How to build a house

by Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc

It may be interesting to the reader to know that the “Histoire d’une Maison” was written and illustrated by M. Viollet-le-Duc during the evenings of two months—July and August—of last year (1873), which were spent by him in the Alps for the purpose of surveying and mapping for the French Government the whole of the French Alps—a task accomplished by him, alone and unassisted, with minute accuracy and beauty of delineation, and in a marvellously brief time.

Benjamin Bucknall,
Architect.

Oystermouth, Swansea,
April 1st, 1874.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
	PAGE
PAUL GETS AN IDEA	[1]
CHAPTER II.
WITH A LITTLE HELP, PAUL’S IDEA IS DEVELOPED	[13]
CHAPTER III.
THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE	[26]
CHAPTER IV.
PAUL’S IDEAS RESPECTING ART, AND HOW THEY WERE MODIFIED	[31]
CHAPTER V.
PAUL PURSUES A COURSE OF STUDY IN PRACTICAL ARCHITECTURE	[40]
CHAPTER VI.
HOW PAUL IS LED TO RECOGNIZE CERTAIN DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN ETHICS AND ARCHITECTURE	[60]
CHAPTER VII.
SETTING OUT THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE HOUSE, AND OPERATIONS ON THE GROUND	[71]
CHAPTER VIII.
PAUL REFLECTS	[81]
CHAPTER IX.
PAUL, CLERK OF THE WORKS	[88]
CHAPTER X.
PAUL BEGINS TO UNDERSTAND	[96]
CHAPTER XI.
THE BUILDING IN ELEVATION	[106]
CHAPTER XII.
OBSERVATIONS ADDRESSED TO EUGÈNE BY PAUL, AND THE REPLIES MADE TO THEM	[115]
CHAPTER XIII.
THE VISIT TO THE BUILDING	[121]
CHAPTER XIV.
PAUL FEELS THE NECESSITY OF IMPROVING HIMSELF IN THE ART OF DRAWING	[126]
CHAPTER XV.
CONSIDERATION OF THE STAIRCASES	[133]
CHAPTER XVI.
THE CRITIC	[137]
CHAPTER XVII.
PAUL INQUIRES WHAT ARCHITECTURE IS	[146]
CHAPTER XVIII.
THEORETICAL STUDIES	[156]
CHAPTER XIX.
THEORETICAL STUDIES (continued)	[172]
CHAPTER XX.
STUDIES INTERRUPTED	[183]
CHAPTER XXI.
BUILDING RECOMMENCED—THE TIMBER WORK	[189]
CHAPTER XXII.
THE CHIMNEYS	[204]
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE CANTINE	[211]
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE JOINER’S WORK	[214]
CHAPTER XXV.
WHAT PAUL LEARNT AT CHATEAUROUX	[222]
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE SLATING AND PLUMBING	[230]
CHAPTER XXVII.
ORDER IN FINISHING THE WORK	[241]
CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE HOUSE-WARMING	[247]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FIG		PAGE
	THE OLD CHÂTEAU	[Frontispiece.]
	THE OLD CELLAR	[Vignette.]
1.	PLAN OF THE GROUND FLOOR	[22]
2.	PLAN OF THE FIRST FLOOR	[24]
3.	ROOF PLAN	[33]
4.	PLAN OF THE SECOND FLOOR	[36]
5.	THE ENTRANCE FRONT	[37]
6.	EXAMPLE OF A BUILDING SITE	[46]
7.	DITTO	[47]
8.	DITTO	[49]
9.	SECTION OF CELLAR VAULT	[53]
10.	THE OLD CELLAR	[54]
11.	THE OLD CELLAR STAIRS	[56]
12.	THE BULGED WALLS	[58]
13.	CONSTRUCTION OF A ROOF PRINCIPAL	[62]
14.	CAMBERED TIMBER	[67]
15.	THE OLD ROOF	[68]
16.	COUPLED TIMBERS	[69]
17.	DITTO	[69]
18.	TIMBER CLIPS	[70]
19.	SETTING OUT THE BUILDING	[73]
20.	USE OF THE THEODOLITE	[79]
21.	THE CELLAR PLAN	[89]
22.	DEPOSIT OF EXCAVATED SOIL	[92]
23.	FOUNDATION STONES	[94]
24.	SECTION OF SEWER	[95]
25.	CENTERING OF CELLAR VAULT	[97]
26.	SECTION OF CELLAR AIR-HOLES	[99]
27.	RESPECTIVE VIEW OF DITTO	[100]
28.	SPRING OF THE CELLAR VAULTING	[101]
29.	THE GARDEN FRONT	[103]
30.	THE QUOIN STONES	[107]
31.	THE WINDOW CASING	[108]
32.	THE CEILINGS	[110]
33.	METHOD OF TRIMMING THE FLOORS	[112]
34.	PERSPECTIVE OF DITTO	[112]
35.	VIEW OF THE BUILDING OPERATIONS	[120]
36.	HOLLOW BEDDED STONES	[123]
37.	DRAWING MODELS	[128]
38.	DITTO	[129]
39.	PLANS AND SECTION OF THE PRINCIPAL STAIRS	[132]
40.	THE STAIRCASE STRING	[135]
41.	STEP OF WINDING STAIRS	[136]
42.	SECTION OF THE SIDE WALLS, WITH DETAILS	[163]
43.	AN ORIEL WINDOW	[166]
44.	BAY WINDOW OF BILLIARD-ROOM	[170]
45.	DETAIL OF CORNICE, STRING COURSE, ETC.	[176]
46.	TRANSVERSE SECTION OF THE HOUSE	[191]
47.	PLAN OF THE ROOF SUPPORTS	[192]
48.	SECTION OF THE ROOF	[194]
49.	THE STAIRCASE ROOF	[196]
50.	FLAWS IN TIMBER	[198]
51.	COUPLED BEAMS	[199]
52.	SECTION OF THE FLOOR JOISTS	[201]
53.	DITTO	[201]
54.	SECTION OF THE FLOOR BEAMS	[201]
55.	THE DORMER WINDOWS	[203]
56.	THE DOORS	[216]
57.	DETAILS OF DITTO	[217]
58.	THE CASEMENTS	[218]
59.	DETAILS OF DITTO	[219]
60.	THE METHOD OF SLATING	[233]
61.	DETAILS OF THE PLUMBER’S WORK	[235]
62.	THE NEW HOUSE	[258]

HOW TO BUILD A HOUSE.

CHAPTER I.
PAUL GETS AN IDEA.