A Living Tradition [Architecture of the Bahamas] is a richly illustrated description of the architectural traditions of the Bahamas over the past four centuries. But this is not just another catalog of architecture in paradise. Rather, it is a workbook, or "pattern book," that examines each pattern of architecture in detail, such as the proportion of a window, the slope of a roof, or the design of a garden wall. By doing so, it directs the design of new buildings that can become part of the centuries-long tradition of the architecture of the Most-Loved Places of the Bahamas.
Until now, pattern books of our day were something akin to recipe books, instructing which details to use for each style of architecture. A Living Tradition re-thinks pattern books from the ground up. It is principle-based, not style-based. Those principles are based on the architecture that makes the most sense for the Bahamas, not a random collection of historical styles. And each principle is explained in the plain-spoken fashion of ""we do this because...""
One reason for building this way was to be sustainable. Originally (before the Thermostat Age,) traditional architecture had no choice but to be green, otherwise people would suffer or even die from weather and storm conditions. A Living Tradition explains the Original Green of each pattern that contributes to sustainability, re-infusing architecture with the green wisdom all our ancestors knew by heart. With this book, it's not just about style anymore.
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Steve Mouzon is a principal of the New Urban Guild in Miami, which is a group of architects, designers, and other New Urbanists dedicated to the study and the design of true traditional buildings and places native to and inspired by the regions in which they are built: www.newurbanguild.com Involving a number of designers brings authenticity to a place that simply cannot be achieved when all buildings are designed by a single hand, no matter how skilled that hand may be. The Guild was instrumental in the creation of the Katrina Cottages concept, and continues to foster the movement, including sponsoring the website (www.katrinacottages.com.) Steve's Katrina Cottage VIII, which is the first design of the next generation of Katrina Cottages, was awarded a Charter Award by the Congress for the New Urbanism. The Guild Foundation is the non-profit educational arm of the Guild; it sponsors the Original Green initiative: www.originalgreen.org, plus a number of workshops, tours, and seminars that fill several of the gaps that previously existed between theory and practice. It also sponsors the Guild Tool Foundry, which is a growing collection of place-making tools that can be downloaded free of charge.
Steve is also a principal of Mouzon Design, which produces a number of town-building tools and services. His house plans have been featured repeatedly as Home of the Month in Southern Living and Coastal Living. Steve is Town Architect at several new hamlets, villages and neighborhoods around the country, using a unique method that communicates principles, not just particulars. Mouzon Design's Premium Tools Collection is a subscription service to robust new place-making tools that heretofore were unaffordable when commissioned by a single development. A Living Tradition is a framework for a new type of pattern book that is principle-based instead of taste-based, and therefore contributes to the creation of new living traditions.
Steve has authored or contributed to a number of publications in recent years, including Biltmore Estate Homes (Southern Living), Architectural Elements: Traditional Construction Details (McGraw-Hill), 1001 Traditional Construction Details (McGraw-Hill), Traditional Construction Patterns (McGraw-Hill), Gulf Coast Emergency House Plans, A Living Tradition [Architecture of the Central Gulf Coast], and the award-winning A Living Tradition [Architecture of the Bahamas]. Steve is also continuing to shoot new editions of his Catalog of the Most-Loved Places. The Catalog typically includes every structure built before about 1925 in various historic towns or districts. There are currently dozens of volumes in the Catalog with several more soon to be released. The Catalog began in the American South, but has expanded in scope to include notable Most-Loved Places in Europe, North America, and Central America. Steve lectures frequently across the country and abroad. He is a board member of INTBAU-USA, and is the author of the Original Green Blog and the Useful Stuff blog. His Original Green Twitter stream is @stevemouzon.
Steve is also a principal of Mouzon Design, which produces a number of town-building tools and services. His house plans have been featured repeatedly as Home of the Month in Southern Living and Coastal Living. Steve is Town Architect at several new hamlets, villages and neighborhoods around the country, using a unique method that communicates principles, not just particulars. Mouzon Design's Premium Tools Collection is a subscription service to robust new place-making tools that heretofore were unaffordable when commissioned by a single development. A Living Tradition is a framework for a new type of pattern book that is principle-based instead of taste-based, and therefore contributes to the creation of new living traditions.
