[alert variation=”alert-info”]Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Formats: Hardcover
Purchase: Powell’s | Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble [/alert]
For architects and readers who like contemporary architecture, Mountain Modern by Dominic Bradbury is a delightful volume. This is a medium-format book featuring 25 contemporary structures, mostly in mountain settings, in three somewhat distinct groups: cabins, chalets and villas. The distinction, mainly by size, is fuzzy. They were chosen from all over the world, and for each one we find a detailed description, a floor (and sometimes an elevation) plan, description of the physical environment, inspiration of the owner/builder who conceived the location and plan, material used and the interior with details of the furniture (even the designer and manufacturer). The interiors are filled with expensive and tasteful contemporary artwork, yet the personal touch clearly shows that these are homes.
“The mountain house, more than almost any other kind of home, embraces the idea of escapism and the notion of crafting a retreat from the pressures and pace of the modern urban world.”
It’s obvious that to build most of these you need to be well funded, even wealthy. In most buildings the emphasis was “to blend with nature.” Bradbury in some cases also describes the history of the type of building constructed. The writing is good but tends to be a little bit formulaic. The many photographs, both interior and exterior, are very nice, though, again they tend to be too similar from one house to another.
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