How to Read Houses is an insider's guide to recognising and appreciating the diversity of domestic architecture that reflects the location, the fashion, and the technological savoir-faire of the age - from Tudor timber-frames to the truly unconventional. Compact enough to travel with you yet comprehensive enough to provide real answers, with real examples, this handy reference guide: - Provides an understanding of the architectural vocabulary along with the visual clues that identify any house style and its historical context. - Enhances the appreciation of visits to landmark houses and lays the foundations for an architectural exploration of your own home or area. - Explores the main architectural styles, as well as the materials and components of a house, through beautifully rendered illustrations, photographs of classic examples and the words of a friendly expert.