Handmade Houses: A Guide to the Woodbutcher's Art

Houses and buildings made from whatever is on hand lots of love, very little money

Well this is a book from a bygone era, before the days of huge houses with energy consuming devices in every room. When building a home meant a visit to the recycling yard and the application of care and artistic flare in the design and finish, even if the finish isn't what would now days be regarded as perfect, there is perfection obvious throughout this book. With minimal dialogue and beautiful photography the book is delightful to read. From homes built by Buddhist monks to tree houses in the forest, music studios with acoustic shaping to rooms with karma and ambience, fences and gates with an artistic sculptural influence, built from minimalistic materials, to sustainable futuristic housing. Although this is a book from the mid 1970's it is very relevant to today, (if you can find the appropriate materials before the excavator demolishes the buildings). My rating of this book is '5 stars plus' and being an owner of an original soft cover copy that fell apart from over perusal I recommend it to anyone desiring to build something beautifully different or to everyone who has a coffee table to put it on. Yours sincerely, Mike.

The book is dated and lacks the large glossy photos and explanatory graphics art figures that you might find in a more current book.

In 1973 I bought a hardback copy of this book and it changed the entire way I thought about houses and architecture. That original book has been lost somewhere along the way and the many moves throughout the years, but the images are still fresh and inspiring (so I'm buying another copy!). These are houses built with joie de vivre, imagination and insouciance - and mainly outside the constraints of standard building codes. I was hooked on architecture already, but this little book openned my mind to SOOOO many possibilities not even thought of by the Architectural Record or Architectural Digest. Low tech, many recycled materials, personal, and light years ahead of their time.

This is a book I knew growing up and the philosophy of wood reuse and creative construction has been with me ever since. I have a friend who is my guru when it comes to formal construction and he took exception one day when I called him a wood butcher, in my lexicon, this is a high compliment. I am giving him my copy this Christmas to set him straight! This is a picture book of funky dream houses built with love and respect out of everything, but mostly wood.

Deja vu pictorial of handmade hippie homes in Northern California. Circa 1960’s. Very organic.

This is a book that I received as a gift back in the 70's and subsequently lost; a great little book that I just wanted to replace.Thanks to the seller for a book in very good condition at a great price.

Arts books show off some very creative folks and what they can do on a limited budget.

Fabulous, fabulous book. The only element I'd change is the photo of the naked girl child in the introduction, as this kind of thing is no longer acceptable.

As an indication of this little book's worth, the foreword is by Sim Van der Ryn, professor emeritus of the School of Architecture, UC Berkeley. He commented on how the "standard of living" made us slaves to centralized decision-making and control. This book is about the break from centralized standards where the focus is on the arts and crafts utilized in the building of low cost homes in northern California and Oregon. Handmade Houses is a photographic reflection of the counterculture of the late sixties and seventies at its best. It is out of print, but thankfully Amazon UK values and keeps the great works of literature and art available to discerning shoppers. This book was a formative piece for me on how to live in a way that encompassed art and living a simple way of life--of going back to the country. It is a book infused with spirit and personality; I am thrilled to have a copy in my possession once again.

interesting, inspiring and in good condition

AWESOME

A beautiful book, truly inspirational. Wonderful images.