Have you ever wondered how a tipi is constructed, how double-hung windows work, or how a Colonial mason laid up a brick wall? An indispensable resource for students, design professionals, and anyone who would simply like to know more about the buildings around them, The Visual Dictionary of American Domestic Architecture has all the answers.

Here at last is a reference book that not only explores the many styles of American housing, much as a field guide might, but also identifies the materials, structural underpinnings, and innumerable elements - from arches to crockets to firebacks to gargoyles - that make a building what it is.

Designed for easy use, the dictionary presents its subject visually, through the universal language of pictures. More than 500 detailed illustrations were created specifically for this authoritative volume, and all are clearly labeled for quick reference. The book is arranged chronologically, and each chapter offers a comprehensive look at a particular type, period, or style of domestic architecture.

Rather than a single representative illustration, you will find several exterior views showing regional and stylistic variations, including high-style townhouses, vernacular farmsteads, folk buildings, suburban homes, and even the familiar ranch house, along with barns, stables, bakehouses, and garages. To complete the picture, floor plans, interior views, and details are carefully examined.

Also included are special "anatomy" drawings of windows, doors, and roofing and framing systems, which literally take a building apart before your eyes. Finally, a detailed index of terms, features, and styles directs you to the pages where you can see them in place.

1. A broad view of architectural styles and a sharp focus on the fine points of each combine to make The Visual Dictionary of American Domestic Architecture an invaluable companion in your exploration of the American landscape.