House Design : Art and Practice by Alfredo De Vido

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Throughout his distinguished career as one of America's leading residential architects, Alfredo DeVido has brought enormous care to both the aesthetics and livability of his houses. Influenced by the architectural traditions of Scandinavia and Japan, where he has lived and worked, DeVido's own work is renowned for its combination of good design, good value, and economic operation.

In House Design: Art and Practice, DeVido shares his personal design methodology, his innovative "modular system," and insights into the technical, aesthetic, and social dimensions of house design. Writing in a lively, engaging style, he examines virtually every aspect of a house, inside and out, from design and planning to construction and furnishing. He offers fresh insights into the basic human needs of comfort, privacy, and safety, and also sheds new light on the classic intangibles that contribute to good architecture - intellect, beauty, and emotion.

DeVido steers the reader through the intricacies of the client-architect relationship and offers valuable suggestions on how to design for specific people who will live in specific spaces on a day-to-day basis. A full complement of photographs, floor plans, and line drawings enhances the usefulness and pleasure of this invaluable book.

In House Design, professional architects will gain access to a rich resource of experience and expertise in every area of residential design. For the layperson who is contemplating building a new home, this book offers a rare opportunity to preview the entire process from the inside.

The architect's job is all encompassing.

In this illuminating book, award-winning residential architect Alfredo DeVido shares his expertise in meeting the singular challenges of domestic architecture. House Design: Art and Practice is a step-by-step overview of all the nuts-and-bolts, human factors, and numerous intangibles that must be successfully orchestrated to produce a good house. DeVido's experience as a designer of houses that combine good design, good value, and economical operation benefits both the professional and the layperson as he discusses the myriad issues that are often overlooked, resulting in misunderstandings, delays, and extra expense.

Among the topics explored in this comprehensive and eminently useful book are:

• The main types of houses and the unique challenges of each
• The roles of the key players in building and designing a house
• Working with clients: helping them discover what they want
• Aspects of livability: privacy, comfort, safety, lighting, furnishings, landscaping, and more
• The "intangibles" of good architecture: intellect, beauty, and emotion
• The architect's job: guidelines for planning and designing houses
• The design process, including a typical program with design considerations for both indoor and outdoor spaces
• Details of Alfredo DeVido's innovative modular design system
• The basic structures and techniques of house construction

House Design: Art and Practice is an indispensable resource for professional architects and designers, and an enlightening experience for laypersons who are considering building a new home.