House on a Budget (American Institute Architects) [Paperback]

Duo Dickinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2007 | Series: American Institute Architects

Until now, homeowners have had to choose between the twin worlds of budget-friendly mediocrity and unaffordable fantasy. Responding to this gap, acclaimed architect Duo Dickinson demonstrates that a custom house doesn't depend on a fabulous price tag. House on a Budget, originally published in hardcover as The House You Build, is about a third way of building grounded in the realities of time and money, but focusing on your fondest hopes and dreams. He offers 19 real-world situations where unique and imaginative homes were built on real-life budgets.
Duo's Rules for Getting What You Want (and Can Afford)
1.Use Standard Materials Creatively
2.Shrink to Fit
3.Don't Fight the Site
4.Take Your Time
5.Defer and Save: Building in Phases
6.Take Charge: Spending Time to Save Money

Editorial Reviews

Review

"For anybody who wants to design and build a nice house -- that is, who wants to hire other people to design and build a nice house for them -- this is the single most useful guide I've ever seen."
-- Kurt Andersen
"Dickinson's compassion for cost effective custom homes shines through his enlightened book...This is a must book for homeowners who seek more personality from their housing dollar."
--Dale Mulfinger, author of The Cabin, The Getaway Home and the forthcoming Cabinology
"In House on a Budget, Dickinson practically insists that design be affordable for everyone."
--John Connell, Yestermorrow Design/Build School, author of Creating The Inspired House
"Challenges the commonly held assumption that good house design and construction is always expensive."
--Jeremiah Eck, author of The Distinctive Home and The Face of Home

About the Author

A self-styled maverick within the profession, Duo Dickinson, AIA, is an architect in Madison, Connecticut. He is the author of five books on residential design, including The Small House (McGraw-Hill, 1986) and Small Houses for the Next Century (McGraw-Hill, 1995). His design philosophy has been summarized in The New York Times as: "Design it small, make it as beautiful as possible, and practice every trick in the book to keep it as cheap as possible."

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press (January 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561589233
• ISBN-13: 978-1561589234
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #981,921 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Limited appeal, but limited audience, August 27, 2008

By 

Brett Strong "descriminating consumer" (Austin, Tx) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: House on a Budget (American Institute Architects) (Paperback)

This book is the only easily read book which outlines the cost of land, building, and planning, but it is not all that helpful because of the limiations of each example. Many of these examples are simply not applicable to everyday building projects or sites; however, this book is a good place to start and determine what you particular costs may be.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a 'must' for any library strong in homeowner's and builder's guides., October 17, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: House on a Budget (American Institute Architects) (Paperback)

HOUSE ON A BUDGET: MAKING SMART CHOICES TO BUILD THE HOME YOU WANT is now in paperback, retitled from The House You Build, and comes from an architect who offers his background and advice on creating a custom home on a budget. There's a gap between production housing and high-priced custom homes, and HOUSE ON A BUDGET fills this gap, offering the pleasures of a custom home with the tips from an architect on working with unconventional sites and the latest custom fixtures and additions. It's a 'must' for any library strong in homeowner's and builder's guides.

Diane C. Donovan

California Bookwatch

4.0 out of 5 stars House on a Budget: Making Smart Choices to Build the Home You Want, June 2, 2011

By 

longview lass - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: House on a Budget (American Institute Architects) (Paperback)

Just what we needed for ideas to help us build our dream cabin. Good ideas to help make decisions when it comes to constructing a home.