JUNE 2010 » book review

An Encyclopedia of Windows

Windows: History, Repair and Conservation
edited by Michael Tutton & Elizabeth Hirst
Donhead Publishing, Dorset, U.K.; 2007
470 pp; hardcover; more than 400 color and b&w photos; $130
ISBN 978-1-873394-85-4

Reviewed by Steve Mouzon

Windows is likely the most complete book I have ever seen on this subject. As a matter of fact, it is so comprehensive that the nearly War and Peace-sized volume made for a daunting review, put off repeatedly, because how is it possible to find the time to sit down and read the whole thing?

Clearly, this is a reference text from which you retrieve needed information, rather than a book normally read from beginning to end. The important questions, therefore, that this review attempts to answer are these: Is the book arranged in a rational fashion that is easy to understand? How easy is it to extract a single piece of needed information? Is the text plainspoken and to the point? How well is it illustrated? Does the design of the book contribute to its usefulness?

Arrangement
The book is divided into three parts, then into chapters inside those parts. Part one focuses on the history and development of the window. It begins with the development of the window itself, then marches on through window fittings, and finally to glass. "The Development of the Window" chapter is fairly comprehensive, concerning both type and style, running from the oldest windows to those of the modern era. It doesn't focus exclusively on residential windows, but they clearly are the bulk of the examples. I didn't notice any non-English examples, but the principles that were used to illustrate are applicable elsewhere.

"History of Window Fittings" focuses on casement hardware, "sash window" (double-hung) hardware, and shutter hardware. "History and Development of Glass" begins briefly in Roman times, but in earnest in the Tudor era, and moves all the way to PPG. "Examples for Identification" catalogs dozens of window types, illustrating the breadth and richness of heritage windows in England. Part two is entitled "Policy," and occupies the smallest portion of the book at about 60 pages. The first chapter, "Principles and Policy," deals with issues encountered by preservationists in England, and dealings with listed heritage buildings. This chapter is less useful to anyone working elsewhere, outside that system. Next is "Surveying," which deals with the documentation of existing window conditions. "Structural Implications" focuses not so much on window construction, but rather on building structure issues surrounding the window, such as arches and lintels.

"Window Performance and Sustainability" looks primarily at a raft of window energy efficiency issues, although it does make the crucial connection between preservation and sustainability, which is this: preservation should be considered the act of ongoing sustainability, because how can we call ourselves sustainable if we continue to throw everything away?

Part three, "Materials, Repair, and Conservation," is divided primarily according to window material. "Timber" covers what Americans refer to as "wood windows." "Diagnosis and Treatment of Timber Decay" is deemed worthy of its own chapter, another indicator of an English building culture not yet completely given over to the throwaway paradigm. "Metal" runs through all the common metal window materials, including wrought iron, cast iron, mild steel, bronze, zinc and aluminum.

"Stone" is somewhat of a taxonomic misfit, because while "Wood" and "Metal" are so named because of the materials of the sash and frame, "Stone" also includes materials that surround the window. "Leaded Lights and Stained Glass" is a short chapter, followed by "Paints and Coatings," which closes the book.

The Table of Contents drills down to the level of the subchapter, but for a book of this heft, it's not really enough, because half of the hierarchy of the book lays hidden below. This means that in order to find the information they're looking for, a reader can use the contents page to get within 10-20 pages of the right location, but then they have to read from there. The 19-page index is helpful, but because indexes are non-hierarchical, you have to know where you're headed. Drilling down to one more level of hierarchy in the contents page would have been immensely helpful. However, because the text is well-written, the search is not an intolerable chore.

Text
Each chapter was written by a different person, (there are 15 different authors) so there is no single voice to the book. The editors, however, did a good job of keeping all the writers fairly consistent, so moving from one chapter to another is not a jarring transition. The tone of the text generally stays fairly conversational and plain-spoken, not straying often into indecipherable technical jargon. Clearly, Windows is meant to be readable by an audience wider than just historians and preservationists.

The quality of illustrations used in the book generally ranges from good to excellent. Only occasionally do the editors allow old, fuzzy, scratchy photographs so common to many preservation books. It should be noted that with the quantity of historic building stock in England, there's no reason that all images could not be freshly shot for the highest quality, but as an author, I acknowledge the burden that this imposes on a project of this scope. Drawings also lapse only occasionally into many-generation copies, rather than being scanned directly from the original. Charts and diagrams are bland but not ugly, so they don't detract noticeably.

Windows is laid out with some deference to Classical design principles, but more in part than in proportion. Most pages have a single column of text and a sidebar for captions and diagrams. This layout is quite appropriate for this sort of book, allowing several types of page content to be arranged in predictable ways.

If you work with windows, especially in preservation work, then this should be considered an essential reference text. Architects don't quibble about the price of Graphic Standards. This book is worthy of similar consideration. TB

Steve Mouzon is principal of the New Urban Guild, which promotes the study and design of true traditional buildings and places. At Mouzon Design he focuses on town-building tools and services. He has authored or contributed to a number of publications, and his most recent book is The Original Green. He is @stevemouzon on Twitter and blogs both on the Original Green site www.originalgreen.org and also at www.usefulstuff.posterous.com.

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