Product Description

In this new look at the work of Charles & Henry Greene, masters of the bungalow design, renowned authors Randell L. Makinson and Thomas A. Heinz assert that not only were the brothers Greene geniuses of their time, but that they also developed a distinct architectural and design style that has been the model for generations of architects since and continues to reign today.

Examining the individual plans, materials, and interiors of some of the most distinguished work of the Greenes, and illustrated with stunning photography, the authors revisit designs that exemplify a highly refined set of proportional relationships and a level of detail and craftsmanship that remains unsurpassed today.

Randell L. Makinson, Honorary AIA, is the foremost authority on Greene and Greene, having studied and written about their work for more than forty-five years. He is Director Emeritus of The Gamble House in Pasadena. This is his sixth book on the work of the Greenes. Makinson lives in Pasadena.

Thomas A. Heinz, AIA, of Evanston, Illinois, has been involved with the restoration of more than forty Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and is the author of twenty books on Wright. He is coauthor with Makinson and principal photographer for two books on Greene and Greene.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #251570 in Books
• Published on: 2004-10-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 96 pages

From the Inside Flap
In this new look at the work of Charles and Henry Greene, renowned author-photographers Randell L. Makinson and Thomas A. Heinz go beyond the assertions that the brothers were geniuses of their time to prove that they developed a distinct architectural and design style that has been a model for generations of architects ever since.

Examining house plans, construction materials, interior furnishings and details of some of the most distinguished works of the Greenes, the authors revisit designs that exemplify a highly refined set of proportional relationships and a level of detail and craftsmanship that remains unsurpassed today. Separate chapters dealing with furniture and decorative arts illustrate how refined and beautiful their designs were. They created some of America's finest art.

Stunning new photography along with archival images and floor plans illuminate the Greenes' philosophy of building in a way that has not been explored before.

About the Author
Randell L. Makinson, Honorary AIA, is the foremost authority on Greene and Greene, having studied and written about their work for more than forty-five years. He is Director Emeritus of The Gamble House in Pasadena. This is his sixth book on the work of the Greenes. Makinson lives in Pasadena.

Thomas A. Heinz, AIA, of Evanston, Illinois, has been involved with the restoration of more than forty Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and is the author of twenty books on Wright. He is coauthor with Makinson and principal photographer for two books on Greene and Greene.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Interiors

To Greene and Greene the interiors of their designs began with the initial analysis of the criteria essential to the development of the plan: the light quality of a particular room, its desirability for morning or afternoon sun, its positioning to other interior spaces and to views, by necessity had been determined very early on. In reality, it was difficult for Charles and Henry to not address every aspect of the design at the initial planning stage. Their concerns included the mood, character, materials, and even the furnishings of an interior space. Their pencil-on-tissue conceptual sketches for an interior elevation reveal not only their ideas for the placement of furniture in the room but also specify a vase on a piece of furniture and an arrangement in the vase.

Customer Reviews

Fantastic and at what a price!!
One wishes that this book would have been at the same size as the team;s earlier work, the Brad Pitt book on the Blacker House and the Passion & Legacy.

The content is great, all new photos wtith the color and depth that has not been seen in the work of others, They really show what Greene & Greene was really about, attention to color and detail. These are some of the most beautiful photographs of buildings and furniture, etc, that I have ever seen.

When looking at the photos in the back of the book, I wonder if I have ever really "seen" the Greene's work since these photographs show much more than I ever remember.

I hope there are more books in the pipeline by these two fellows. They make it so interesting and rewarding. Keep these prices coming too!

The place to start.
This is a fine introduction to the Greenes and their accomplishments. Particular attention is paid (quite rightly) to the 'ultimate bungalows,' the large houses they built between 1907 and 1909 for which they pulled out all the stops. If you fall under the Greene & Greene spell, though, you will eventually want large color photographs, which means you will have to buy more books. Don't say I didn't warn you.

distinctive style
Having seen several of the houses designed by the Greenes, the book was nice in putting these into perspective. It points out the salient features that distinguished the houses. Like the very overt dark, thick wooden beams. Both on the exterior and inside. Along with the joins between the beams and other structural elements being curved. Giving an effect akin to being inside a giant doll house. While the book does not describe it in those terms, if you look at the interior photos in the book, it really can seem this way.

The book also is good in describing other Greene houses outside Los Angeles. I'd only seen some in LA. But the brothers also has commissions in northern California, executed in their style.