From detailing foundations to designing home theaters, home offices, and other specialty rooms, Architectural Graphic Standards for Residential Construction is a resource that's as efficient as it is comprehensive. You'll find design details that incorporate best construction practices as well as guidelines for state-of-the-art wiring, heating, and cooling systems. In step with current practices, this volume includes the latest guidelines for:
Almost 10 years after The Not So Big House came out, it's reassuring to see that houses really are starting to get smaller. Over the past year I've been interviewed time and again for articles describing a growing backlash against the mega-houses that have been built across the country in recent decades.
Houses aren't only getting smaller, they're also becoming less formal, a trend picked up by my good friend and coauthor (of Inside the Not So Big House) Marc Vassallo in his new book, The Barefoot Home. Marc hits the nail on the head when he says that we no longer need formal living and dining rooms--it just doesn't fit the way we live anymore. And we're spending just as much time enjoying the outside of our homes as we are the inside. In a barefoot home, you can feel like you're on vacation 365 days a year, a lifestyle that's much more in tune with the way we REALLY live today--at least when we're not at work.
I was lucky enough to be one of the very first readers to receive a copy of The Barefoot Home and as I leafed through it, I could almost feel the sand between my toes. Marc has assembled and described, in his inimitable style, 20 excellent examples of houses that are both Not So Big in form, and decidedly Not So Formal in function. As Marc recommends in his "barefoot manifesto," it's time to kick off your shoes, open up, embrace the sun, live outside as well as in, and adopt a barefoot state of mind. The lessons these homes have to offer are much needed by all who are disenchanted with "too bigness" in house design; and best of all, they're easy to implement, and often less expensive to boot. Anyone who is a fan of the Not So Big House series will almost certainly enjoy this book as well.
Book Description
As our personal and professional lives become more demanding and hectic, people have reacted with a more casual, relaxed, and open way of living at home. Kitchens are no longer just for cooking but serve as entertainment hubs; barbeques on the grill have replaced formal dinners. As our lives at home have become increasingly informal, the “barefoot living” lifestyle has emerged and there is increased demand to carry this attitude over into home design.
Relaxed, open, filled with light, and intimately connected to the outdoors, barefoot houses make living at home feel like being on vacation 365 days a year. The 24 houses featured in The Barefoot Home reflect today’s barefoot times. From a long, low house on the Kansas prairie to an adobe home in New Mexico and a New England cottage by the sea, these homes capture the essence of barefoot living.
Customer Reviews:
Surprised and delighted.......2007-09-27
We live in temperate Australia and hesitated long before buying this book. We have shelves of excellent architecture reference books from around the world and have been owner builders. Was it going to be just glam coffee table eye candy? The architect has worked with Sarah Susanka (Not So Big House etc), so we decided to take the plunge. This is a very good book. There is so much to look at, contemplate, re-visit. Brilliant resolution of details, houses that flow, small exquisite spaces, sound materials. We have had hours of enjoyment from this book and have been happy to share it with others to extend their knowledge of good architecture. Enjoy!
Barefoot -- informal style, for an informal life........2007-05-16
On first glance I agreed with many of the other reviewers: 'the book was slick', 'it was disingenuous', 'sure, if you live in a sunny climate, most, if not all, of the time'.
Then I went back and looked at the book again, and read the opening passage: he does not strive to be disingenuous, he tells us he himself doesn't live in a barefoot home, nor a barefoot neighborhood, but he is trying and the manifesto of the book is to entreat all of us to be more informal in our primary living space -- our homes.
Open the house up as soon as you can, get rid of all the stuff you don't need, make your home as casual as you can, and then enjoy it.
Think informal thoughts, and live in all the spaces available to you: the patio, the deck and never forget how good it feels to have sand between your toes!
He provides blue prints to the homes and he even lists the architects. Enjoy and live well!
Great Book!.......2007-03-26
This book is great for conversation and ideas. I leave mine on the coffee table for periodic inspiration...that of myself..and of others!
Barefoot, if it's summertime.......2007-03-11
I don't exactly get the barefoot concept. If the author had seen these homes in the wintertime, would he still consider them barefoot homes? Barefoot seems far-fetched and contrived in this book.
