American Architecture: An Illustrated Encyclopedia

by Cyril M. Harris

Since the Spanish established their first settlement in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565, America has been an architectural melting pot, reflecting the contributions of every immigrant group that brought its traditions across the sea and adapted them to the places where they settled.
The rich diversity of this country’s architecture is reflected in the nearly 200 styles, types, and modes of American architecture that are identified in these pages―more than can be found in any other book. Over 2,500 definitions and nearly 1,000 illustrations describe construction materials and techniques, landscape elements, decorative terms, and practical devices, from precolonial times to the present, and from indigenous dwellings to deconstructivist structures. Wide-ranging and completely accessible, this book is enriched with intriguing historical and biographical treasures. Students of architecture, architectural historians, preservationists, curators, and general readers, whether architecture buffs or simply curious about the world around them, will find it pleasurable, informative, and sometimes surprising. Almost 1,000 illustrations

Genres: Architecture

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1998

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly detailed and helpful A-Z book on architecture. Has pictures, refers to design periods in history and references unknown words in bold so as to look them up in other parts of book in alphabetical order.