What do you think?
Rate this book
Designing Your Perfect House: Lessons from an Architect
Designing Your Perfect from an Architect is the ideal guidebook for navigating the often mystifying process of house design and building. It's full of sage advice from a master architect about how to design the perfect house for you.Presented in twelve understandable lessons, this book moves from wonderful concepts to a finished dream home. Beginning with an exploration of the philosophy of design, the grammar of architecture, the creation of space, and discussions of how to make spaces be appropriate and gratifying for the people living in them, the lessons explore issues of scale, daylight, how to make a house feel like a home, unifying a design, flow, and proportions.This book answers questions How do I get started? How do I select a building site? What kind of house can I afford with my budget? How do I make my dream house just right for me?Other topics site analysis and selection, programming, schematic design, style, room relationships, budget, working with professionals, methods of contracting, and more.Numerous color photos and drawings illustrate the book's major points
240 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2008
106 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 11, 2010
Architect Hirsch has written a handy guidebook for designing a house that will fit your needs, both now and in the future. Of course, being an architect, he strongly advises hiring one to do the actual design work. But he admits that today the majority of houses are built without an architect, and that makes the book even more valuable than if you had one. He points out the things to be considered, from the feel of a home to energy efficiency to the long term savings that can be had by spending more at building stage.
He goes over the psychology of architecture- how if a room is too large, people don’t want to sit and talk in it unless you make tight groupings of furniture, how the position of the driveway affects if you feel like you’ve arrived at a home, why high ceilings can be a waste of materials (and energy to heat it) because people always end up trying to make them look lower anyway. He goes over balance and symmetry, and why the home owner shouldn’t tell the subcontractors to do things (because you should go through the general contractor, as one change can affect the whole project and end up costing you a fortune). He tells you to decide how you want to use the house before you ever put a line on paper. What is important to you in the house? Being green? Having a lot of family space? Having spaces to be alone? Entertaining? Hobbies? Decide those things first. He gives hints on site selection. There is a section of what needs to be designed in to make a house accessible if one needs a wheelchair.
It’s a very thorough book, and includes a lot of things that most people just wouldn’t think of on their own. It encourages the owner to ask questions of the architect and/or builder rather than just being led- not just design questions, either, but ones about prices, insurance and subcontractors. This would be a good book for anyone building a house, even if you’re starting with off-the-rack plans.
He goes over the psychology of architecture- how if a room is too large, people don’t want to sit and talk in it unless you make tight groupings of furniture, how the position of the driveway affects if you feel like you’ve arrived at a home, why high ceilings can be a waste of materials (and energy to heat it) because people always end up trying to make them look lower anyway. He goes over balance and symmetry, and why the home owner shouldn’t tell the subcontractors to do things (because you should go through the general contractor, as one change can affect the whole project and end up costing you a fortune). He tells you to decide how you want to use the house before you ever put a line on paper. What is important to you in the house? Being green? Having a lot of family space? Having spaces to be alone? Entertaining? Hobbies? Decide those things first. He gives hints on site selection. There is a section of what needs to be designed in to make a house accessible if one needs a wheelchair.
It’s a very thorough book, and includes a lot of things that most people just wouldn’t think of on their own. It encourages the owner to ask questions of the architect and/or builder rather than just being led- not just design questions, either, but ones about prices, insurance and subcontractors. This would be a good book for anyone building a house, even if you’re starting with off-the-rack plans.
May 18, 2020
Very thorough review of pretty much every conceivable aspect to consider when designing a custom house. Provokes thought into areas you definitely haven't considered about your home.
July 8, 2014
Originally I gave this book only two stars, because to me it was all stuff I already knew. But upon reflection, I'm going to change it up to four. Here's why: I've been designing my perfect house since I was, nine or so.
Since then I've read a fair few books on design and tramped through a hell of a lot of homes (many of which I lived in for a time). But for a person who hasn't looked at hundreds of houses with a practiced eye, who hasn't scrutinized floor plans, who hasn't read or considered the history of housing, this would be an excellent introduction and a great place to start.
It's not perfect, though. I'd like to see more attention to building sustainable homes, both green and incorporating universal design. I'd also love to see more about designing for extended family, both people and pets.
Since then I've read a fair few books on design and tramped through a hell of a lot of homes (many of which I lived in for a time). But for a person who hasn't looked at hundreds of houses with a practiced eye, who hasn't scrutinized floor plans, who hasn't read or considered the history of housing, this would be an excellent introduction and a great place to start.
It's not perfect, though. I'd like to see more attention to building sustainable homes, both green and incorporating universal design. I'd also love to see more about designing for extended family, both people and pets.
February 11, 2019
The Amazon blurb made it seem like this would be useful for renovations as well, and it's not. I should have known better, but this definitely focuses on custom new builds. Sadly, most of the included pictures are hideous making me question the author's design eye because I know there are good examples of present day builds in all styles that look good and he manages to find none of them. Overall, I walked away with a better appreciation of the layout of my 1970s tract house than I expected and he did a decent job of reminding the reader to maintain a human sense of scale in houses (bigger doesn't mean better if it doesn't fit the function of the space).
