Building the Georgian city

the long version

Georgian architecture had its roots in the Great Fire of London of 1666. Out of that disaster grew the need for rapid redevelopment, which was accomplished through standardisation and the relaxation of restrictive practices in the building trades. This book investigates the decline in the crafted buildings of the client economies of the past and the introduction of the mass produced components which characterised an emerging consumerism. It is an approach that offers fresh insights into our architectural heritage by focusing on the traditions and innovations in the building methods of the time - the construction processes, the role of the building craftsmen, and the tools and materials they used.