This book is a nice compilation of casual homes mostly in the country or at the beach. It's similar to other books on getaway homes. Beyond that, I didn't see anything particularly new or inspiring. It almost seems like the author (or Taunton?) was more interested in pushing the barefoot concept than providing new ideas.
Designed for wilder, more remote locations.......2007-02-15
This book is beautiful, the writing lyric and inviting.
But in looking for ideas for building our coastal home, I found that the windows and outdoor living areas were meant for homes in secluded or tree-sheltered locations, not on a city lot as our will be.
I highly recommend this book for those with more remote building sites.
Book Description
Stone Houses is a unique presentation of a beloved building tradition in one of the most charming and historically significant regions in the nation. Part of the original Pennsylvania Colony, founded in 1682, Bucks County is important not only as an early English colony in America but also as a crucial site in the struggle for American independence. Architectural historians Margaret Bye Richie and Gregory D. Huber and photographer Geoffrey Gross survey twenty-four houses and barns dating from this early period, detailing their English Cotswold vernacular style and distinctive construction from local stone.
Among the fascinating and delightful buildings included in Stone Houses are McConkey's Ferry Inn (ca. 1750s), Washington's headquarters on the night of his historic crossing over the Delaware River, as well as the Thompson-Neely House (1766), which served as his officers' headquarters that famous night; Pennsbury Manor, the home of William Penn (begun in 1683 and restored in 1939); Summerseat (1725), the home at various times of three signers of the Declaration of Independence; and Buckingham Friends Meeting House (1768), the oldest building in the country continuously in its original use. With its authoritative text and stunning full-color photography, Stone Houses of Bucks County is a beautiful record of a historically rich building tradition.
Customer Reviews:
inadequate.......2007-03-06
I found it nice but inadequate, since actually useful information was small part of the lot, from an architectural point of view.
BEAUTIFUL STONE.......2006-11-14
I have always thought the stone used on houses in the Philadelphia area was beautiful; it's warm and elegant. This book has crisp images and well researched, interesting text on these wonderful homes. If you have any interest in this subject then I highly recommend this book, you won't be disappointed.
Wonderful book, great pictures.......2005-10-21
This book contains a wonderful pictorial view of stone houses, better than I've ever seen. It includes all forms of construction and gives very informative descriptions of each style. The history related here is invaluable to the reader, as it takes you back in time. The pictures are full color and very articulately done. I found the colors presented in the homes helpful to me in restoring our stone house, built in the 1830's. This book is more than a "coffee table" book, it's a history lesson.
Great book.......2005-07-21
Wonderful photos and very interesting and informative text.
Exceptional detail photos of insides of dwellings. Nice to see my family homes done so well, ie The Pusey house and Primative Hall.
Book Description
Atomic Ranch is an in-depth exploration of post-World War II residential architecture in America. Mid-century ranches (1946-1970) range from the decidedly modern gable-roofed Joseph Eichler tracts in the San Francisco Bay area and butterfly wing houses in Palm Springs, Florida, to the unassuming brick or stucco L-shaped ranches and split-levels so common throughout the United States.
Customer Reviews:
Midcentury Modern Lover's Porn.......2007-05-05
Page after page of delicious midcentury modern yumminess. Unlike many architecture and design books, this one is actually well written.
Atomic Dressing.......2007-03-21
Eye candy of the past that we loved, environments we create from what we thought were futuristic but now an echo in the past. Great assortment of houses on display to tickle your midcentury fantasies that we can't afford now.
Mid Century Gem.......2007-03-05
I love this book! Every page is graced with mid century ranch homes lovingly photographed and described. If you have any interest at all in architecture, add this book to your collection.
Wonderful book on Ranch Homes.......2007-02-20
As a subscriber of the "Atomic Ranch" magazine, published by the same authors of this book, I had high expectations on its content, which were more than fulfilled, as i simply loved the book. It highlighted many homes that have been previously published on the magazine pages, but it had many others that I have not seen before in print, probably from the earlier issues I missed. The photos are superb, the book format is so elegant and perfect for Coffee Table display and the content is just wonderful. From Amazon, I have also purchased the Alan Hess book on Ranch Homes and the one from Katherine Samon on decorating Ranch homes, but "Atomic Ranch" is by far, my favorite of those three.
