Seven Books to Begin a Journey in Traditional Architecture
Traditional architecture is not about copying the past. It is about understanding and advancing the enduring principles of beauty, proportion, harmony, craftsmanship, local character and sustainability.
We recommend these seven books to architects, students and anyone interested in rediscovering and applying this wealth of architectural knowledge.
- Get Your House Right: Architectural Elements to Use & Avoid
Marianne Cusato, Ben Pentreath, Richard Sammons and Léon Krier
An outstanding practical introduction to traditional residential architecture, explaining proportion, composition and detailing through hundreds of illustrations showing what works and what does not. - The Architecture of Community
Léon Krier
A richly illustrated exploration of traditional architecture and urbanism, demonstrating how enduring design principles can create beautiful, humane and sustainable towns and cities. - The Classical Language of Architecture
John Summerson
A concise introduction to the grammar of classical architecture, explaining the orders, proportions and compositional principles that have shaped buildings for centuries. - A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction
Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa and Murray Silverstein
An influential collection of design patterns explaining the qualities that make buildings, streets, neighbourhoods and public spaces comfortable, meaningful and enduring. - How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built
Stewart Brand
An insightful examination of how buildings evolve through use, maintenance and adaptation, demonstrating the enduring value of flexible, durable and vernacular architecture. - A Theory of Architecture
Nikos A. Salingaros
An exploration of architectural beauty, harmony, geometry and human perception, drawing on mathematics, science and traditional design principles to explain why certain buildings and places are more satisfying than others. - Architectural Principles in the Age of Fraud
Branko Mitrović
A provocative critique of contemporary architectural theory, challenging intellectual pretension, the misuse of philosophy and the neglect of architectural quality and visual experience.
Together, these books provide an excellent foundation for understanding traditional architecture, questioning prevailing assumptions and contributing to the continued evolution of our built environment.