Reviews (1)

There is nothing like it.
Wow! Check it out - philosophy without pretenses, live without limits.Powerful, and will be thought of and used to guide our perceptions long from now. ... Read more

Book Description

Louis Kahn (1901–1974) was one of the 20th century’s most influential architects. His dramatic, often almost aggressively stark buildings continue to inspire designers throughout the world. Based on the latest research, this book provides an authoritative and clear overview of Louis Kahn’s life and works. ... Read more

Book Description

Design Drawing Book and CD - ROM Francis D.K. Ching with Steven P. Juroszek Author and architecture educator Francis D.K. Ching shares his unique command of visual language in this new presentation of drawing principles and techniques. Design Drawing is a comprehensive introduction to drawing and more-its innovative book-plus-CD-ROM package sheds new light on the relationship between perception, drawing, and design. In his distinctive graphic style, Ching takes us on an exciting journey through the process of creation. He unmasks the basic cognitive processes that drive visual perception and expression, incorporating observation, memory, and rendering into a creative whole. But the author sees drawing "not only as artistic expression but also as a practical tool for formulating and working through design problems," showing us how to apply "visual thinking" as a versatile tool for approaching design projects. Design Drawing covers the traditional basics of drawing, including line, shape, tone, and space. Different types of artistic conventions such as multiview, paraline, and perspective drawings are also lucidly explained. The final section, "Drawing from the Imagination," fuels the creative spirit to find its own direction. Throughout the book you'll find over a 1,500 hand-rendered drawings and exercises which reinforce the concepts and lessons of each chapter. The supplemental CD-ROM is packed with brilliant gems of information and instruction, elucidating a broad range of design drawing concepts through the communicative power of animation, video, and three-dimensional models. Intended for use with the book or as a stand-alone supplement, the CD-ROM includes 25 interactive lessons which demonstrate concepts and techniques in a way that a 2-D book format cannot. For example, the CD-ROM contains video of the author demonstrating freehand techniques in a step-by-step manner, as well as the author's voice throughout the CD-ROM explaining the various lessons. For professional architects, designers, fine artists, illustrators, teachers and students alike, this all-in-one package is both an effective tool and an outstanding value. System Requirements: Windows(r) Processor - 486DX 66 MHz (Pentium recommended) RAM - 16 MB Hard disk space available - 10 MB Graphics card and monitor - 640 × 480 SVGA display/256 ColorSound Blaser compatible sound card and external speakers Windows(r) 3.1 or Windows '95(r) 4X CD-ROM Drive Macintosh(r) Processor - 68040 25 MHz or PowerMac 601 (Quadra 650 or/PowerMac 6100 or better) RAM 16 MB Hard disk space available - 10 MB Monitor - 256 colors (640×480) Standard internal Mac sound (external speakers optional) Operating System: System 7 or later 4X CD-ROM drive ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Wealth of Information
This is one of the best drawing books that I've read in ages. The information on basic drawing techniques is simple, clear and beautifully presented. Fine Artists may find much of the architectural drafting information irrelevant to their needs, however I feel a the superfluous pages are worth paying for, for the extensive and useful material on perspective drawing and rendering techniques. Read more of my book reviews at http://drawsketch.about.com

Great Introductory book
This book was recommended to me by an architect teacher of mine. After reading through it and browsing through the cd-rom that comes with it....I am very pleased that I got it. It contains all of the basics that you will need for drawing(perspective, isometric drawings, art terms).

just great...
it wouldn't be too much to say that this is one of the best books written for this purpose. the smooth transition from chapter to another and the gradual develpoment of skills and concepts makes reading through the book both exciting and benefitial. specially the chapters regarding perspective drawing. it gives u all the points and nearly every thing u might bump into. For those seeking to improve their drawing skills, this is ONE book u cannot miss.

Great book for new architecture students ...
This is a comperhensive book about all drawing systems essential as basic knowledge for architects in their beginning study ...

