Compact Houses: Architecture for the Environment [Paperback]

Cristina del Valle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2005

In an age of "McMansions," this international survey of the latest in residential architecture proves that small is beautiful-and responsible. The houses profiled are designed to make maximum use of the smallest possible footprint in order to protect the environment. The houses profiled here prove that efficiency as well as beautiful, thoughtful design can be had in a tiny setting. Each project includes a case history describing its design challenges and how the architect overcame them, a detailed blueprint for each house, full-color photos of the interior and the exterior, and plans of the layout. This book will be an inspiration to anyone in the interior design or residential architecture field as well as to anyone considering a second home, and proves that environmentally responsible design principles are not just a style but a philosophy for sustainable living.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Cristina del Valle has a Bachelor in Audiovisual Communication by the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She has combined her studies with various journalistic works in publications of the architecture and design sector. She is currently collaborating actively with a variety of magazines of the sector in the position of project coordinator and is the author of various books including New Bars and Restaurants.

Product Details

• Paperback: 420 pages
• Publisher: Universe (September 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789313499
• ISBN-13: 978-0789313492
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 1.1 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #428,092 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A really fine little book., October 28, 2005

By 

Andrew B. Hurvitz (Van Nuys, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Compact Houses: Architecture for the Environment (Paperback)

I came across this book and was impressed with the small size, the rigorous editing, the high quality photography and printing. The houses are innovative, practical, imaginative and international. They cover areas from Australia to Japan to New York. What unites them is their ability to be comfortable, elegant, simple and environmentally sensitive. They are for anyone who hopes to cure the McMansion virus.

Trump would hate this book.

68 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ehh? Could be bigger., January 25, 2006

By 

Thomas Deutsch "Tad" (Coeur d' Alene, ID USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Compact Houses: Architecture for the Environment (Paperback)

I am a minimalist to the fullest, but this book simply lacks depth. The "blueprints" are hardly viewable, let alone descriptive. Most of the structures resemble eachother and are spare, without furnishings or signs of life. I would recommend the book, "PREFAB" by Allison Arieff for bigger pictures, broader concepts and more in depth explanations. I suppose they were making a point by making the size of the book compact, but the few times I was impressed with a structure I would scour the three or so pages devoted to it and then it was over, leaving me wanting much more. Try classics like, "Pierre Koenig", by James Steele or "Julius Shulman: Architecture and Its Photography" by Peter Gossel. Ta Ta

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Just a coffee table book, January 25, 2008

By 

Heath Craft (Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Compact Houses: Architecture for the Environment (Paperback)

This is basically just a coffee table book - plenty of nice pictures but light on substance. If you want detailed (even semi detailed) information on compact design, space saving ideas and the like than look elsewhere.