Built by Hand by - The Globalist

The Globalist PhotoGallery

Built by Hand

Vernacular Buildings Around the World

Written by:
Bill Steen, Athena Steen and Eiko Komatsu

Photographs by:
Yoshio Komatsu

Published by:
Gibbs Smith, Publisher

469 pages
700 color photographs

Dimensions (in inches):
2 x 8 x 9

$50 U.S.

Order this book

Enter gallery

Built by Hand

What could unite countries as diverse as Burkina Faso, Greece, Austria, Mexico, Bhutan, Thailand, Peru and the United States?

Japanese photographer Yoshio Komatsu gives an intriguing answer with his pictures that highlight traditional architecture from around the world.

The photographs tell the story of a disappearing world of buildings that have been constructed by ordinary people. They show how diverse, yet similar, the buildings of different cultures from around the world are.

"Built by Hand" begins with the most basic ways that humans have sought shelter — beneath the trees and stars, under the protection of a rock cliff or cave. It then traces the transformation of raw materials, such as earth, stone, wood or grasses, into shelters suitable for people to live in.

These builders and homesteaders have given artistic, modest and sensible form to their daily needs. Sometimes accidental, often asymmetrical — and utilizing materials that are close at hand — these buildings convey a beauty that is both personal and human.

Encouraged by the use of of the human hand and simple tools, the molded curves and softened lines seem to outwit the might of modern machinery.

Finally, "Built by Hand" takes a look at finding a balance between the know-how and wisdom of the past with that which is sustainable and modern.

About Bill and Athena Steen

Bill and Athena Steen are the authors of "Built by Hand." They are active in building programs that teach low-income families how to build their own shelters. The Steens live in Elgin, Arizona.

About Yoshio and Eiko Komatsu

Yoshio Komatsu has been photographing buildings and people around the world for 25 years, assisted by his wife, Eiko.

His photographs were collected in the Japanese book "Living on Earth," and his work is also regularly published in other books, magazines and calendars in Japan. This is Mr. Komatsu's first book in English. His domicile is in Tokyo.