Design Drawing a good beginning
As a beginning architecture student I found the book to be most helpful. It contains excellent illustations on shading and shadow techniques, and on developing architectural perspectives. The CD-rom version is especially helpful in explaining some of the basic concepts. I would highly recomend this book to those interested in design architecture. ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive overview of the life and work of J.J.P. Oud is a monumental scholarly achievement and will stand as the definitive statement on the career of one of the pioneers of modern architecture. Oud was an early proponent of the International Modern style, and in 1917 was one of the cofounders, along with Theo van Doesburg and Piet Mondrian, of the Dutch art and architecture movement De Stijl. This book presents, in a clear and accessible manner, an immense body of material, including descriptions, sketches, drawings, and photographs of his projects, realized and unrealized, as well as published articles and Oud's correspondence. His own writings provide valuable insights into his activities, documenting his involvement in De Stijl and the Congres International d'Architecture Moderne (CIAM), his lectures and travels, his participation in exhibitions, and his personal and professional relationships. The introduction is a biography of Oud's life and work, and provides context for the rest of the volume. At over 600 pages, and fully illustrated, this book is by far the most comprehensive ever published on Oud.

Jacobus Johannes Pieter Oud was born in Purmerend, Holland, in 1890. Educated at the Arts and Crafts School in Amsterdam and at the Technical University in Delft, he worked for Theodor Fischer in Munich before settling in Leiden.~An original member of De Stijl, Oud eventually left the group due to philosophical disagreements. In 1918 he became Municipal Housing Architect for Rotterdam. In 1933 he established his own practice. As a young socialist, Oud stimulated an international and regional trend toward functionalism. He wrote magazine articles, acted as a correspondent for Soviet architectural journals, and contributed a book on Dutch architecture to the Bauhausbucher series. Oud's best-known works are for housing schemes in expanding areas. During and after World War II he became involved in larger commercial projects, but these never achieved the clarity of his early housing. Considered a pioneer of Dutch Functionalist architecture, Oud died in Wassenaar, Holland, in 1963.

Essays by Dolf Broekhuizen, Ed Taverne, Martien de Vletter and Cor Wagenaar.

800 color illustrations

8.75 x 11 inches ... Read more

Book Description

Henry Clay Frick, the world-famous art collector and steel tycoon, was a towering figure in America’s "gilded age" of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The houses he built for himself and his family exemplify the great residences of the era, with priceless art, cultivated gardens, and interiors by the most prestigious designers of the day. This elegant volume, written by Frick’s great-granddaughter and biographer, features the four major houses purchased, built, and renovated for the steel magnate; each is described in exacting detail, with information about the architects and interior designers, furnishings and art, and decoration. Beautiful archival photographs -- interior and exterior, many previously unseen -- and architectural drawings document the residences. ... Read more

Book Description

The 20th century's most influential architect utilized glass in a number of ways to distinguish his designs of churches, public buildings, and private residences.This comprehensive book traces Wright's innovative use of art glass in windows, lighting, interior décor, furnishings, and his famed Luxifer prisms, and provides a chronological, pictorial survey of the glass in each documented building designed by Wright. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fantastic photos, not-so-fantastic text
This book contains fantastic full-color photos spanning Wright's career and use of art glass. Unfortunately, the text and editing are dreadful, one has to plod through most of the paragraphs. The writer appears to have been attempting to pack as many words into each sentence as possible; she also has several pet phrases, such as "proof, if proof were needed" that are over-used the first time they appear. A few factual errors are also scattered throughout the book that should have been caught in the editing process (e.g., on page 83 she places the Dana-Thomas house in Chicago [its in Springfield, Illinois]). I still recommend buying the book solely for the photos. If you are interested in reading a history of Wright, there are many more well-written books in press. Five stars for the photos, one star for the text.

Spectacular Photographs and Essays of Brilliant Glass Use!
This book deserves more than five stars for overall excellence and its ability to extend your appreciation of how glass can improve our ability to enjoy public buildings and homes. The photographs and essays could not have been better, more in point, or easy to understand.

If you are like me, you feel that Frank Lloyd Wright's use of glass was one of his most distinctive and attractive features. He employed glass to create a "quality of repose" by diffusing light, and using "window curtains" to separate spaces without denying light by employing patterns in the glass. In doing this, he wanted to create a "vista without, vista within." For many of his urban homes (especially those in Oak Park, Illinois), there was no opportunity to have much of a vista without. In those circumstances, he emphasized creating internal vistas, and using access to the sky through skylights and elevated windows for the external ones. In the S.C. Johnson Administrative Building, he relied on pyrex glass to let the light enter while providing structural support. The geometric shapes (often in color) on his art glass also added eye appeal. The book contains many wonderful designs such as his famous tree of life and of hollyhocks. Glass was also an integral part of his lighting fixtures, which often evoke Japanese lanterns.

