American house - Jeffery W Howe

American House tells the story of the development of domestic architecture in the Untied States, from Native American longhouses, pueblos and tipis to the postmodern adventures of Frank Gehry and the new 'planned communities' exemplified by Seaside and Celebration. Architectural style - among the most visible signs of cultural values - is the primary focus of the book and the history of style in American housing is as rich and complex as the history of the country itself. An introduction provides a broad overview of the history of American houses and the forces - cultural, technological, economic and geographic - that shaped them.;Subsequent chapters cover early 'folk' architecture; the colonial architecture of New England and the houses built under the influence of the Dutch, French and Spanish; the increasing refinement that came with Palladian and Federalist styles; the revival of European styles in the first half of the 19th century; early workers' housing; High Victorian style, encompassing 'stick' and 'shingle' houses, among many other developments; the eclecticism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries; the Prairie School: the influence of modernism and the international style, leading to the modern period and the postmodern reaction. Each section outlines the history of the style, giving details of why, when, where and how it developed, its proponents. A guide to identifying the style's main features incldues photographs, line drawings, and a gallery of examples.