Mid century modern for the real world!.......2007-01-26
I have purchased many books on mid century modern style to get ideas for my remodeling project and while they were full of excellant examples of the style the biggest part of them only showed examples of high dollar showcase homes. (example: Frank lloyd Wright's creations) While they are beautiful they are far beyond my means and impractical for my life style. Atomic ranch fills the gap of real world affordable design and livablity that I was seeking. I have gotten many great ideas from Atomic ranch that I will likely use in my own home remodel. The book is excellant to browse, to read, or to use as an example when conveying your ideas to contractors or builders. Atomic ranch is a joy to any fan of serious modern, mid century, googie, or boom generation cold war living and style!! I can't recommend it more. Nuff said.
Book Description
Based on the International Building Code (IBC), this updated and expanded edition of the industry standard covers today’s diverse materials, regulations and requirements, specification formats, and more. Just as detailed as the specifications it explains, this comprehensive Second Edition provides all the critical information necessary for completing contract documents, all organized in a quick-reference format.
Customer Reviews:
Used But Like New.......2007-09-10
The book looked new even though it was used. I was glad to know that the rating of the book actually did match the final product!
Great Review of Information!.......2007-07-19
I am studying for the NCIDQ exam and I found this book very insightful. It is a great review of information I learned in school and in my experiences in the field. The book covers a wide range of information and is very concise!
Book Description
With its unforgettable images of oceanfront vistas and creative decorating details,
Family Houses by the Sea invites us to sample the gracious possibilities of living within reach of a gentle offshore breeze. The book's beautiful photographs capture the varied but always engaging personalities of seaside homes around the world.
Illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Sumptuous and inspiring.......2000-12-22
I received this book for my birthday last year and still enjoy looking at it. In fact, I was getting ready to order it for a friend for the holidays when I saw an earlier review of this book that also mentioned another vacation home book called Second Home, I bought it, too. I highly recommend both books. This is wonderful dream book, as is Second Home. Second Home also includes pointers (throughout the book) on deciding where you might want to have a second home, real estate shopping tips, and ideas on building and decorating, too. Second Home is as inspiring as Family Houses by the Sea, but it offers the bonus of being practical and talking directly to me about what I can do to actually realize my dream of having a weekend house.
One of our favorites.......2000-11-17
We are accumulating a wonderful little stack of books related to second homes as we plan a getaway of our own. This one is a favorite because of its dreamy photography. I also highly recommend SECOND HOME: Finding Your Place In The Fun, which is a new book that mixes dreamy photos of real homes with some helpful tips on finding a location as well as buying, building, remodeling, or decorating a second home. Like Family Houses, Second Home is a larger hardback book. Gorgeous.
Family houses - eclectically by the sea.......2000-10-07
And therein lies the beauty of this book. Yes, some of the homes are older & some are rustic-but there's the sleek & contemporary too. In other words, something for everyone who loves to live by the water (or wishes they did). Buy this book to appreciate the different ways to express loving the natural light & atmosphere in a home that is reflective of the sea. You may not get Decorating Lessons 1-100 - but thats not the point. You can escape thru this book, dream thru it, share it, admire those who have created beautiful spaces in beautiful places - without displaying every obvious "seaside" nic-nac but with much good taste & class. Buy it for those pleasures & of knowing that kind of life does exist & can be lived by those to whom it means the most. To the authors - a beautiful volumn - thank you for seeking these places out & creating an arm chair trip to some incredibly beautiful spots by the water.
A Classic.......2000-09-08
A beautiful book that captures what it feels, smells and looks like to live by the sea. If you want glitzy resort style houses then this book is not for you. The houses shown are not show cases for a glossy magazine but places filled with memories and life. It's my favourite beach house book.
Seaside Fantasies Brought to Life.......2000-06-30
This book was my inspiration for a beach house I just finished completely cosmetically rehabilitating. The book took me all the way through the process by stimulating me with the beautiful visuals of its photos. I would look through it repeatedly, looking one time at flooring, another at windows, and so on, depending on where I was in my rehab process. I can't imagine it not being a superb stimulus for anyone.
Book Description
Mediterranean inspiration Bringing the allure of the sunkissed Mediterranean directly into readers hands, all 125 home plans are inspired by the traditional Southern European style.
