Architecture in the United States

American Architecture is astonishingly varied. From Indian sites in New Mexico and Arizona, and the ancient earthworks of the Mississippi Valley, to the most fashionable contemporary buildings of Chicago and New York, the United States boasts three thousand years of architectural history. It is characterized by the diversity of its builders and consumers who include Native American men and women, African, Asian, and European immigrants, as well as renowned professional architects and...
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American Architecture is astonishingly varied. From Indian sites in New Mexico and Arizona, and the ancient earthworks of the Mississippi Valley, to the most fashionable contemporary buildings of Chicago and New York, the United States boasts three thousand years of architectural history. It is characterized by the diversity of its builders and consumers who include Native American men and women, African, Asian, and European immigrants, as well as renowned professional architects and urban planners. Dell Upton's revolutionizing interpretation examines American architecture in relation to five themes: community, nature, technology, money, and art. In giving particular attention to indigenous, folk, ethnic and popular architectures like Chaco Canyon, Brooklyn suspension bridge, and native American houses, as well as to the great monuments of traditional histories such as Jefferson's Monticello and Wright's Fallingwater, Architecture in the United States reveals the dazzling richness of America's human landscape. From the pre-publication reviews: 'an extraordinarily illuminating book that is a pleasure to read... By-passing conventional chronologies Upton represents cutting-edge historiographical methods but without the cant and jargon of contemporary theory. This important book will usefully transform our historical understanding of American architecture' Professor Daniel Bluestone, University of Virginia 'essentially reinvents American architectural history ... incisive and entertaining ... should be read by everyone with an interest in America's cultural landscape.' Professor Kenneth A. Breisch, Southern California Institute of Architecture 'forces readers to reconsider received ideas about American architecture. Upton's inclusive analysis delivers sharp insights about buildings that are so familiar one would have thought there was nothing more to be said.' Professor Elizabeth Cromley, Northeastern University