The bulk of Mr. Wright's buildings are in private hands, which you cannot visit very easily to see the insides. So much of the beautiful use of glass is hidden except in the external windows viewable from ground level. This book is a remarkable resource to overcome that handicap. If you are like me, you will come away especially impressed with the Dana-Thomas house glass in Springfield, Illinois.

The book is superb for beautifully displaying and exploring these many dimensions of Mr. Wright's use of glass.

After you finish enjoying this volume, I suggest that you think about how you could use some of Mr. Wright's ideas to make where you live more filled with vistas and repose. For example, can you use cellophane and constuction paper to create art glass effects when placed atop windows?

See the light in more beautiful ways!

Truly Illuminating
Although lavishly illustrated, this title has more than just pretty pictures. Frank Lloyd Wright Glass offers a close up examination of some of Wright's greatest achievements, structural and decorative, discussing what they have meant to those who have followed. It looks through the window of architecture to see the broader cultural horizon, profiling specific sites to illustrate Wright's ideas and his legacy. ... Read more

Book Description

Fumihiko Maki was born in 1928 in Tokyo and is regarded as a doyen of modern Japanese architecture. After completing his first degree at the University of Tokyo he studied at Harvard University and Cranbrook Academy, and worked with SOM and Sert, before going on to open his own office in Tokyo in 1965; a highpoint in his career was surely in 1993 when he was awarded the Pritzker Prize. Maki is one of the founders of Metabolism and continues to lead in the global architectural arena today. His architectural language is defined by meticulous detailing with rational, precise yet strongly plastic forms. Of particular importance to Maki is the complimentary relationship of his designs with the context, notably the city. In this book Jennifer Taylor places Maki’s work within the context of modern architecture and the evolving circumstances and perspectives of Japan. Within this framework the author presents a number of selected buildings and projects, including the Yokohama Bayside Tower (2003), Triad (2002), the Kaze-no-Oka Crematorium in Tokyo (1997) and the Church of Christ in Tokyo (1995). In addition she assesses Maki’s contribution as a teacher of architecture and as a theoretician. This book is the first comprehensive critical history of Maki’s work. ... Read more

Book Description

Archibald Quincy Jones (1913-79) was a Los Angeles-based architect and educator who shared the Case Study goal of reinventing the house as a way of redefining the way people lived in post-war America. A pioneer in 'greenbelt' planning and 'green' design, Jones raised the level of the tract house in California from the simple stucco box to a structure of beauty and logic surrounded by gardens and integrated into the landscape. He introduced new materials and also a new way of living within the built environment, and his work bridged the gap between custom-built and developer-built homes. The exquisite detailing and siting of Jones's houses, churches, civic and university buildings make them quintessential embodiments of mid-century American architecture. This is the first book published on Jones. It documents his full career, from his post-war planning projects to his long association with Palo Alto building magnate Joseph Eichler. The book is comprised of two parts: a substantial introductory

essay tracing Jones's life and career, with a summary of key projects and his contributions to planning; and a catalogue of sixty of Jones's projects illustrated with high-quality black-and-white period photographs, and plans and renderings by Jones. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A.Quincy Jones
It is easy to dismiss the work of Quincy Jones (1913-79) as modernism lite. His long association with Joseph Eichler and other suburban builders prevented him from being taken as seriously as more rigorous and rebellious peers. Modern architecture is supposed to be challenging; Jones made it look easy. However, a drive around Crestwood Hills in West LA, and a close examination of the model houses he and others designed for that enlightened housing association, engender a new respect. Pragmatic, inventive, and humane, Jones bridged the chasm between high art and popular taste, emphasizing practicality over ideology. Buckner has hands-on experience, having restored four Jones houses, and one wishes she had expanded her brief introduction to the architect's career to communicate her personal enthusiasm for his unshowy brilliance. In every other way, this is an admirable survey of 65 key projects, illustrated with vintage black and white photos, drawings and plans.

