From its origins in the Midwest in the early nineteenth century,
the technique of light timber framing—also known at the time as
“Chicago construction”—quickly came to underwrite the
territorial and ideological expansion of the United States.
Softwood construction was inherently practical, as its materials
were readily available and required little skill to assemble. The
result was a built environment that erased typological and class
distinctions: no amount of money can buy you a better 2 x 4. This
fundamental sameness paradoxically underlies the American culture
of individuality, unifying all superficial differences. It has been
both a cause and effect of the country’s high regard for novelty,
in contrast with the stability that is often assumed to be
essential to architecture. American Framing is a visual and textual
exploration of the social, environmental, and architectural
conditions and consequences of this ubiquitous form of
construction. For architecture, it offers a story of an American
project that is bored with tradition, eager to choose economy over
technical skill, and accepting of a relaxed idea of craft in the
pursuit of something useful and new—the forming of an
architecture that enables architecture.
General
Imprint: |
Park Books
|
Country of origin: |
Switzerland |
Release date: |
June 2023 |
Editors: |
Paul Andersen
• Jayne Kelley
• Paul Preissner
|
Dimensions: |
300 x 210 x 0mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
252 |
ISBN-13: |
978-3-03-860195-1 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
3-03-860195-0 |
Barcode: |
9783038601951 |
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