The iconic British house: key examples explored

In The Iconic British House, author Dominic Bradbury seeks to define what being 'iconic' and 'British' might mean through an exploration of 50 examples of homes from 1900 to the present day. 'Within a country where the theme of house and home is something of a national obsession, a spirit of adventure is threaded through the residential architecture,' he writes in his introduction. 'To my mind, the houses over the following pages suggest that there is, in broad terms, a unique identity to British architecture,' he adds. 

The Iconic British House: a book exploring the UK's residential architecture

The book, published this autumn by Thames & Hudson, is a rich investigation of the genre through a variety of examples – houses from every style, including Arts and Crafts, art deco, modernism and postmodernism – and a range of authors, both established and emerging names alike. 

Architects such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Edwin Lutyens, Berthold Lubetkin, Richard Rogers, Skene Catling de la Pena, and Seth Stein all make an appearance. Many of the designs have been influential beyond the country's borders or even define entire eras or architectural periods. 

Bradbury, a frequent Wallpaper* contributor and prolific architectural writer, is an authority on the subject, having penned architecture books such as Off the Grid, The Iconic House, The Iconic American House and The Iconic Interior in the past. Meanwhile, this particular tome is richly illustrated by architectural photographer – and frequent Bradbury collaborator – Richard Powers, whose lens transports us to every home, whether we've ever visited in real life, or not. 

Alain de Botton, founder of Living Architecture, the holiday rental company whose property, A House for Essex (designed by Grayson Perry and FAT Architecture), features in the book, has written the foreword, where he stresses the importance of house design. Homes affect our mood, plans, and understanding of the world, he says, highlighting how pivotal they are to wellbeing, relationships with the environment and each other, and creativity. 'Without good architecture, we cannot be properly or fully ourselves,' he concludes. 

The Iconic British House: Modern Architectural Masterworks Since 1900, by Dominic Bradbury (Author), Richard Powers (Photographer), Alain de Botton (Contributor)  

thamesandhudsonusa.com 

Also available from amazon.co.uk and whsmith.co.uk