Timeless Modernism
Let me begin by saying that this is a beautiful book. The original black and white photos are as crisp as the planar fascias and walls of Jones' many projects represented here. The graphics, (mostly plans and perspective renderings) are reproduced in a sepia tone that wonderfully invokes the spirit of the post WW2 period. And, in this age of neo-modernism, it is great to be exposed to a talented, true modernist whose architecture was not influenced by the latest fads and trends, but by the architect's deep convictions of modern architecture improving the quality of life.

The book contains a short essay and a catalogue of about 65 of Jones (and his partner Frederick Emmons) projects. The projects are shown chronologically in seven categories: Single-Family Houses; Residential Housing Developments; Churches; Commercial Spaces; Civic Spaces; University Buildings; and Planning Work.

The essay entitled Building for Better Living: The Architecture of A. Quincy Jones, is however, disappointingly brief. Although it begins in a biographical format, it moves quickly into Jones' theories on multi and single-family residential development. It then discusses Jones' design methods and uses of materials, and concludes abruptly with Earth Structures & Energy Systems and Planning & Landscape Designs. Very little is mentioned in regard to his practice and the fact that Jones and Emmons were awarded national AIA Firm of the Year in 1969. The essay makes no mention when and how Jones died.

Jones' plans are a work of art, not just graphically, but in regards to the rigor in which he was able to make space and structure flow and integrate his buildings into the California landscape. It is unfortunate that only about a third of the projects in this book contain plans. Still, there are some stunning projects represented here. I highly recommend this book to the serious student of mid-century modernism. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Best general interest book about Morgan
Comprehensive with great photographs, this is a good place to start learning about Morgan's career.

The true Julia Morgan becomes known
I have always been interested in Julia Morgan's work but I have never been able to find enough solid and valuable information about her and her work. I own all of the Julia Morgan books, that is every book written about Julia Morgan. This, by far, is the best composition of the true character of Julia Morgan. Not only do you get an entire biography with incredible detail but you also get insight from hundreds of pictures, scans of actual plans Julia Morgan drafted and entires from other important persons. This book is a must have if you are looking for "the" book covering everything in Julia Morgan's life. This book stands alone among all the other Julia Morgan reads. I suggest that if you are looking for a book about Ms. Morgan, this is the best book, brings the greatest attention to detail that you will ever find about Julia Morgan.

Wonderful Review Of A Forgotten Master
A wonderful survey of a truly great Architect. Great photos. Original drawings. A detailed career history & biography. Most of the better known masters haven't gotten this kind of treatment; Ms. Morgan deserves it. GREAT book.

Julia Morgan, Architect
Beautiful book! Author does a lovely, sensitive job profiling Morgan, and her career as the first licensed female architect in the US. I also really enjoyed the socio-cultural, and artistic context of the early 20th Century. The extensive photographs are a wonderful addition - imperative in a book dealing with a visual art. One of the very richest architectual books I've seen in a long time, and a great addition to anyone's collection. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (6)

Lightscreens book reviewed....missing the 1950's glass......
Gee for this good of an indepth book it's missing some of Mr. Wrights art glass work. It appears to the author SLOAN of the book that Mr. Wright's executed art glass ended in 1924. HOW UNTRUE. What about the artglass in the Southern Florida University chapel? Or what about the Greek church in Madison Wisconsin? or what about the 1954 Beth Sholom Synagogue in Elkins Park, PA....the artglass above the pulpit?????? GEE GOOD research on the rest of it though.....lots of detail but she didn't do a good job on the rest of it.....by the way a sketch in Wright's drawings was done for the Greek Church in Madison, Wisc. originally to be christian "figurines"...the only sketch by Wright in artglass that was realistic other than his unexecuted "waterlilies" artglass that is known of and printed in color form today on rugs and prints. And gee I didn't even spend time to research this data, it was all known to me as an architect, & enthusiast. I'm also a member of the FLLW conservancy, FLLW Home & studio, Taliesin Fellows, and Taliesin Associates member. For non-architects who do books....CLUE: next time do thorough research since it makes your efforts and detailed work look shabby for so lengthy of detailed data excerted in your book. Good luck next time and PLEASE add a GOOD redone 2nd edition.

great book
This is a very well researched, well presented analysis of FLW's windows. It speaks for itself. The pictures are well chosen and do a very good job of illustrating the books themes and analysis.

