Small Adobe House, The [Hardcover]

Agnesa Reeve (Author), Robert Reck (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 18, 2001

Comfort, Adaptability, tradition-- Limitless possibilities for personal expression

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Building or remodeling an adobe house is an artistic endeavor, with all the satisfaction--and occasional frustration--of any artistic effort. But once you've lived sheltered by adobe wall, you won't want anything else. Whether the small adobe house is a work of art or a model of simplicity, it is by far the most appropriate house for the Southwest. The adobe serves as natural insulatio, keeping the interior cool in summer and warm in winter, and muffling noise. No draft ever penetrates an adobe wall. The spaces of such a house accept with equal grace the basic curve of an Eames chair or the sumptuous gilding of Louis XIV. It is an easy house to live in. It is also easy to reshape. You may incorporate all sorts of modern ideas and still keep the classic look of the small adobe house, affording enjoyment of the newest conveniences within an enveloping tradition.

From the Back Cover

Comfort, Adaptability, tradition--
Limitless possibilities for personal expression

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 76 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith; First Edition edition (July 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586850652
• ISBN-13: 978-1586850654
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #511,189 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a little history, a little style, a good start, October 2, 2001

By 

C. Clemens "random lunatic" (a big pile of dirt, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Small Adobe House, The (Hardcover)

This lovely little book is packed with beautiful photos. every page reminds me why, when i build a house, i'll build it adobe-style. you learn a little bit about the history of adobe, its evolution as new architectural ideas moved west, and crucial bits of vocabulary pertinent to adobe homes, such as vigas (celing beams), latillas, canelas & more. this is a lovely book, and excellent for fantasizing about the future.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A flakey Santa Fe take on largish and expensive adobe houses, October 14, 2008

By 

Kristy K. Dyer "Spark" (Albuquerque) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Small Adobe House, The (Hardcover)

I grabbed this book with enthusiasm since I'm in the middle of trying to design a small (1000 square feet) house and wanted to incorporate some adobe design elements. However, this book is just about the most shallow introduction one could find to adobe home design. It is basically a collection of photos of posh homes (some of which aren't even adobe -- while the preface confesses, the captions don't reveal) with a text that strings together architectural blandishments -- I laughed especially at the quote that "white plastered adobe walls serve as blank canvases for...exotic artwork". Anyone who has lived with adobe knows that hanging something on a wall made of dirt is a bear.

Even just within the state of New Mexico there are far more, and better, examples of adobe houses, which are truly small, aren't "architect designed" or stuffed full of modern art and antique furniture. A less rarefied take, with more attention to the design elements that arise honestly from the material, would be welcome.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Attractive book, but poorly structured and edited, April 3, 2009

By 

Architecture Lover (Vermont USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Small Adobe House, The (Hardcover)

This book is sort of odd. It starts off as a brisk chapter by chapter ode to elements of adobe houses. But it ends with an inordinate amount of space dedicated to one contemporary house that is somewhat related to the houses discussed throughout the bulk of the book.

Not enough space is spent discussing any one element of adobe houses, so it should be considered something of a small, short coffee table book.

I liked the book I don't really even understand why the word "small" is in the title since it doesn't even discuss the concept of small houses in any seriousness.

Its most redeeming feature is that it has attractive photographs.