Book Description
The Spanish-style architecture of Southern California's seaside estates, canyon villas, and courtyard bungalows is central to its romantic image, one that has traditionally evoked a Mediterranean paradise. The details of this inexhaustively rich style-- ornate wrought iron and wood balconies, colorful tiles, graceful arches, and palm-dotted gardens-- reflect the region's Spanish, Mexican, and southwestern history and culture as well as its popular outdoor lifestyle.
This book showcases Southern California's most historically significant and beautifully preserved Spanish-revival houses of this century. Twenty-one private homes built between 1922 and 1991 are featured in stunning color photography that captures exterior and interior architectural details, Spanish and Mexican antique furnishings and folk art, and lush landscaping and tiled fountains. Among these are the Adamson House in Malibu, with its extraordinary collection of custom tile from Malibu Potteries; the contemporary Greenberg House in Brentwood, by Ricardo Legorreta; The Andalusia Courtyard Apartments in Hollywood; and Casa Pacifica, the former home of Richard Nixon, overlooking the ocean in San Clemente. Brief narratives highlight the history of each building and its design influences on the Spanish-revival movement in California.
The Spanish revival grew in popularity around the turn of the century when many young American architects traveled to Spain, Italy, and Mexico, bringing back sketches and, as the foreword notes, romantic memories of "graceful foliage...small Indian towns...tiled dome and rococo towers." Hundreds of Spanish-style houses, apartments, and bungalows were built throughout Southern California in the following decades, many of them commissioned for movie stars such as Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino.
The Spanish revival is marked by two main phases: the mission revival, which incorporates the white stucco, cloistered patios, tile roofs, and exposed-beam ceilings typical of eighteenth-century California missions; and the more elaborate Mediterranean revival, influenced by Spanish and Italian Renaissance sources, eighteenth-century Spanish plateresque and churrigueresque forms, and Moorish-Andalusian styles.
Customer Reviews:
Casa California evaluation.......2007-09-11
This book is a very useful handbook for any Architectural or interior designer, it contains a lot of ideas a lot of which (in my openion) are easy to be implemented and does not cost so much.
Best Regards
Tareq Azzam
Casa California: Spanish-Style Houses From Santa Barbara to San Clemente.......2007-03-09
Ideal for learning about the architecture and decortating styles of Spanish style homes. The photgraphs are beautiful. I will rely on this book when I design my new home.
Wonderful Book!.......2006-08-12
Great book! The minute I opened it I knew it was going to be a thrilling trip to another time in California history. Beautiful pictures of grand homes, grounds, and other structures built with Spanish and Mexican influence. If you want just one book covering this subject, this would be the one to buy. Highly recommend.
Images of California Style.......2006-06-09
CSAS CALIFORNIA is one of the coffee table books bound to please not only those who live in California and are eager to study examples of California architecture termed Spanish Revival, but also a fine gift for those out of state friends who wonder if California has any history before 1950!
After an informative foreword by art historian David Gebhard and a tasty introduction by former Architectural Digest editor Elizabeth Jean McMillian the pages of this beautifully designed and elegantly captioned book survey some twenty-one homes built between 1922 and 1991 from Santa Barbara to San Clemente. Not only are the homes photographed formally by photographer Melba Levick, but they also show details of tiles, arches, columns, floors, fixtures and other aspects of design. Each home is then shown with images from the gardens surrounding it as well as the vistas from every vantage. And of special note are comments from the architects (the homes all date from between 1922 and 1991) as well as anecdotes about the current and previous owners.
This book, though published in 1996, remains the most complete examination of the combined Hispanic mission and Mediterranean revival styles now termed Spanish Revival. This is a fine book for those with the California Dream, and for those living it! Grady Harp, June 06
Not that special.......2006-04-18
I didn't glean anything more from this book that I couldn't have gathered on a Sunday drive. Most of the pictures are of exteriors and amazingly enough, none of them really inspires appretiation of this architechtural style. I'm an absolute sucker for Spanish Colonial. There's almost nothing built during the classic era of the 1920's and '30's that I don't swoon over. This book, however, compiled some of the least attractive examples of that style and ends up being thoroughly disappointing. Definitely look elsewhere if your objective is designing interior details that honor the classics.
