{"product_id":"charleston-fancy-little-houses-and-big-dreams-in-the-holy-city-9780300229073","title":"Charleston Fancy: Little Houses and Big Dreams in the Holy City","description":"\u003cp\u003eA captivating chronicle of building in modern-day Charleston  making a case for architecture based on historical precedent  local context  and the ability to delight  Charleston  South Carolina  which boasts Americas first historic district  is known for its palmetto-lined streets and picturesque houses. The Holy City  named for its profusion of churches  exudes an irresistible charm. Award-winning author and cultural critic Witold Rybczynski unfolds a series of stories about a group of youthful architects  builders  and developers based in Charleston: a self-taught home builder  an Air Force pilot  a fledgling architect  and a bluegrass mandolin player.  Beginning in the 1980s  this cast of characters  exercising a kind of amateur mastery  produced an eclectic array of buildings inspired by the pastincluding a domed Byzantine drawing room  a fanciful medieval castle  a restored freedmans cottage  a miniature Palladian villa  and a contemporary Mediterranean street. In his careful profiles of these protagonists and the challenges they have overcome in realizing their dreams  Rybczynski compellingly emphasizes the importance of architecture and urban design on a local level  how an old city can remake itself by invention as well as replication  and the role that individuals still play in transforming the urban landscapes around them.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45647067447349,"sku":"ByrdShop_0300229070","price":23.04,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780300229073.jpg?v=1781687436","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/charleston-fancy-little-houses-and-big-dreams-in-the-holy-city-9780300229073","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}