Steve has authored or contributed to a number of publications in recent years, including Biltmore Estate Homes (Southern Living), Architectural Elements: Traditional Construction Details (McGraw-Hill), 1001 Traditional Construction Details (McGraw-Hill), Traditional Construction Patterns (McGraw-Hill), Gulf Coast Emergency House Plans, A Living Tradition [Architecture of the Central Gulf Coast], and the award-winning A Living Tradition [Architecture of the Bahamas]. Steve is also continuing to shoot new editions of his Catalog of the Most-Loved Places. The Catalog typically includes every structure built before about 1925 in various historic towns or districts. There are currently dozens of volumes in the Catalog with several more soon to be released. The Catalog began in the American South, but has expanded in scope to include notable Most-Loved Places in Europe, North America, and Central America. Steve lectures frequently across the country and abroad. He is a board member of INTBAU-USA, and is the author of the Original Green Blog and the Useful Stuff blog. His Original Green Twitter stream is @stevemouzon.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Most-Loved Places",
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This review is from: A Living Tradition [Architecture of the Bahamas] (Paperback)
What intrigues me most about "A Living Tradition" is that Mouzon commits to an examination of Bahamian Architecture from within the experience to create patterns for modern development. Most contemporary new-town developments in The Bahamas borrow their "patterns" and impose them from other places, as an eclectic mix of style and character, without the common-sense examination of the purpose for those "patterns" in the first place.Several volumes, particularly Christopher Alexander's "A Pattern Language" and "A Timeless Way of Building", serve to open our eyes to see the universal principles of beauty which we often take for granted, in the most modest places which we love so much. Stephen Mouzon focuses on the lessons of Bahamian Architectural heritage, in particular, to not only speak to the Bahamian architectural legacy, but celebrate the connections to the broader regional, universal and global patrimony. What is ironic is that the encounter of civilizations of the Americas, Africa, and Europe that began the modern phenomenon of "globilization" over 500 years ago, began on one of these tiny islands we now know as The Bahamas. To quote Steven Mouzon, "We believe architecture based on the Bahamas' combination of climate, culture, and conditions should be the starting point for the beginning of a new tradition because it clearly can be Most-Loved by the culture in which it is built. We also believe it should be the starting point because no other architecture comes close to responding to the climate and conditions of the region." As a reference, the hundreds of colour photographs, hand sketches, and analysis is a most invaluable document, but as tool for the builder, the home owner, and the designer, this is a brilliant contribution to the ongoing conversation on architecture.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An architects view,
By
This review is from: A Living Tradition [Architecture of the Bahamas] (Paperback)
A compelling analysis of traditional construction principles that evolved in a warm coastal climate. Following the approach developed in his previous books, Stephen Mouzon explains the logic and purpose of Bahamian vernacular architecture in a clear and comprehensive manner.It is a reference book with a broad scope; from plan forms, through the major elements such as roofs, porches, windows, gardens, etc., to a catalogue of traditional details. There are also photographs of current examples, notable ruins, and a set of 19C watercolours of Nassau. Traditional architectural patterns are presented as rational and appropriate for their location, and therefore provide a sense of belonging and unique quality of living both in the public and private realms. As in all good architectural approaches, there are rules, but also much variety within those rules. A Living Tradition is enjoyable for anyone interested in architecture; it is essential reading for developers, house owners, architects, town planners and building professionals.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Absolute Pleasure,
By
This review is from: A Living Tradition [Architecture of the Bahamas] (Paperback)
Regardless of one's geographic location, "A Living Tradition, Architecture of the Bahamas" is an inspiration. Though a definitive work and careful documentation of traditional Bahamian architecture, I believe this book to be an essential educational tool for anyone anywhere interested in the esthetic and structural use of natural materials and sustainable design.The text is full of practical applications of great use to the architect but completely understandable to layman...nothing complicated here. And the photos are fabulous...supporting the points so eloquently described in the text. One cannot help but look at their own surroundings, anywhere in the world, with a more educated and appreciative eye after spending time reading this delightful book.
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