Built By Hand

by Athena Steen, Bill Steen, Eiko Komatsu

Shelter the Human Family is the most extensive documentation ever published of traditional ("vernacular") buildings throughout the world. With examples from nearly every continent, the book documents the diverse methods people have used to create shelter from locally available natural materials, and shows the impressively handmade finished products through this truly stunning compilation of photographs. Unlike modern buildings that rely on industrially produced materials and highly specialized electric tools and techniques, the shelters featured here represent a rapidly disappearing genre of handcrafted and beautifully composed structures. They are the work of simple and real people who, as builders and homesteaders, have integrated artistic beauty and practical form into their shelter needs.

Shelter the Human Family offers insights into the world of vernacular building, along with potential solutions to many of the problems that plague modern architecture. It is a must-have collection that preserves and documents the rich cultural past of each structure and its community, and offers inspiration for those looking to build in a way that is motivated by something larger than speed, efficiency, and economic profit.

Bill and Athena Steen are the authors of The Straw Bale House and The Beauty of Straw Bale. They are active in community building programs that teach low-income families how to build their own shelters, and known for their efforts to incorporate artistic techniques based on local and natural materials into the world of modern construction. They live in Elgin, Arizona.

Yoshio Komatsu has been photographing buildings and people around the world for 25 years. His photographs were collected in the Japanese book Living on Earth, and his work is regularly published in books, magazines, and calendars throughout Japan. This is his first book in English. He and his wife, Eiko, live in Tokyo.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction

655 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2003

Reviews

[Halliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the greatest compilation of vernacular architecture ever. Super-inspiring, chock-full of awesome photos of every kind of local, expert-free building from all over the earth. Organized by materials and methods, instead of geography, so you get a global perspective. Definitely one of my favorite books ever! Though I have been accused of enthusiasm.
Wow, what if I blogged every book on my shelves? That would be really time-consuming. I predict my involvement with this site lasts half an hour, tops.

[Andrea M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of pictures, not very much text. I gave it four stars because I would have liked more text to explain the pictures. The photos were really quite astonishing. This book documents all the ways to build a house by hand without power tools or fancy equipment. If only to save in the public memory the incredible creativity of the human family, it would be worth it. I hope that this book inspires architects to make an effort to mimic the patterns or celebrate these ideas by incorporating elements of them in modern buildings. This book is and inspiration to me in saying that there is not one right way to build a house or solve a problem.

[Elaine Meszaros · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a massive collection of hand-built homes and buildings from the around the world. Loosely grouped by material and use, the photos and brief text show a world of housing totally unlike anything we see in the US. Using common and available materials, even the poorest of families make unique and beautiful living spaces. Structures are built to fit and serve the environment - inverted roofs to catch water, wind-catchers on roofs, low entrances to protect against enemies, floating island to grow vegetables and gigantic pots to store grain. Be sure to check out the Yemeni bathroom built over the top wall of the house. Everything evaporates before it hits the ground!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book filled with inspiring images of the vernacular architecture of the world - built by hand with traditional forms and techniques. Great coffee table book for the get down in the trenches ecologically minded. A return to basics for architects and builders - sometime the old ways are the best and most beautiful.