The art of fortification had reached a high state of development even at the dawn of history. Powerful military works, dating from the remotest periods, have been found in Asia Minor, in Greece, and in the basins of the Tigris, the Euphrates, and the Nile rivers. The medieval castle, with its strategic, crenellated ramparts and aura of legend and romance, represents perhaps the most familiar form of a long-crucial art.
This concise, scholarly volume traces the history of the castle from its ancient roots in the Levant, through Roman times and the Middle Ages, to the fanciful chateaux of...

A pioneer of Italian Renaissance architecture, Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) is most famous for his daring and original ideas, among them the magnificent dome of Florence's famed cathedral -- Santa Maria del Fiore. For the project, which was started in 1420 and substantially completed by 1434, Brunelleschi designed a huge dome without supporting framework. The construction took place during much of his lifetime and formed the basis of Italian architecture of the period.
Complemented by 28 photographs and 18 line illustrations, this comprehensive narrative describes Brunelleschi's many...

In 1916, New York City enacted zoning laws that mandated the building of set-back structures so that light and air would be more freely admitted into the streets below. This concept was first proposed by Louis Sullivan in his 1891 article, The High-Building Question (inspired by William Le Baron Jenney s recently completed Manhattan Building in Chicago.) Hugh Ferriss (1889-1962), American draftsman and architect, studied architecture at Washington University in St. Louis where the Beaux Arts school was favored. Early in his career he worked as a draftsman in the office of Cass Gilbert until...

This excellent hands-on guide by one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America contains a wealth of practical instruction and advice on how to build everything from a bark teepee and a tree-top house to a log cabin and a sod house. No professional architects are needed here; and knowing how to use an axe is more important than possessing carpentry skills.
More than 300 of the author's own illustrations and a clear, easy-to-follow text enable campers to create such lodgings as half-cave shelters, beaver mat huts, birch bark shacks, over-water camps, a Navajo hogan, and a pole house....

This vintage volume offers a treasure trove of floor plans, elevations, and details of residences and public buildings. Artists, architects, and historians alike will find it an endless source of inspiration.
Featured buildings include villas, cottages, and farm houses as well as churches, schools, banks, and many other structures. Eighty-one remarkably detailed illustrations capture the elaborate, distinctive beauty of Victorian-era cornices, staircases, gables, verandas, doors, dormers, and other architectural elements. In addition, a fascinating "Specifications" section highlights...