Review: Modern Houses: Who Built That?: An Introduction to the Modern House and Their Architects

Modern Houses: Who Built That?: An Introduction to the Modern House and Their Architects by Didier Cornille
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have long been fascinated by floor plans (and maps in general, of which floor plans are a subset) and I am glad that this book has included not just views of the outsides of the houses, but also indications of how the insides are planned and arranged. And, unlike many people I know, I actually like the simple, blocky style of most of these houses.

This book was originally published in French as Toutes les Maisons Sont dans la Nature or All Houses Are in Nature. I am not sure what to make of the French title. Perhaps it is that all of the houses that are featured have extensive views of their surroundings. But the French title doesn't say anything about the idea that these houses (and other buildings) have a very different style from many of the houses that preceded them. So it is curious that the English title emphasizes the modernity of the houses, while the French title emphasizes the relationship to nature.

There are other books in this series, one on bridges and one on skyscrapers. Those interest me less than houses, so I will probably skip them.

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