Book Review: Houses, Little Houses, and Mansions of Morelia-Valladolid: A Typological Study (2025)

Abstract

Readable and engaging, and far beyond any nostalgic undertones, the book under review represents a remarkable and valuable contribution to the documentation of the spectrum of traditional housing in the city of Morelia (formerly Valladolid), in the state of Michoacán. Through a typological approach, it recognizes the significance of regional architecture and its role in shaping the built environment.

Casas, casitas y casonas… by Catherine Ettinger goes beyond the mere identification of a housing typology, understood as the design framework from which architectural spaces for domestic use are reproduced with certain recurring characteristics. At the same time, it examines housing production across different historical periods, whose integration has given rise to what is now recognized as the Historic Center.