house design through the past three centuries. A pictorial key and glossary simplifies identification, connecting easily recognized architectural features—the presence of a tile roof, for example—to the styles in which that feature is likely to be found.
Among the new material included in this edition are chapters on styles that have emerged in the thirty years since the previous edition; a groundbreaking chapter on the development and evolution of American neighborhoods; an appendix on approaches to construction in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries; an expanded bibliography; and 600 new photographs and line drawings throughout.
Here is an indispensable resource—both easy and pleasurable to use—for the house lover and the curious tourist, for the house buyer and the weekend stroller, for neighborhood preservation groups, architecture buffs, and everyone who wants to know more about their own homes and communities. It is an invaluable book of American architecture, culture, and history.
Focusing on dwellings in urban and suburban neighborhoods and rural locations all across the continental United States—houses built over the past three hundred years reflecting every social and economic background—this guide provides in-depth information on the essentials of domestic architecture with facts and frames of reference that will enable you to look in a fresh way at the houses around you. With more than 1,600 detailed photographs and line illustrations, and a lucid, vastly informative text, it will teach you not only to recognize distinct architectural styles but also to understand their historical significance. What does that cornice signify? Or that porch? The shape of that door? The window treatment? When was this house built? What does the style say about its builders and their eras? You'll find the answers to these and myriad other questions in this encyclopedic and eminently practical book.
Here are more than fifty styles and their variants, spanning seven distinct historical periods. Each style is illustrated with a large schematic drawing that highlights its most important identifying features. Additional drawings and photographs provide, at a glance, common alternative shapes, principal subtypes, and close-up views of typical small details—windows, doors, cornices, etc.—that can be difficult to see in full-house illustrations. The accompanying text explains the identifying features of each style, describing where and in what quantity they can be found, discussing all of its notable variants, and tracing their origin and history.
The book's introductory chapters provide invaluable general discussions of construction materials and techniques, house shapes, and the various traditions of architectural fashion that have influenced American house design through the past three centuries. A pictorial key and glossary simplifies identification, connecting easily recognized architectural features—the presence of a tile roof, for example—to the styles in which that feature is likely to be found.
Among the new material included in this edition are chapters on styles that have emerged in the thirty years since the previous edition; a groundbreaking chapter on the development and evolution of American neighborhoods; an appendix on approaches to construction in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries; an expanded bibliography; and 600 new photographs and line drawings throughout.
Here is an indispensable resource—both easy and pleasurable to use—for the house lover and the curious tourist, for the house buyer and the weekend stroller, for neighborhood preservation groups, architecture buffs, and everyone who wants to know more about their own homes and communities. It is an invaluable book of American architecture, culture, and history.
880 pages, Hardcover
Published December 3, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 18, 2020
A tome. It’s all in there. Lots of photos. I would have liked more history but it reads more like a dictionary than an encyclopedia. It’s a reference book.
April 4, 2021
For those who admire houses as they ride through a city or rural highway, but don't know how to journal about them or describe them to friends in their travel letters.
A good teacher. Taught me vocabulary, for real. Taught me how to be specific when deciding what house I would want, or how to write about houses as I ride through a city; from their arches to the doorframes to the detailing. Taught me the roofstyle of "hipped pyramid" which gives a Millenium Mansion or New Traditional vibe. Taught me to say "roof-top cupolas" in my house searches to find the perfect touch. I found that I really like "through-the-cornice windows" and that they're a way of pinpointing what I like from Mission as well as French Eclectic houses.
A good teacher. Taught me vocabulary, for real. Taught me how to be specific when deciding what house I would want, or how to write about houses as I ride through a city; from their arches to the doorframes to the detailing. Taught me the roofstyle of "hipped pyramid" which gives a Millenium Mansion or New Traditional vibe. Taught me to say "roof-top cupolas" in my house searches to find the perfect touch. I found that I really like "through-the-cornice windows" and that they're a way of pinpointing what I like from Mission as well as French Eclectic houses.
July 4, 2023
the premier text if you’re interested in the aesthetic expressions of the built form. or it makes a neat coffee table centerpiece to flip through on spontaneously productive afternoons.
August 22, 2023
More of a reference book than a book you read, but somehow I still read it. Great use of my 50 cents at the library book sale
March 11, 2019
A concise and thorough read an excellent field guide not just in the area of architecture but also the history and development of the domestic homestead.
June 1, 2022
It is more of a reference book than a cover to cover read, but, by golly, it makes taking walks in my neighborhood MUCH more exciting. Cheaper than architecture courses at DAAP, too. I first checked out the massive hard cover edition from my library and decided it was one worth buying... but I opted for the Kindle edition for its portability on said walks in my neighborhood. Good to win stakeless arguments with.
Shoutout to THIS Ms. Virginia SAVAGE for clearly defining and diagraming the "Millennium Mansion" well before the "style" was popularized and now known as "McMansion" via the glorious blog Mcmansion Hell.
Shoutout to THIS Ms. Virginia SAVAGE for clearly defining and diagraming the "Millennium Mansion" well before the "style" was popularized and now known as "McMansion" via the glorious blog Mcmansion Hell.
November 29, 2023
Where has this book been all my life? I absolutely love architecture, particularly home architecture. I stumbled upon this book in a reference on a blog post of the McMansion Hell website. This is such a cool field guide to read through and look at pictures of the time periods of home architecture and the actual features of housing architecture, like roof styles, windows, ornamentation, etc. It's fun to drive through neighborhoods now and say, oh that's Gothic inspired, or hey look at that gambrel roof.
March 22, 2022
A fantastic new edition to one of my favourite text books of all time. The new chapter on neighbourhoods is a welcome new piece, and it's great to have material added explaining 21st century styles, including the McMansions (sorry, "millennium mansions") and mini McMansions.
July 29, 2019
Great book on the architecture of home in the United States.
July 15, 2020
Probably the most useful book I've ever read. Survey takers know what I'm talking about.
January 31, 2021
Very thorough and great examples. Excellent reference guide. I used to understand my own home's intended features and architectural details.
December 12, 2022
This book is so helpful! I'm trying to be more precise in my visual vocabulary and this book has already helped me hugely, with much more use to come.
December 25, 2023
Love. This is a great reference book of historical American homes and architectural details with photos and illustrations. Perfect for old home lovers.
February 19, 2024
A professional guide to help guide and identify specific architecture. Our public library has a copy of this book, and I've used designs to implement additional structures around our home.
May 10, 2024
Classics are classics for a reason.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews