Residential Books

The difference about Los Angeles in the 1920's was money. New money for people who previously hadn't had nearly this much. And one of the places they spent the money was on their homes. Commercial buildings likewise grew to reflect the ever increasing incomes of the area. And because of the increased income going to the local governments public buildings received their share as well. Los Angeles in the 1920's was becoming a city. It needed the big buildings of a downtown area.

To fill this need, LA attracted some of the best architects available. This included Bertram Goodhue; Morgan, Walls and Clements; Allison and Allison; and Parkinson and Parkinson in the public sector, as well as Frank Lloyd Wright and Wallace Neff in residential design.

These houses remain as classics of their time, and this book uses stunning photography and insightful writing to describe buildings that remain outstanding to this day. Dr. Winter has spent most of his life in the LA area and is an outstanding authority on the art and culture of the area.

Highly recommended as a classic book of its type.

Every once in a great while a truly magnificent photographic journal appears. THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT ONES. I waited months for this to be published, and I can truly say that this far surpassed any of my expectations. It is a visual feast, each page a magical photographic account of the mystery of a lost civilisation. The power and beauty of the Ancient Ones and their structures, their homes, are laid forth in these pages.The written commentary is just enough to enhance the visual images. Thanks to both Val Brinkerhoff, and to A. Dudley Gardner for this exquisite piece of work. I highly recommend this, even for those with no prior knowledge of these peoples and their architecture. And for those who love and are fascinated by these ancient cultures, this is a must. A feast for the eyes and the heart.

Really a great book on a most deserving subject. St. Louis was famous at the turn of the century for its Private Steets, New Orleans imitated this with the spectacular Audubon Place and Houston had Courtland Place. This book has wonderful images and the text is scholarly, honestly if you have any interest in beautiful homes or just love first rate books, then you will not be disappointed.

Wonderful book! Everything you've wanted to know about the Royal Palace at Caserta and much, much more.

This item is also a workbook that is useless without the textbook it coralates with.

Most architecture publications devote their attention to commercial and institutional projects or lavish, over-the-top custom homes. This book is rare in that it focuses on a building type that simply doesn't get the attention it deserves, or that is oftentimes falsely dismissed as boring socialist treacle (or worse, designed to be such!) It'd be useful to remember that all that glam mid-century modern stuff promoted by the likes of Wallpaper* and Dwell had its roots in socialist-minded idealism of the 1920s and 30s. How far we've come, from Richard Neutra's Chavez Ravine housing projects to fake Tuscan McMansions in Houston. Bravo.

All that aside, this book admirably shows just how much room this building type affords for beauty, creativity, and finesse for for the Everyman and -Woman who need such stuff the most ... although it may demand of the architect a bit more talent. The architects included herein have pretty much proven their worth since the book's 1997 publication: Josep Llinas Carmona, Herzog & de Meuron, MVRDV, Steven Holl, Wiel Arets, et al. The case studies are extremely well-documented with not only the gorgeous, lush color photos but real visual substance: legible, oftentimes labelled section drawings, site plans, floor-by-floor plans, axons, facade details, etc.

The one omission is the its heavily European slant, but then, the book was simultaneously printed (and probably originated) in Spain... and so one shouldn't fault it that. It isn't aiming to be the World Bible of multi-res, but it does what it can do well.

(This is my first review. I was just going through my own library, couldn't believe this one hasn't gotten any write-up whatsoever, and was spurred to throw in my own two cents.)

While this book covers many already familiar houses, the layout is thoughtful and inventive, the text is informative while including many interesting asides that make it one of the best introductions to the topic that I've seen. If you just want one book on the Arts and Crafts house, this is it.

Any art library strong in commercial architecture and design needs ASIA'S LEGENDARY HOTELS, a focus on the histories and presentations of some of Asia's most famous hotels, from Raffles in Singapore to the Ananda in the Himalayas. From the building of the structures to the famous people who occupied the buildings over the decades, ASIA'S LEGENDARY HOTELS also makes a fine coffee table addition for any who enjoy travel, and may even be considered for public libraries strong in travel pieces mixed with visual displays of structures.

Magical pictures, very good explanatory text, "at home in Greece" will take you directly to the inside of astonishing breathtaking mediterranean homes...the caviat...not BEING there to tke your own pictures....

At Home in the Hudson Valley is a beautiful book packed with brilliant photographs. The houses in the book are distinctive and original, the pictures capture the spaces as well as the ideas and personalities of the people who made them. Allison Serrell and the photographer Meredith Heuer pull the vitality and creativity of the Hudson Valley through the pages of the book.