"Understanding buildings is like detective work: you need to look for clues that will lead you to recognize the building. These clues might be windows that have been altered, changes in materials, or fragments of older structures left behind during alteration work, or they might be smaller, subtle things such as minor details or curious irregularities that make you wonder why the building is like that. Every structure is different, and like a good detective you need to approach each one with an open mind. However, there are some common clues that you can look out for." - How To Read Buildings