Amazon's got it 180 degrees from "right"
The "cover" image shown with this book is flipped 180 degrees from its actual orientation. To see the book in its actual design, go to www.lightscreens.com ... both the hardcover catalog to the exhibition and what I call the "Big Book" (the slipcased 400-pager) are there. (The paperback catalog is available only in the museums where the exhibition is mounted.)

Others have referred to the photographs as "bland." Well, I'd have to agree where the museums that own Wright windows are concerned; Wright intended to "bring the outside in," but museums for some reason insist on photographing his windows against a white background. Since I took most of the photographs in these books, let me tell you that I always photographed them with their backgrounds - the landscapes in the middle and long distance - integral to the windows themselves, as Wright intended.

The drawings are smaller than Wright made them because any 9x12 book is smaller than Wright's drawings. And as for "came" vs. "leaded," the latter term is a commonly used generalization to describe any glass held in a metal matrix ... Wright usually used copper or brass came, but not exclusively.

Since the book is in print after 20 years of research, the fact that its designer didn't meet the first reviewer's expectations or desires is beside the point. Until now there's been no definitive overview of Wright's stained glass. We should rejoice that this books exists ... and I do. Why do I rejoice? Beause I took most of the photos in the book (I'm the ALL of ALL/JLS in the credits) and I know how difficult it was to gain access to the [lived-in] homes of Wright homeowners, so I celebrate the fact that the author's been able to share this work with the world. It would otherwise be inaccessible.

Complete
Finally, a documentation of all of Wright's windows in one place. A priceless addition to the libraries of Wright fans and scholars, this is it-- the end-all, be-all. The package is beautiful. The illustrations are not only COMPLETE, they are extensive and varied. And finally, the text is an extensive analysis by none other than Julie Sloan. The table of contents reveals the scope of her expertise, and each chapter proves its strength.

Great
This book is a wonderful companion to the traveling exhibition of the same name, but it also stands on its own if you can't make it to the exhibit.

Sloan's approach -- a chronological study of the evolution of Wright's glass design -- will be appreciated by scholars of the architect's career.

Additionally, I found the images pleasing in scope. The book includes an extensive mix of drawings (wall plans, window plans, and more), color close-ups (with plain backgrounds and with real-life backgrounds shot from the interior), in-house shots that show how the windows blend with the interiors, and shots of the exteriors.

The book is well-researched and insightful, a collection of beautiful images and a serious study of a master. ... Read more

Book Description

What emerges is as picture of a man who was probably America's most talented Late Modernist, whose dynamic designs and superb graphics contributed to the golden period of the 1960s when Mies van der Rohe, Louis Kahn and Robert Venturi all had a profound influence on progressive modern architecture.

This is the first comprehensive study of Paul Rudolph's work and features 23 major projects, presented through drawings, photographs and theory. It traces his early rise to eminence when he became Director of Architecture at Yale University at the age of 39, his precipitous decline in the 1970s, and his steady resurgence over the last 25 years through his schemes in Asia and the Far East.

Anthony Monk is amongst a group of eminent architects who were taught by Rudolph including Lord Norman Foster, Lord Richard Rogers, Robert Stern, Eldrid Evans and Shin'lchi Okada many of whom contribute personal pen-portraits in a special feature With their vivid descriptions of Paul Rudolph's techniques, ideas, talent, management and personality, they explain why they believe he was one of America's great modern architects. ... Read more

