Detailing Worlds: A Conceptual History of Architectural Detail

In the 21st century, the word “detail” appears constantly in discussions of building, and we use it in many different ways-yet just over 250 years ago, “detail” meant nothing at all particular to the work of architects, engineers, or builders.

Detailing Worlds is the first book to examine the origins and evolution of “detail” as a concept with meanings specific to practices of building. By exploring how past meanings and roles were ascribed to detail in different “worlds of practice”-those ...