Architecture of Happiness

In The Architecture of Happiness, bestselling author Alain de Botton explores one of our most intense but often hidden love affairs: with our houses and their furnishings.

The Architecture of Happiness is Alain de Botton’s exploration of the hidden links between buildings and our well being.
In The Architecture of Happiness, bestselling author Alain de Botton explores one of our most intense but often hidden love affairs: with our houses and their furnishings. He asks:
What makes a house truly beautiful?
Why are many new houses so ugly?
Why do we argue so bitterly about sofas and pictures – and can differences of taste ever be satisfactorily resolved?
To answer these questions and many more, de Botton looks at buildings across the world, from medieval wooden huts to modern skyscrapers; he examines sofas and cathedrals, tea sets and office complexes, and teases out a host of often surprising philosophical insights. The Architecture of Happiness will take you on a beguiling tour through the history and psychology of architecture and interior design, and will change the way you look at your home.

‘Engaging and intelligent . . . full of splendid ideas, happily and beautifully expressed’ Independent
%%%The Architecture of Happiness is Alain de Botton’s exploration of the hidden links between buildings and our well being.

In The Architecture of Happiness, bestselling author Alain de Botton explores one of our most intense but often hidden love affairs: with our houses and their furnishings. He asks:

What makes a house truly beautiful?

Why are many new houses so ugly?

Why do we argue so bitterly about sofas and pictures – and can differences of taste ever be satisfactorily resolved?

To answer these questions and many more, de Botton looks at buildings across the world, from medieval wooden huts to modern skyscrapers; he examines sofas and cathedrals, tea sets and office complexes, and teases out a host of often surprising philosophical insights. The Architecture of Happiness will take you on a beguiling tour through the history and psychology of architecture and interior design, and will change the way you look at your home.


‘Engaging and intelligent . . . full of splendid ideas, happily and beautifully expressed’ Independent

Format: Paperback
Pages: 280
Imprint: Penguin UK
Publication date: 27/03/2014