Geometry in Architecture: Texas Buildings Yesterday and Today

by Clovis Heimsath

Pioneer Texas Buildings opened people's eyes when it was first published in 1968. At a time when "progress" meant tearing down the weathered houses, barns, churches, and stores built by the original settlers of Central Texas, this book taught people to see the beauty, simplicity, and order expressed in the unadorned geometric forms of early Texas buildings. It inspired the preservation and restoration of many of the remaining pioneer buildings, as well as the design of modern buildings that employ the same simple geometries. This revised edition of Pioneer Texas Buildings juxtaposes the historic structures with works by twenty contemporary architects who are inspired by the pioneer tradition to show how seamlessly the basic geometries translate from one era to another. As in the first edition, sketches and brief commentary by Clovis Heimsath explain how squares, triangles, and circles take shape in the cubic, triangular, and cylindrical forms that comprise houses and other buildings. Then black-and-white photographs, the heart of the book, illustrate these geometric forms in historic and modern buildings. The book also includes two essays in which Heimsath discusses the factors that led him and his wife Maryann to document early Texas buildings and the results in historic preservation and timeless architectural designs that have followed from their efforts.

180 pages, Hardcover

First published July 15, 2002

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geometry and Architecture is another book I had to read for school. Well, to clarify, I was only assigned two chapters, but out of my own interest I ended up finishing the whole book. I’ll say this first: as an architecture student, or really anyone interested in architecture, especially if you’re in Texas, there’s definitely something to get out of it. This is also a book you could finish in a day. It’s not really meant to be read straight through like a novel; it feels more like a source of inspiration. Even if you read all the text, it wouldn’t take long because a lot of the book relies on images, drawings, and examples to support what it’s explaining.

I really liked the introduction overall. It’s very descriptive and you can tell the author has a strong emotional connection to Texas and its architecture. That said, I’m not much of a history person, so when he started getting deeper into Texas history, I’ll be honest, that’s where I skimmed a bit. Still, the introduction does its job and sets the tone for the rest of the book.

What I found most interesting, especially living in Texas, was how the book explains that early buildings here were simple out of necessity. They relied on materials that were available locally and didn’t depend on trained architects or contractors the way we do now. It was mostly vernacular construction, craftsmen, and everyday people just trying to build something that worked. I also liked how the book constantly switches between old and new examples, showing how those same geometric ideas still apply today. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can see myself coming back to it for inspiration. I’d probably give it about an 8.5 out of 10.