Early Mexican Houses

Fülszöveg

=EARLY=
MEXICAN HOUSES
ABOOKC-OF-PHOTOGK-APHS a,-MEASUPLED-DR.A\VING5
byC. Richard Garrison and George W. Rustay With a preface to the new edition by David Gebhard
For well over a century the architecture, landscape architecture, decoration and art of Mexico have held a fascination for us in the United States. Now, more than ever, they are being adapted here for more gracious living. Therefore the publishers are reprinting this classic authentic source bool< on the subject, first issued almost sixty years ago and long out-of-print.
As the Spanish Colonial revival shifted in the mid-twenties from the romantic towered and turreted miniature castle to the image of the rural ranch house and the Monterey inspired dwellings, a growing number of books were devoted to the smaller rural and urban houses. But what they lacked were measured drawings.
To address this problem two young architectural draftsmen, G. Richard Garrison and George W. Rustay set out from 1925 through 1929 to... Tovább

Fülszöveg

=EARLY=
MEXICAN HOUSES
ABOOKC-OF-PHOTOGK-APHS a,-MEASUPLED-DR.A\VING5
byC. Richard Garrison and George W. Rustay With a preface to the new edition by David Gebhard
For well over a century the architecture, landscape architecture, decoration and art of Mexico have held a fascination for us in the United States. Now, more than ever, they are being adapted here for more gracious living. Therefore the publishers are reprinting this classic authentic source bool< on the subject, first issued almost sixty years ago and long out-of-print.
As the Spanish Colonial revival shifted in the mid-twenties from the romantic towered and turreted miniature castle to the image of the rural ranch house and the Monterey inspired dwellings, a growing number of books were devoted to the smaller rural and urban houses. But what they lacked were measured drawings.
To address this problem two young architectural draftsmen, G. Richard Garrison and George W. Rustay set out from 1925 through 1929 to record a select number of examples of the "minor domestic architecture" of Mexico. They recorded a limited number of individual buildings through a mixed presentation of photographs, perspective and measured drawings, elevations, floor plans and details to produce a highly useful tool for architects designing Hispanic buildings and of interest to the home owner and layman.
William P. Spratling, in reviewing the volume for Architectural Forum in 1932, wrote. The result is a significant work It is full of all sorts of things not taught in architectural schools'.'
(continued on back flap)
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(continued from front flap)
A necessary adjustment to the wide range of climatic conditions and to customs of the new country, the use of local material for building and the talent of native craftsmen, the concessions resulting from a fusion of Spanish with the Indian races and their knowledge of Oriental art (the result of trade with China through the Pacific port of Acapuico), were natural forces which left their stamp even more definitely upon the minor and domestic buildings than upon those for the design of which architects were more directly responsible. Of the houses in this book, very few are the work of architects. They were done by the most expert masons of the town, whose inspiration was drawn in directly from the more important monuments of the same place. In plan they were aimed sensibly to the requirements of the owner and to the terrain. The character of the ornament depended on the skill of workers, influenced by a background of Aztec tradition. The architecture of secondary importance seems to best reflect the life of the people of the time.
The lavish employment of the decorative arts, impressive effects such a monumental domination of environment, accentuation of the fascinating elements of landscape and climate contributed to the final result. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of the IVIexican house is the patio around which it is generally planned. It is here the builders have best displayed their ingenuity and enthusiastic appreciation of form and color in decoration. The patio becomes not only the center of family life but the architectural key around which the house is built. EARLY MEXICAN HOUSES will be an inspiration for those planning homes in the style of Mexico and the Southwest. Many of the buildings no longer exist. Vissza