A home of one’s own has always been a cornerstone of the American dream, fulfilling like nothing else the desire for comfort, financial security, independence, and with a little luck, even a touch of distinctive character, or even beauty. But what we have come to regard as almost a national birthright has recently begun to elude more and more prospective homebuyers. Where housing is concerned, affordable and well-crafted rarely exist together. Or do they?For years, founding editor-...

A dazzling and generously illustrated journey through the philosophy and psychology of architecture and the indelible connection between our identities and our locations.One of the great but often unmentioned causes of both happiness and misery is the quality of our environment: the kinds of walls, chairs, buildings, and streets that surround us. And yet a concern for architecture is too often described as frivolous, even self-indulgent. In The Architecture of ...

George Washington's Mount Vernon brings together--for the first time--the details of Washington's 45-year endeavor to build and perfect Mount Vernon. In doing so it introduces us to a Washington few of his contemporaries knew, and one little noticed by historians since. Here we meet the planter/patriot who also genuinely loved building, a man passionately human in his desire to impress on his physical surroundings the stamp of his character and personal beliefs. As chief architect...

Filled with hundreds of color photographs, this comprehensive handbook in the highly successful 150 Best design series showcases the latest in successful small house design from some of today’s most distinguished international architects and designers.Bursting with ideas for designing, building, and decorating, this outstanding compendium features an extensive collection of cottages and cabins from around the world. Adapted to the specific needs and particular tastes of individual ...

Are you yearning for a simpler existence? Find the rural escape of your dreams in this beautiful book from the creators of the wildly popular tumblr Cabin Porn.Created by a group of friends who preserve 55 acres of hidden forest in Upstate New York, Cabin Porn began as a scrapbook to collect inspiration for their building projects. As the collection grew, the site attracted a following, which is now a huge and obsessive audience.The site features photos of ...

• Bill Phillips is a renowned security expert and bestselling McGraw-Hill author• Ten to twenty thousand individuals take security-related exams each year

Sri Lanka Style showcases 30 of the finest traditional and modern dwellings in Sri Lanka.Reflecting its location and status as a hub of Indian Ocean trade from time immemorial, the tropical island of Sri Lanka has always been open to the movements and patterns of world culture. Indigenous architects and cultural traditions, colonial incursions and the vagaries of living in a tropical environment have combined to produce a distinctive Sri Lankan architectur...

London's Royal Palaces are still some of the most visited places in England. A great deal of their official histories are well known. But London's Strangest Tales: Historic Royal Palaces reveals the bizarre, funny and surreal events and episodes that have occurred over the centuries on the grounds of these beautiful buildings. It gives an alternative history: from the wandering inebriated zebras at the Tower of London, the cricket ball that probably killed a king, and the mystery ...

Balinese-style villas and resorts are popping up everywhere, from Ibiza to St. Barts to Singapore.In this comprehensive guide, author Julian Davison explores the intricacies of the architecture and the reasons for its global popularity. You'll learn why innovative international architects have been designing Bali-inspired resorts and villas for decades, drawing their inspiration from a rich vernacular tradition.The thirty chapters in this book cover...

Quarry Hill Flats, once both the pride and shame of its city of Leeds, was an iconic Modernist symbol of the 1930s. It marked the first use of a prefabricated building system for a large-scale council estate, replacing a notorious slum. But it lasted barely a generation – its complete demolition was announced as Alison Ravetz was finishing this study. First published in 1974, this book is unique in its use of all estate records from conception to destruction, as well as in its comprehensiv...

The New Malaysian House is a collection of 25 contemporary houses that demonstrate a remarkable flowering of Malaysian design talent that has been germinating since the mid- 1980s. The houses range from luxury detached bungalows set in extensive tropical gardens to weekend retreats in the forest, from the gated communities springing up throughout Malaysia to extended family homes. All are distinguished by a singular quality of innovative design as the architects sought to explore ...

Making Homes: Anthropology and Design is a strong addition to the emerging field of design anthropology. Based on the latest scholarship and practice in the social sciences as well as design, this interdisciplinary text introduces a new design ethnography which offers unique and original approaches to research and intervention in the home.Presenting a coherent theoretical and methodological framework for both ethnographers and designers, the authors examine 'hot' topics – ...