An Abecedarium of Dwellings

An abecedarium is a type of children’s book that has been popular for centuries. The name “abecedarium” comes from the Latin word “abecedarius,” which means “alphabetical.” These books typically have 26 pages, one for each letter of the alphabet, arranged in alphabetical order. Each page contains a list of statements, such as “A is for Apple” or “B is for Banana,” that help children learn the alphabet and new vocabulary. This particular abecedarium is themed around “dwellings”: places that people or animals call home. From Apartment to Ziggurat, we explore the various types of structures that humans have created, from the traditional to the modern, from the simple to the grandiose. The abecedarium format presents the information in a fun and interactive way, making it easy for children and adults alike to learn about the different types of dwellings and their unique characteristics. The poem format with rhymes makes it more engaging and memorable. It’s a perfect way to introduce children to the world of architecture and human history, as well as to appreciate the diversity of human habitat. This book was produced in January 2023 by Prof. Golan Levin as a classroom demonstration for his course at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Art, Foundations of Digital Media. All of the texts and images in this book were computationally generated, with minimal editing, through the use of the ChatGPT and Midjourney AI systems. Printing of this book and related student projects was made possible by a Microgrant from the Frank- Ratchye Further Fund and support from the Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry. This book is released under the CC0 1.0 Universal License, and is dedicated to the public domain.