Journal of Sustainable Architecture and Civil Engineering 2017/4/21
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Review of the book by 
Allan T. Shulman and 
Randolph C. Henning 
„The Discipline of 
Nature: Alfred Browning 
Parker Architect In 
Florida“

Journal of Sustainable 
Architecture and Civil Engineering
Vol. 4 / No. 21 / 2017
pp. 90-91
© Kaunas University of Technology

Review of the book 
by Allan T. Shulman 
and Randolph C. 
Henning

JSACE 4/21

Jūratė Kamičaitytė-Virbašienė 
Kaunas University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture  
Studentu st. 48, LT-51367 Kaunas, Lithuania

*Corresponding author: jurate.kamicaityte@ktu.lt 

The book “The Discipline of Nature: Alfred Browning Parker Architect in Florida” presents works 
and life of a prominent American architect Alfred Browning Parker on the occasion of the 100th 
anniversary of his birth. It consists of the detailed description of the different periods of the archi-
tect‘s professional life; the memories of Randolph C. Henning, the author of the monograph about 
the works of Alfred Browning Parker; excerpt from Alfred Browning Parker office profile; and 
numerous sketches and photos of the projects. 

The philosophy and specificity of Alfred Browning Parker works is very clearly described by Allan 
T. Shulman. Part I explains how Parker came to a paradigm for an architectural discipline derived 
from nature and it also presents five main principles of his work. Part II describes Parker’s early 
career which had an important influence on the development of the suburban residential houses 
and public buildings (schools). Part III elucidates the development of Parker’s philosophy – an or-
ganic approach that involves testing the boundaries between the modern and regional design and 
proposing various types of houses. Part IV presents the application of Parker’s organic principles 
on commercial and civic objects and at the scale of urban spaces. Part V describes Parker’s final 
insights and achievements of his activity seeking harmonious relationship between the human 
creation and the environment. The text is illustrated by numerous pictures of the Parker’s projects. 

The book captures attention and is well structured, circumstantially and consistently telling the 
story of the architect’s life. It also presents philosophical and ideological statements of sustainable 
development in the architectural design and urban planning both from historical (Vitruvius, The 
Ten Books on Architecture) and today’s relevance point of view, such as: “build strongly; build as 
directly as possible with no complications; use the materials at hand and keep these as few as you 
can; let your building love its site and glorify its climate; design for use – make it beautiful.”, “(…) 
man must constantly seek to live harmoniously in his environment. He must be a conservationist 
of both human and material resources.”, “(…) we need much less of “look at me” construction.”, etc.



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Journal of Sustainable Architecture and Civil Engineering 2017/4/21

In conclusion, it is certainly a valuable and interesting book not only as the book presenting the 
biography of the famous architect but also as the book presenting the main principles of sustain-
able and “good” architecture. It can even be considered as an ethical and professional guide both 
for the students of architecture and practicing architects. 

Allan T. Shulman and Randolph C. Henning „The discipline of nature: Alfred Browning Parker 
architect in Florida” HistoryMiami Museum, 2016,  ISBN 978-0-9896815-9-9, p. 105.

JŪRATĖ KAMIČAITYTĖ-VIRBAŠIENĖ

Professor 

Kaunas University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Department of Architecture 
and Urbanism

Main research area 

Landscape visual quality analysis, evaluation and regulation, methods of planned activity or object visual 
impact assessment, analysis of social preferences evaluating landscape visual quality and use of the analysis 
results in territory planning, evaluation of the potential of urban structures, research of cityscape identity, 
expression of sustainable development conception in architecture, landscape architecture, town and territory 
planning.

Address 

Studentu st. 48, LT-51367 Kaunas, Lithuania
Tel. +37061477082
E-mail: jurate.kamicaityte@ktu.lt

About the 
author