Classic Cracker
Florida's Wood-Frame Vernacular Architecture
Ronald Haase
Hardback $24.95
ISBN: 1-56164-013-1
Size: 8.5 x 11
128 Pages
17 b&w photos
46 color photos
In this visually delightful book, laced with quotations from one of the best chroniclers of Florida Cracker life, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ronald Haase takes us on an intimate tour of the utilitarian wooden structures constructed by early settlers in North Florida. These houses, raised high off the ground and surrounded by shady porches, responded both to the warm and sultry climate and to the very idea of living side by side with nature in such a beautiful environment. The technology with which they were built and the resulting modest but dignified forms reflected their rustic settings of tall pine scrub or hardwood hammock. Excellent color photographs taken by the author illustrate the many variations in Cracker architecture. They are complemented by many line drawings of plans and elevations of Cracker houses. This book will be a classic and charming addition to the library of anyone interested in the history of place and the constantly changing art of architecture. “Classic Cracker is a passionate and at times poetic plea for us to open our eyes and to see the scattered vestiges of the simple, dignified, and profoundly intelligent buildings of North Florida's early settlers. The straightforward narrative is both a clear explanation of historical development of those types over time and an evocation of the life and times and character of the people who settled Florida and built these houses.” —Robert S. Davis, Developer of Seaside, Florida “Ronald Haase here describes better than anyone the beauty and intelligence of Florida Cracker architecture. It is the glory of this book that he presents it as a living tradition with a vital future.” —Andres M. Duany, Architect and Town Planner
Ron Haase teaches architecture at the University of Florida. The old Cracker farmhouses of Florida have been the focus of his academic research and the foundation of an active private practice designing contemporary houses which have a strong identity with the climate and culture of Florida's small towns and rural lifestyle. Professor Haase's designs for energy-efficient houses have won several awards from the Florida Solar Energy Society, and the American Institute of Architects.
|