Book Description

A handsomely illustrated tribute to the Library of Congress building, published to coincide with its one hundredth anniversary. Arguably the most beautifully decorated building in the United States, the Library of Congress building (recently renamed the Jefferson Building) is celebrating its one hundredth anniversary this year after an eighty million dollar restoration that returned it to its original state. Designed by John L. Smithmeyer and completed in 1897 at a cost of under seven million dollars, the building is enhanced by the art of over forty sculptors and painters whose ranks include such notables as Herbert Adams, Kenyon Cox, Edward Clark Potter, Louis Saint-Gaudens, and John Quincy Adams Ward. The planning and construction are detailed in John Y. Cole's essay, followed by discussions by Henry Hope Reed, Richard Murray, and Thomas P. Somma of the decorations, paintings, and sculptures. The volume concludes with a study of the restoration by Barbara Wolanin, a chronology, a glossary of architectural and decorative terms, and a biographical dictionary of all the artists, architects, and designers who worked on the building. Throughout, noted photographer Anne Day's color images enhance this splendid book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An inside view of Washington's best kept secret.
As the illustrator of the Jefferson building's overview for the book (pp.276-277), I had the rare privilege of walking through many of the areas of the Jefferson building not open to the public. Entering the Great Hall for the first time, I was caught off guard by its extraordinary beauty. Being a native Washingtonian, I was surprised that such a lavishly decorated structure existed here in Washington, D.C. The overall impression of the interior is more that of the Paris Opera House, than a government building. This beautiful book, with its many photographic details of the interior, allows the reader to recreate that sense of awe that I experienced walking through the entrance. With Anne Day's vivid photos, and the Libary's wonderful history, this book should be a welcome addition to anyone's personal library. Once you see the book, I suspect you may modify your itinerary for your next trip to Washington. This gem of a building is definitely worth a visit.

-Doug Stern ... Read more

Book Description

Eric Fischl emerged in the 1980s as one of America’s most important figurative painters. His paintings compel the viewer to participate in a world of middle-class suburban ambiguity and drama. Engaging and distinctly American, Fischl’s canvases present a world in which narration, sexuality, and psychology are preeminent.

This volume is the most comprehensive and current examination of this important 20th century painter. More than 200 works – selected in conjunction with the artist – present the full scope of Fischl’s career and span three decades: the 1970s, with Fischl’s seminal formative works; the 1980s, and his burst onto the art world; and the 1990s, with the artist’s mature works, often of a personal and contemplative nature. In his most recent works, Fischl has turned to portraits of his most intimate circle of friends, including Steve Martin, Mike Nichols, and April Gornik, the painter’s wife; these engrossing images have been accomplished with a mastery that has been compared to that of Caravaggio.

The introduction, by philosopher and critic Arthur Danto, places Fischl in the context of his contemporaries. Commentary drawn from interviews with Fischl – conducted by noted writer Robert Enright – accompany the paintings. Finally, a witty and personal afterword by Steve Martin – best known as a gifted comic and autor, but also as an astute collector of modern art – discusses Barbecue, a famed Fischl painting from his private collection. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great book on Fischl, but.........
This is what a book on an artist should be, lots of nice big images, early to current work(presented chronologically) and not too much BS, except for an essay written by Steve Martin(yes the comedian).

.........But the more I look at the book, the more I think Fischl has quality control issues. The more I look at it, the more bad paintings I notice. Don't get me wrong, this is a great book and Fischl has done some great paintings, but the more you look at this book, the more you notice how bad he can be at times-quality control. Some of the paintings should have never left the studio except in a dumpster but when your getting as much money as he gets for work.................... I imagine its hard not to think everything you make is great, when you get the "status" he has as an artist.

but this isn't an art critique, this is a great book on a well know contemporary artist. If you like Fischl, this is the book to get and it may give you more insight then you want, if you have any asthetic sensibilities.

knowyourproduct
Integrading wireless data technology with assorted meats and cheeses. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Encounter all Kahn's master pieces.
In one book, you can see through Kahn's famous works, like Salk Institute of Biography Reaserch and Yale Center for British Art. Nice photos and descriptions. This book can be the beginning step for approaching Kahn's philosophy of architecture. He say, "Existence will determines the every nature of things". He used the simple forms to establish a fine-art-class architecture style. Kahn's works could be said as "Simple in FORM, but not simple in MIND."

A great overview of Kahn's career.
A beautiful book...It's filled with so much information about Kahn's major projects. Interesting, well-written text and dozens of sketches and model photos accompany each major project. I'd never heard of Grant Mudford, but his big, color photos are beautiful. There's a list of all of Kahn's projects and buildings from the 1920s until his death in 1974, and a section of Kahn's travel sketches and artwork. The pages are large, the print quality is impressive, and the impeccable graphic design, by Massimo Vignelli with Abigail Sturges, suits Kahn's style perfectly. And it's a good buy, too. ... Read more