September 14, 2022
For a book on architecture, I was surprised to find that this one kept me wanting to read more. I'm an engineer, after all. Hirsch has a great tone, a frank coffee-table way of explaining his craft. I read it because I'm considering building a house someday, and I learned to really appreciate good architectural practices though this book. Hirsch has obviously worked primarily on mansions and unique contemporary homes for the wealthy, his lessons and advice apply to any size or budget home. I plan to skim back over this book when I actually start playing out plans.
October 1, 2020
A very rudimentary introduction to designing a house. I came in with the expectation that I'd learn something new from this book, but in the end, the book can be summated to a 10 page pamphlet PDF at a fraction of the cost. The rest is filler material to make the book sound more conversational. Who is going to read a 200+ page book to inform their architect about how to do their job?
November 17, 2019
This was a good high level reference. It could go into more depth.
700-799-arts-rec
December 13, 2019728.37
November 20, 2021
A great deal of useful information, although geared towards larger homes and budgets!
May 27, 2025
Great book but all the good content was at the end.
The author obviously has an entire lifetime of internalized experience and that shines through here.
My favorite discussions were the importance of a chain of command being architect then builder, and cheap things to do in the beginning of the house design that will be valuable down the road.
The author obviously has an entire lifetime of internalized experience and that shines through here.
My favorite discussions were the importance of a chain of command being architect then builder, and cheap things to do in the beginning of the house design that will be valuable down the road.
July 8, 2012
This book covers the whole process of home design. It would be a good first book on the topic of building a custom home. It is arranged into 12 lessons, each of which covers a different aspect of the design process.
The first four lessons cover principles of design. These will be familiar to those who have read other books on home design. Lesson five covers some of the practical aspects of building a home (e.g., choosing an architect). Lessons 7 through 11 go through the design process including analyzing how you really live, choosing a site, determining the program for the home, laying out the different spaces in the home, filling in the details that turn sketches into plans, and thinking about the details of individual rooms. Lesson 12 has a brief discussion of budgeting.
In one of the lessons on design, lesson 2, Hirsch introduces the concept of "peopling" spaces.
This includes techniques such as giving architecture a physical scale that is related to the size of people and create places for interaction (both planned and unplanned).
Lesson 9 is the gem of the book. It details the process of getting from the house program (the list of things you want) to a floor plan. Hirsch's approach starts with bubbles representing different spaces and their relative sizes. He then adds links to express the relationship between these rooms. The bubbles are rearranged subject to the links (on a site plan) until they start to resemble a room layout. Once this point has been reached, you have something that can be turned into a floor plan.
I have two main criticisms of this book. First, the pictures did not strike my fancy -- too traditional for my taste. Second, the book sometimes feels padded. Many of the images add nothing to the nearby text. I almost feel as if Hirsch had written a good book and then his editor came along and told him that a book on home design needs to have at least one picture per page.
The first four lessons cover principles of design. These will be familiar to those who have read other books on home design. Lesson five covers some of the practical aspects of building a home (e.g., choosing an architect). Lessons 7 through 11 go through the design process including analyzing how you really live, choosing a site, determining the program for the home, laying out the different spaces in the home, filling in the details that turn sketches into plans, and thinking about the details of individual rooms. Lesson 12 has a brief discussion of budgeting.
In one of the lessons on design, lesson 2, Hirsch introduces the concept of "peopling" spaces.
To 'people' a space, [Hirsch's teacher] said, is to make a space comfortable for human habitation. His thesis was that we all perceive cues in spaces that let us know the space is meant for people.
This includes techniques such as giving architecture a physical scale that is related to the size of people and create places for interaction (both planned and unplanned).
Lesson 9 is the gem of the book. It details the process of getting from the house program (the list of things you want) to a floor plan. Hirsch's approach starts with bubbles representing different spaces and their relative sizes. He then adds links to express the relationship between these rooms. The bubbles are rearranged subject to the links (on a site plan) until they start to resemble a room layout. Once this point has been reached, you have something that can be turned into a floor plan.
I have two main criticisms of this book. First, the pictures did not strike my fancy -- too traditional for my taste. Second, the book sometimes feels padded. Many of the images add nothing to the nearby text. I almost feel as if Hirsch had written a good book and then his editor came along and told him that a book on home design needs to have at least one picture per page.
November 15, 2009
I expected to take weeks reading this book and was astonished to finish it in two days. The writing is straightforward and easy to follow. The author touched on every one of my concerns about hiring an architect, and brought to my attention many other things about a new house design that I hadn't thought of. Considering that I have spent more than a year looking at houses and thinking about what I do and don't want and compiling a list during that time, it was a bit surprising to find so much that I had thought about already and even more that I hadn't. I have sticky notes pasted throughout the book, but I particularly found the questions listed in gray backgrounds throughout the book to be valuable, especially since answering them pointed out demonstrably that I have adapted to my current house and that it in no way is the house I want and need. Three days ago I would have said this house I have lived in for 32 years had been remodeled to suit my needs admirably. Now my horizons have been expanded and I am reevaluating everything I have spent a year compiling. The only problem with the book is that as you read through it, you repeatedly find yourself wanting Mr. Hirsch as your architect. My husband and I have just started looking for an architect in the Pacific Northwest. I only hope we find one nearly this good.
