Product Description

Now available in a convenient pocket-sized mini format, this is the essential illustrated reference book for everyone interested in houses. Following the popular format of The Art Book, this title is a new and innovative presentation of houses and dwellings from all periods and all corners of the globe. It presents 500 houses classified by architect, designer, patron or cultural tribe and people in an A-Z format, with each house represented by a full-page reproduction and a text that describes the building, placing it and its designer in its historical context. The book also includes an easy-to-use glossary of technical terms and movements, and a directory of houses open to the public. The Mini House Book presents an interesting and fresh view of 500 iconic houses and tradititional dwellings, representing the most diverse selection of houses of all time from around the world. From Hadrian's Villa and Palladio's Villa Rotonda to Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye and the contemporary houses of Richard Rogers or Frank Gehry, it features the widest range of architect-designed houses as well as traditional types of dwelling. Vanished buildings, such as Nonsuch Palace by Henry VIII, are illustrated by artists' impressions and rare illuminated manuscripts. Like The Art Book, it presents 500 houses listed in an A-Z format by architect, patron, cultural tribe or people that departs from the usual emphasis on genres and time periods, encouraging readers to contemplate the connections between social history, popular culture and design types. The houses selected represent a broad variety of styles, structures and aesthetics. Experts, as well as readers coming to an architectural survey for the first time, will find many well-loved and familiar houses, alongside others that are rarely explored in architectural books. The houses were carefully selected in an effort to choose the appropriate work for architecture around the world. Some of the houses will be acknowledged for their role in architectural history, others will be iconic for their individual features or structure, but all will be seminal forms of dwelling. The selection ranges from the palaces of kings to the individual huts of the Maasai tribe of East Africa. Technology has changed dramatically over the centuries, but the essential qualities of house or dwelling remain greatly unchanged. All of the houses provide shelter and protection, space to live in private and public, regardless of their budget or aesthetic. This book explores the concept of the house, around the world and across different cultures. Each entry is represented by a full-page image of a significant view and an accompanying text that describes the building and discusses the type of architecture and its role in the further development of the tradition. Each page includes cross-references to other designers working in a similar style, movement, or time period, as well as biographical information about the designer, and complete data on the house reproduced. The book also includes an easy-to-use glossary of architectural terms and movements, and a directory of houses open to the public.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #98266 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 520 pages

Review
"'Packaged like six bricks, with a cover to match, it's a stunning visual experience. Beautifully produced, thoroughly thought-provoking, this is the gift book of the year.' (The Independent); 'Like all Phaidon publications, it is beautifully produced, cleanly laid out, with short, pithy captions.' (The Sunday Business Post, Ireland); 'In the spirit of calm, detached journalism, let's just say that The House Book is beyond fabulous.... For each pad - from Sami tent to the Winter Palace - you get a brief description, a glorious photo, and snappy cross referencing. What more could you want?' (Independent on Sunday); 'While many of the works are iconic, others are little-known and a revelation for the first-time viewer, particularly, I found, those from South America, Australia, India and Japan. Its selection of contemporary architecture is also impressive.' (Contemporary); 'Eclectic, inspiring, sometimes eccentric, toeing no party line... The House Book, which in the wrong hands could have told a rather partial history of domestic design, aims instead for catholic inclusivity - and succeeds. (Hugh Pearman, World of Interiors); '... an ideal coffee table companion - to be delved into time and time again.' (Self Build); 'Fresh and vibrant views of the architects and designers responsible for some of the world's most interesting homes.... the perfect gift for anyone interested in architecture and design.' (OK!); 'Surveys everything from palaces to mud huts.... What would you rather live in? A chateau in France or a yurt in Mongolia? An usha in Saudi Arabia or a villa in Rome?... The book is beautiful to look at, fascinating to dip into.' (The Tablet); 'Illustrates the incredible diversity of human habitation.' (The Scotsman); 'An elegant cheat sheet for residential architecture.' (Dwell); 'An interesting and fresh view of 500 iconic houses and traditional dwellings.' (Echoes); 'Features the work of 500 great architects - from Alvar Aalto to Peter Zumthor - in a clear, visually compelling format.' (Home Style); 'Each page of The House Book offers a new delight, usually totally different from the one before it. For instance, a Blackfoot tepee in a circa 1900 black-and-white photograph contrasts starkly with a '50s modern glass-and-concrete house on the next page and a stately 16th-century French chateau a few pages away. The 500 dwellings from around the world included in this handsome book are presented alphabetically by architect or other designation, leading to interesting juxtapositions of styles and history. Brief but informative text keeps you turning pages.' (Houston Chronicle); 'A resource for the architecturally knowledgeable as well as eye candy for design lovers.' (LA Weekly); 'Among the serendipitous pleasures of this eye-filling album are the random juxtapositions that occasionally pair designs with surprising affinities on facing pages, prompting memories of compare-and-contrast final-exam questions.' (New York Times Book Review); 'An endlessly fascinating, encyclopedic tour of the world's best examples of domestic architecture.' (Town and Country)"

Customer Reviews

Absorbing for all...
Superb photography and a logical structure, alongside the well-written and succinct accompanying text, allows this book to transcend the 'architectural interest' category. From what I've seen so far, it's an absorbing book for everyone who has flicked through it.