Practice Of Architecture: The Builder's GuideAsher Benjamin (1773-1845) published the first American builder's guide, and his architectural books played an invaluable role in disseminating the new language of the Greek Revival. When originally published, they were remarkably popular, and were among the most influential of all Greek Revival handbooks. Throughout the American South, Midwest, and New England, one still comes across houses built in the 1830s, 1840s, and 1850s patterned directly after Benjamin's designs.The two books incorporated here, Practice of Architecture (1833) and The Builders Guide (1839), are his most accomplished Grecian pattern books. With the growing number of contemporary architects who are designing buildings based on the forms on nineteenth century Grecian architecture, Benjamin's books should prove an invaluable resource for all lovers of the Greek Revival - builders, owners, preservationists, historians, and architects alike. Thomas Gordon Smith is chairman of the school of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame. His books include Classical Architecture: Rule and Invention and a newly illustrated edition of Vitruvius's Ten Books on Architecture/ |
Contents
Examples of Pedestals for four of the orders | 25 |
Details of the Corinthian order XX | 27 |
Example of the Composite order XXI | 64 |
Copyright | |
6 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
adapted ancient angles appear architects Architecture architrave base beam bear beautiful Benjamin breadth Builder's building called capital centre character circle column composition constructed Corinthian cornice corona crown curve cutting decorated depth describe diameter distance divided door Doric draw drawn edge elevation employed entablature equal example exhibits extremity face feet figured fillet finish floor flutes foot four frame frieze front give given Grecian Greek half height imitation inches Ionic iron joists length less lower method minutes moulding original ornamented outline parallel piece pilaster placed plain PLATE points pounds practice produced projection proportions radius rafters rail represents Roman roof scale shaft shows side situations square step strain supposed surface taken Temple timber triglyph truss Tuscan upper vertical volute wall whole wood