Living in Houses: A Personal History of English Domestic Architecture

by Ruth Dalton

This book presents a rich and rewarding history of houses in England through the stories of nine houses, dating from the 1600s to the 1980s, which have been inhabited by the author, an architect and academic. Chronologically ordered, the book covers rural vernacular houses from the 17th Century, Georgian and Victorian townhouses, villas and converted industrial buildings, Edwardian semis, 20th Century council housing, and mixed tenure new developments. Each chapter then examines its historical context, before making a detailed analysis of the buildings design and layout, usefully illustrated with architectural drawings. Each chapter sets out lessons learnt from each house/historic period and compares them with contemporary houses which use similar materials, construction techniques, or ideas.

240 pages, Hardcover

Published January 27, 2023

Reviews

[Sawyl Llewellyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this pretty quickly. Really, really enjoyed it. Loved the structure of each property Ruth discussed, the style, construction, materials, layout, her lived experience of those properties and their history. As someone who doesn't have an architectural background but enjoys the subject, there were a few things that I couldn't make sense of and I had to search up a couple of construction terms but that's part of the fun of learning this subject. It has definitely expanded my vocab and allowed me to look at buildings differently. I'm also pleased it included plans and photos to help visualise her descriptions. Fair to say that I'd like to visit some of the locations she mentioned in the future like the Gasholders in KX!