Synopses & Reviews
Professionals and students alike will refer to this treasure trove of information and images again and again for practical solutions in preservation -- and for pure visual pleasure. The unique, visual approach to restoration, convenient A-to-Z organization, and extensive cross-referencing make this must-have volume as easy to use as it is indispensable. Readers will find abundant information and examples on adaptive reuse ... the creation of designated historic districts ... structural restoration of landmark buildings ... and cleaning and preserving great works of architecture -- by leading historic preservation firms.
PRESERVE, PROTECT, and DEFEND Historic Architecture with the Foremost Resource in the Field
* Packed with photos and illustrations
* User-friendly A-to-Z organization for quick information retrieval
* Coverage of materials, components, building systems and codes, and more -- all aspects of preservation
* Numerous case studies of successful renovation projects
* Written by a leading figure in architectural design and presentation
FEATURING GREAT ARCHITECTS ON GREAT RESTORATIONS
You'll find hundreds of listings and illustrations of the historic architects who designed the buildings being renovated today, along with the architectural firms that specialize in historic preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, renovation, and adaptive reuse.
Review
Burden defines building types, components and construction techniques (from abrasion to zonolite concrete) and lists firms that have designed or restored structures from Vitruvius in the first century B.C. E. to the present.
Review
This volume is a delight to look at. It is well laid out and has a number of black-and-white illustrations on each page to complement the terms being defined. Organized in a handy A to Z format, entries include not only information about well-known architects, but also illustrated examples of major buildings. Users can find small architectural features, such as haunched beam defined, as well as essays on major firms, such as Herbert S. Newman Associates. Novices will find in topics such as arcade a basic definition of the term along with several informative illustrations. This volume is a handy compendium of architectural terms, building code nomenclature, material and construction jargon, and general building restoration terms. The emphasis is on "restoration, rehabilitation, renovation and adaptive use." Many significant examples are given with most text entries. The work bills itself as "a treasury of images, ideas, and answers" in architectural preservation. It lives up to its claimed reputation. In fact it was hard to put down and can provide the reader with a comprehensive introduction and review of the field...
The work ends with a small section entitled "About the Author" on the final page. Overall, this is a very attractive, handy, easy-to-use compendium. Readers should compare this work with its companion also published by McGraw-Hill, Historic Preservation Handbook written by J. Kirk Irwin...Patrons will find this work useful in most reference collections.
About the Author
Ernest Burden was trained as an architect and is currently a writer and photographer and principal of Burden Associates, a New York marketing and presentation consulting firm.
He began his venture into preservation 40 years ago with a camera and hundreds of rolls of film. A group of Carpenter Gothic Victorian buildings was being razed in an urban renewal program in San Francisco. While the buildings were being torn down, he preserved them photographically.
Burden's first lesson in architectural salvage came as a result of that same urban renewal project, when he rescued the roof of an old Gothic church that stood in the path of the destruction. A self-styled PR blitz saved the roof and the effort was given a Special Commendation Award from the California Heritage Council.
The first project he designed as an architect involved converting an abandoned warehouse into an upscale nightclub, featuring all exposed materials and in interior atrium.
His first book was a self-published work: San Francisco's Wildflower: The Palace of Fine Arts. The book documented the story of Bernard Maybeck's masterpiece, which was built as a temporary structure, and then demolished decades later and reconstructed in permanent materials. The building was a monument of the highest order to preservation.
The first major published work as Living Barns: How to Find and Restore A Barn Of Your Own. Another book on renovation was Building Facades: Faces, Figures, and Ornamental Detail followed by Visionary Architecture: Unbuilt Works of the Imagination and the Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture, Second Edition.
Burden is a frequent speaker at conventions of the American Institute of Architects, the Society of Marketing Professional Services, and the Restoration and Renovation Conference. He also conducts workshops nationwide on professional services marketing and preservation techniques.
Table of Contents
Architects (restoration and preservationists)
Architectural Styles (historic and contemporary derivatives)
Building Components
Building Materials
Building Systems (HVAC, electrical and plumbing)
Construction Systems
Listings of Professional Societies
Code Requirements
Project Case Studies