American Architecture: An Illustrated Encyclopedia

Cyril M. Harris

Overview

Since the Spanish established their first settlement in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565, America has been an architectural melting pot, reflecting the contributions of every immigrant group that brought its traditions across the sea and adapted them to the places where they settled. The rich diversity of this country’s architecture is reflected in the nearly 200 styles, types, and modes of American architecture that are identified in these pages—more than can be found in any other book. Over 2,500 definitions and nearly 1,000 illustrations describe construction materials and techniques, landscape elements, decorative terms, and practical devices, from precolonial times to the present, and from indigenous dwellings to deconstructivist structures.

Wide-ranging and completely accessible, this book is enriched with intriguing historical and biographical treasures. Students of architecture, architectural historians, preservationists, curators, and general readers, whether architecture buffs or simply curious about the world around them, will find it pleasurable, informative, and sometimes surprising.

Praise for American Architecture

“A most authoritative encyclopedia of the specifically American aspects of architectural terminology and design . . . with rich illustrations to back up the descriptions. A proud achievement!”
—Adolf K. Placzek, Avery librarian emeritus, Columbia University

About the Author

Cyril M. Harris is professor emeritus of architecture at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University. He has won awards from the American Institute of Architects, the Acoustical Society of America, the Audio Engineering Society, the Franklin Institute, and the City of New York. Among his previous books are the Dictionary of Architecture and Construction and Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture.

ISBN: 0-393-73103-0
Fall 2002
370 pages; illustrated
Paperback