The textbook discourse on building

This volume presents concepts for a theory and teaching of architecture from antiquity to the present. Until the late 19th century, construction processes and techniques evolved gradually. The 19th century is also characterized in construction by a belief in progress through science: starting from revolutionary France, an academic education for construction professions developed. With the schools came the textbooks. These are often construction teachings based on materials (timber constructions, stone construction) or building teachings (e.g., sample designs for public buildings). Up until the 20th century, textbooks also showcase collections of built constructions. Further research develops less in the core of the discipline and more at its periphery. Moreover, they remain constantly dependent on context and time: the textbook is still time-bound, abstract, and impersonal to this day.