Book Description
Clearly written and profusely illustrated, Patterns of Home brings the timeless lessons of residential design to homeowners who seek inspiration and direction in the design or remodel of their homes. Patterns of Home promises to become the "design bible" for homeowners and architects. The 10 patterns described in the book -- among them, "capturing light" and "the flow through rooms" -- are drawn from hundreds of principles and presented with clarity by the authors, renowned architects who have designed homes together for more than 30 years. Insightful tours of 33 homes also bring the essential design concepts to life. This book will jump-start the design process and make the difference between a home that satisfies material requirements -- and one that meets the personal needs of a home. "Patterns of Home gives us the tools to make our houses truly wonderful places to live." -- Sarah Susanka
Customer Reviews:
Take what you need, leave the rest.......2007-07-04
The architect authors have matured since they wrote "A Pattern Language" (APL), and have made a large effort to extract and apply just the essential rules from the hundred of rules of APL.
True, PoH is a large, posh book of large, posh homes. The cost of the homes are far outside the means of over 99 percent of American families. However, these large designs include truly practical concepts that can be translated into more realistic homes.
Each design is far more useful and welcoming that what you might find in a bool of hundreds of houseplans. We are going to build an energy efficient home under 2000 sq ft, and we will refer to PoH to stay on track with the few essential elements. No, it will not have 30 foot ceilings over a huge common room (just you try and paint it!), but it will show the roofline and include other elements.
valuable information .......2007-05-07
This book provides valuable informaion for those who want to pursue the perfectly built and positioned home. The concepts are fasinating and could be somewhat easy to put into pratice, however, the author uses large, VERY expensivly built homes leaving the impression that only the very wealthy can afford such superior design. This is unfortunate. I do believe that some the most basic concepts can be put into play in most homes it would just take some imagination and determination.
starts the gears turning.......2007-01-09
A good browsing book to get in the mindset of looking at homes with a keen eye. Not overwhelming in details (which is what I wanted at the moment,) it gave me a good basic set of tools to begin thinking about why I liked or disliked the places where i've lived, practical functionality, and alternative design. If you really want to delve headfirst into the subject of patterns of space, the book that this was based off of would be best. If it's just a little nudge towards inspiration, this is a good bet.
Great place to start!.......2007-01-09
This is a great overview for learning the basic principles of home design. We were able to look back at the various places we lived and understand why we loved or hated certain elements which gives us a better understanding of what to aim for in our next house.
Architecture in a nutshell.......2007-01-05
I bought this book while shopping for a house. It contains beautifuly distilled information, and illustrative photographs. There is so much information that it takes some dedication to read the whole book. I don't know if a textbook-educated architect would agree with the info, but it all makes great sense to me. Many of the examples describe homes on very large lots. Living in Los Angeles, I don't know many people with such large lots. I'm sure that in other parts of the country, the examples are more pertinent.
Books:
- Architectural Graphic Standards for Residential Construction: The Architect's and Builder's Guide to Design, Planning, and Construction Details (Ramsey/Sleeper Architectural Graphic Standards Series)
- Assassination Vacation
- Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Brushless Machines
- Big Red Barn Board Book (rpkg)
- Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation
- Buffalo Before Breakfast (Magic Tree House 18, paper)
- Canyon Ranch Cooks: More Than 200 Delicious, Innovative Recipes from America's Leading Health Resort
- Casa California: Spanish-Style Houses From Santa Barbara to San Clemente
- Casa Mexicana Style
- Chicken Coops: 45 Building Plans for Housing Your Flock
Books Index
Books Home
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- Asset Pricing:
- Green This! Volume 1: Greening Your Cleaning
- Day & Overnight Hikes in Shenandoah National Park, 2nd
- The Return Generating Models in Global Finance
- Unknowledge and Choice in Economics: Proceedings of a Conference in Honour of G.L.S. Shackle
- Murder at the Old Vicarage
Drafting
| Drawing & Modelling
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Architectural Graphic Standards, Tenth Edition (Book only)
Graphic Guide to Frame Construction: Details for Builders and Designers (For Pros by Pros)
Building Codes Illustrated: A Guide to Understanding the 2006 International Building Code (Building Codes Illustrated)
Building Construction Illustrated, 3rd Edition
Fundamentals of Residential Construction