June 18, 2015
If you plan to build a house - your house - this book is probably the best starting point I can imagine. We started thinking about building our first home around the time that I bought this book: back in 2009. I remember that I "raced" from chapter to chapter because I was fascinated by all the practical insights, smart advice, good explanations, description of numerous planning techniques that were offered there. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it back then. And rest assured it definitely proved very helpful in thinking through the design of our home, greatly helped us prepare a pretty elaborate brief for the architect and provided us with enough basic architectural design knowledge (and lingo) that effective communication with architect and builder was never a problem. ... Our house is now built and, yes - in case you wonder - we are extremely happy with the result!
January 16, 2013
This was the first book I've read on house design, and I think it is a great first book. As someone who was completely ignorant of the process of designing and building a house, this really educated me on the general ideas of the process as well as the thought that should go into designing a house. The book covers basic architectural ideas; the process from "programming" the house to making the actual plans; whether and how to choose an architect; site selection and preparation for design; and some general information about the types of contracts and legal matters you can expect during the building process.
January 17, 2010
Loved this. If you're ever planning to design your own custom home I recommend both this book and the author's blog at http://www.designingyourperfecthouse....
Bill Hirsch is not a purist when it comes to architectural styles. His book is all about making a house comfortable and attractive for the people who live in it. If you're like me you probably have a good sense of houses you like and feel comfortable in and those you don't. Hirsch helps you understand why. Lots of practical tips here as well as principles of good design, and great photos too.
Bill Hirsch is not a purist when it comes to architectural styles. His book is all about making a house comfortable and attractive for the people who live in it. If you're like me you probably have a good sense of houses you like and feel comfortable in and those you don't. Hirsch helps you understand why. Lots of practical tips here as well as principles of good design, and great photos too.
June 7, 2013
This book is like an architect over your shoulder, giving advice as you work through a house plan. We had already mostly designed our plan, but this gave some peace of mind about what we had already done, and ideas about a few changes. A lot of the book is geared for very high-end dream homes, but the general information can still apply to a modest sized home as well. The photographs were beautiful and drawings well demonstrated the author's points. I gained lots of knowledge and thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
July 20, 2013
A weird blend of opinionated traditionalist thinking with frequent lapses into heinous (and apparently unintended) McMansionism and disharmony. This probably stems from the author trying to accomplish two incompatible goals--recommending the right thing and telling the reader the important thing is designing YOUR perfect house. But if your perfect house is ugly--well, it's ugly, and sometimes (but only sometimes), either the author doesn't want to say that, or doesn't realize it.
May 26, 2014
This is something worth reading for those who will build a new house. I doubt the costs because it's based on U.S prices. Circumstances for countries and regions are different. Stone house are cheaper to build in the Philippines than those made of wood.
I think a dream house is always costly wherever you are in the world but it should not deplete your resources. There's a good chapter about the budget.
I think a dream house is always costly wherever you are in the world but it should not deplete your resources. There's a good chapter about the budget.
January 7, 2015
Designing Your Perfect House is the first architecture book I've read. As such, it was very good. The various lessons were laid out in a logical order and I found myself easily able to follow along. If you're a newbie and thinking of designing your own home, this book is a very good starting point. If you're a well-read architecture person, I'm not sure if there will be much in this book that will bring value.
April 23, 2010
What a fabulous book! I read the whole thing, cover to cover. Usually with books like this, I end up just looking at the pictures, but with this book, all the text was so well considered and so interesting that I looked forward to reading it every morning. If you have ever wanted to think about building your dream house or are currently designing your house, this is a great book.
November 24, 2013
11/22/13: Not much to say about this one; I did not read it for its literary or even entertainment value. Though I did read it cover to cover. Good book to read if you’re interested in building a house. Otherwise? You can skip it!
September 13, 2015
This book offers good, solid advice for creating a house that suits your families needs. It offers considerations that might not have immediately occurred to a layperson trying to design a house that functions ideally for their lifestyle. My book is full of highlighted passages!
June 21, 2010
Nice pictures and good ideas.
September 11, 2011
Very informative, straightforward, with great pictures and illustrations. It would be a great reference book if you were building a house.
May 2, 2012
Excellent for anyone thinking about or planning to have their own home built. It gave me a great list of things to remember.
January 18, 2013
I really enjoyed his ideas and approach to building. He has some great suggestions.
March 31, 2013
Good basic primer for residential house design, covers all the basic concepts.
April 16, 2016
Solid book
Very good primer on helping design your own house. Has lots of helpful tips and it is not a boring read. Just wish there had been even more pictures.
Very good primer on helping design your own house. Has lots of helpful tips and it is not a boring read. Just wish there had been even more pictures.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews