Reviews (2)

big mistake
this text is filled with so many errors. sentences end in the middle of an explaination leaving you without any conclusion. this text is a required purchase for my landscape construction class at my university and i can't believe the errors have not yet been corrected! without a knowledgeable instructor to correct the many errors, this book will confuse anyone who is trying to learn from it. i do not recommend this book.

Poor Execution
Without a doubt, this is the worst edited publication I have ever read. While the information contained in this book is valuable, the editorial missteps and omissions are maddeningly distracting. Some examples include sentences that don't finish with periods, formulas with typos, poorly reproduced graphics, mathematical errors (in the examples!), objects omitted from sentences, and a contour map that requires a mirror to decipher (figure 3-5). As a teaching tool, this text inspires confussion and frustration rather than delivering clarity and instruction. A 4th edition might correct the many errors, but this edition is far too expensive for it's lack of professionalism. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

For architects, not interior designers
When I ordered this book, I was expecting to see a lot of pictures to help me design my house. But to my dismay, most of the colorless pages just feature blueprints that only an architect would understand. I kept the book for future reference.

Clearly Illustrates Traditional Japanese Construction
Anyone who wishes to build a Japanese tea room either in the garden or attached to their house could do well to start with this book. You can also use this book to design accents for a single room, or to craft an entire house. It was written by a German architect who lived in Japan several decades ago and carefully measured surving older buildings as well as studying architecture there. While there are more detailed books in Japanese, this may well still be the best available book in English.

A great reference about japanese architecture
If you are an architect interested in japanese constructional systems, this is THE BOOK for you. If you aren't but find japanese culture a fountain of inspiration for living, you must read this extraordinary piece of art. Perhaps it don't shine like a jewel, but once you open it, you'll find the work of a man who decided to share his mastery. In this book, diagrams, materials, craftmanship, even detailed descriptions of the human space requirements are fully explained with precision and simplicity. Every page, and every example in them, is a world that must be carefully examined. And when doing so, you'll find that what the author is showing us, is more than a book about japanese houses: is the heart of the japanese carpenters and architects living in its pages. ... Read more

Book Description

Among the most talked-about names in contemporary architecture, the firm of Diller + Scofidio has for the last two decades redefined what architecture can be. Through site-specific, highly conceptual works such as the acclaimed redesign of the famed Brasserie restaurant in New York City's Seagram Building, to the "Blur" building, created for the Swiss Expo 2002 and composed entirely of mist, the firm has consistently challenged and expanded the role of architecture and design in our technology-oriented environment.

In this first-ever comprehensive survey of the work of this internationally recognized firm, published to accompany a traveling exhibition organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, 10 of Diller + Scofidio's most important site-specific pieces are examined, along with several of the artifacts they have created in order to examine issues of gender, surveillance, place, and travel. With essays by respected scholars and a contribution by contemporary artist Laurie Anderson, this fully illustrated volume offers a compelling look at the work of Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Aberrant Architecture of Diller + Scofidio
The companion book to an exhibition at the Whitney, which runs through June 1, is a work of art in itself. The lenticular plastic cover shimmers enigmatically; folded pages with elliptical cuts allow you to peer inside, propelling you through the book in search of what can be imperfectly glimpsed. It's an appropriate, teasing metaphor for this collection of installations, exhibits, and as yet unrealized projects, plus Blur from the Swiss Expo 02. Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio ponder our obsession with display and call everything into question. (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.) ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Architecture/Environment
How to design buildings that heat with the sun, cool with the wind, light with the sky, and move into the future using on-site renewable resources
Developed for rapid use during schematic design, this book clarifies relationships between form and energy and gives designers tools for designing sustainably. It also:
* Applies the latest passive energy and lighting design research
* Organizes information by architectural elements at three scales:
* building groups, individual buildings, and building parts
* Brings design strategies to life with examples and practical design tools
* Features:
* 109 analysis techniques and design strategies
* More than 750 illustrations, sizing graphs, and tables
* Both inch-pound and metric units ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Lectures in written form
I studied under Mark DeKay, using the first edition of this book. The second edition adds all of Mark's lectures into what was already a great book, full of very helpful rules of thumb for orientation, materials, siting, and a lot of other design recommendations. A great book made even better the second time around!

highly advanced
A very comprehensive book which leaves you with shortness of breath after each page, covers very well all the aspects of the title and their interaction and effect on planning a building or project of any kind, and gives u alot of new ideas on how to find out the effects of sun,wind and light and from where will the effect be more and how to make advantage of each one of these elements. keeps you woundering whether what you have ever designed before was valid or not. rich in figures and examples, slightly difficult regarding the laguage. but it is worth every penney.

Climate Sensitive Design
This book is very helpful in determining the siting of your building (or gardens)with respect to wind patterns, and sun patterns of your area. As a designer of both indoor and outdoor spaces I found it to be a practical resource for helping ensure the success of a design. When I want shade, I now know where shade will fall; when I want to fill a space with light, I now know where and when light will be there and can adjust my design accordingly. Great book! Would reccommend it to architects, landscape architects and anyone wanting to see how their designs integrate into the daily and seasonal climate, wind, and light patterns of their area. The Sun Peg Charts are especially helpful. Good starting and reference point for all designs. Definitely add this one to your library. ... Read more

Book Description

With a focus on architecture and details, rustic expert and author Ralph Kylloe introduces creative rustic designs that are inspiring a revival of cabin craftsmanship in his newest book, Rustic Cabin Renaissance. The book features log homes that are newly built, but that are steeped in regional history as well as the log-building history of the Scandinavian settlers and mountain men from centuries past. Kylloe provides photographic details of the highest-quality workmanship in stone masonry and log work, highlighting the unique blend of fine antiques and contemporary furnishings that these homes exhibit.Arts & Crafts, Scandinavian, and Western legacies in furniture building and interior styling make each room a smorgasbord for the eyes, and a dream come true for lovers of rustic décor.

Rustic Cabin Renaissance features homes that are rich in vision, beauty and warmth-photographed as only Ralph Kylloe can photograph them.

Ralph Kylloe received his Ed.D. from Boston University and has taught at the university level for many years. He is a leading authority on rustic furniture and owner of the Ralph Kylloe Gallery. He is the author of eleven previous books. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Rustic Cabin
I thought "The Rustic Cabin" was good but "Cabins and Camps" was by far a bigger feast for the eyes!! The selection of pictures were more of what I personally wanted to see. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

About more than just cob, this book is required reading.
The Cob Cottage Company literally invented a building technique called "Oregon Cob". Their collective development includes not only high-quality cob mixing techniques, but also a holistic design and construction approach to suit both the building material and the sustainable living philosophies of the builders. The Cob Cottage Company has used this book to summarize more than a decade of research and development of both mind and mud. Each author has focused on one of three sections of the book and each contributes something unique.

Ianto appropriately begins the book by not only giving a history of earth and cob building, but also by helping the reader redefine their view of housing. I've read this section 3 times thus far. It contains so many great ideas and insights that the reader may want to keep a journal to remember them by. The authors' ideas concerning intuitive design with natural materials are amazing, yet proven. Ianto is definitely critical of industrial architecture (he was a trained and licensed architect in the UK) and corporate control, but not in a way that is unbearable or preachy. I find these sorts of viewpoints incredibly refreshing when communicated so well, whether or not I completely agree with them or not. Evans covers virtually all aspects of site selection and home design while also including interviews with a few cob home owner/builders. This section is surely the real magic of this book and may greatly alter the reader's perceptions of both shelter and its relation to the surrounding environment.

Part 2 describes the actual construction of a cob cottage. It is mostly authored by Michael Smith, who has authored another book detailing cob construction, "The Cobber's Companion". This section of the book provides plenty of helpful advice and creative ideas that the Cob Cottage Company and other cob enthusiasts have developed over the years. None of the authors pull any punches. They obviously have pursued their Cob Revival with intelligent passion, being certain that potential builders understand the potential pitfalls and the keys to success. They know that failed projects can do have as much impact on society's acceptance of cob and natural building than successful projects. Smith and crew really try to help the reader plan for success and encourage them at every step. While the reader would do well to take part in a cob building workshop for hands-on experience, they will get a very thorough understanding of the steps and techniques involved by reading this book. The authors' credibility on cob construction is never in doubt here.

Part 3 is an Onward by Linda Smiley. She attempts to spur the reader on to the next step(s) after reading this book. The entire book is treated as a beginning to a rewarding journey, not just an end to its own means. Smiley provides valuable advice on attending and sponsoring cob workshops. She also expands upon Evans' introduction to alternative living ideas and encourages the reader to live in the moment. While this section is much shorter than the other two, it is important to the book. Ianto gets the reader fired-up about building with cob, Michael tells the reader how to actually do it, and Linda encourages them to put their new-found ideas into action.

The Cob Cottage Company recognizes that cob is but one component of natural building. While the authors' passion for mud is ever-present, so also is their understanding of region and site-specific alternatives and constraints. The Cob Cottage Company integrates and shares ideas with the growing community of natural building enthusiasts, always attempting to create solutions appropriate to the need. Oregon Cob truly offers amazing potential for affordable, durable, healthy housing, especially to owner/builders who can greatly offset the dollar cost of a home with their own efficient labor. Cob offers much greater earthquake resistance than unreinforced adobe, creating a simpler building process that anyone can learn. My review would not be complete without admitting that this book gave focus to numerous nagging doubts that I've long had about American culture and homebuilding. Though I have worked in residential construction for nearly a decade, I could never quite describe exactly why I found our homes (and my job) so inadequate until I read this book. Though my worldview and opinions continue to evolve with each new day and discovery, this book was surely a milestone for me. It changed my life in ways I have yet to even realize.

Inspiring, beautiful...but want more!
I'd give five stars except so many times, an interesting idea technique or feature is not as fully explained as i'd like. For example, the "lorena stove" sounds interesting, but i'm not satisfied with the brief description. But then, the authors do give references to other books, videotapes etc. that one may pursue. Many photos of cob being made, walls being built, and finished houses. I was already motivated to build a cob house before buying this book (from reading Dan Chiras' The Natural House) but now i'm even more fired up! This book is a HUGE help, inspiring, with useful detail, but is not in itself complete in detail for someone who want to build with cob. This book along with attending a cob workshop would be the ideal educational experience.

The most comprehensive book on Cob building available.
If you only ever buy one book on cob building make sure it is this book! This book contains everything you can learn about cob without getting your hands dirty. Then it inspires you to go out and get your hands dirty. Everyone who is interested in natural building and ecological design should own a copy of this book. So many new techniques have come along since the first books on cob were published. It is great to have a book with all the new tips and ideas. If you've never heard of cob or if you think you know it all this book has something for everyone.

I Spent Hours With This Awesome Book
I paid full price for this book at a retail Book store (I wish I had bought it here!). I have 2 other books on cob building also (Becky Bee's "The Cob Builders Handbook" - Which I highly recommend also & Michael Smith's "Cobbers Companion", I also recommend but Becky's, I feel is the better of the two.) However, THIS book stands out considerably. It is the MOST awesome book on cob building. It has wonderful photographs & drawings including additional privacy courtyard/outside ideas etc. There is nothing out there that can compare to this book to spark ideas and show the beauty, versatility & many options & benefits one has in cob building. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has even a slight interest in earth homes/cob building. If you are very interested in this or a related subject(straw bale etc.) you will LOVE this book!

Sculpt Your Way to Freedom
Building with Cob is the way to make your house fit you rather than you fitting yourself to the house(usually designed and built by someone else).

While the most comprehensive instruction manual on building a Cob home with your own hands (and feet!) this is also your ticket for an escape from mortgage(lit. "death-pledge") serfdom. One of the most important chapters of the book discusses the economics of house-building in a very enlightening way.

The book has superb illustrations well integrated into the text and colour photographs of cob houses. ... Read more

Book Description

These distinguished houses are located in diverse settings across the United States, from San Francisco’s Russian Hill to the Rocky Mountains to the Long Island and New England coasts. In every case, Stern has emphasized the importance of context by exploring the nature of the place through houses that embody the region’s vernacular architectural heritage, as well as gracefully reflect each site’s unique natural setting. Whether considering classical New York town houses, Shingle Style "cottages" by the sea, or Scandinavian log houses as reinterpreted on the American frontier, Stern has fostered a strong sense of architectural continuity and connection to the past by participating in the dialogue across time that he believes lies at the heart of architecture. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

True craftsmanship
What a beautiful display of true Architecture for Architectures' sake. Yeah, you may need a bit of $$ to personally afford buildings with this calibur of workmanship, but it will be well worth it and timeless. Builders and purchasers of todays' Suburb homes need to look to great works like these to realize the real issue of urban sprawl.

Great book. Great photo's. Great ideas. Great craftmanship. Outstanding architecture.

fabulous
Photography is breathtaking, projects included are well covered, array of homes represents a wide variety, shows tremendous range of styles. A truly necessary addition to your home library!! ... Read more

Book Description

This thoroughly revised and long awaited new edition of a classic text builds on the success of the 1991 third edition. Kuttruf considers the theory and practice of soundbehavior in closed spaces; a key area for acoustical engineers worldwide. It is of particular interest to those working on auditoria and will therefore stand as an excellent complement to Barron's Auditorium Acoustics. This new edition includes important new material on the growth of digital technology and sound intensity. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Book
This is the book to own for your acoustical reference manual. This one belongs on your shelf. ... Read more

Book Description

The distinguishing feature of the construction manuals from Edition Detail and the internationally renowned journal Detail is the exceptional quality of the information it imparts. These books have set new standards and become indispensable in the daily work of planning and building. They are now being published in English for the first time. This volume shows the wide range of possibilities for using glass in construction, beginning with a historical overview of glass in architecture. It goes on to explore the principles of construction, providing information on the physical properties of glass together with the practical aspects such as fixing systems. Also investigated are different types of glass, energy-saving aspects, norms and guidelines. The entire spectrum in contemporary glass building is documented with a large number of international examples. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Professional grade
This is a complete compendium of engineering information for the most typical use of glass--as a window. Everything needed to analyze a building's energy budget--at least for the German climate--is presented and well explained, as is daylighting. Atria and double leaf facades are discussed at the end to summarize the principles. There is also a comprehensive section on the mechanical properties of glass: resistance to wind loads, how to attach it, etc.
Only downside is the quality of the translation (I assume), which results in an occasional unusual sentence: "As no energy can be lost from the total system, the balance of the incident energy must be able to be resolved mathematically."
Nothing that impairs understanding though.

Beautifull, Informative, and well done
This is one of the better books that I have seen on the topic of curtain wall design. It is full of very accurate amd well explained techincal information as well labeled details. The project section is a comprehensive study of some of the most complex curtain walls built. This section is full of detail drawings and color images of the built details. This is a MUST HAVE book for anyone working on complex wall systems, or anyone interested in the state of the art in curtain wall design. ... Read more

Book Description

Get answers FAST with the Landscape Architect’s One-Stop,Take-It-Anywhere Guide

In the office or out on the job, the Landscape Architect’s Portable Handbook puts the 20% of information you need 80% of the time at your fingertips! You get instant data for every architectural landscaping project: public and private gardens…athletic facilities…highways…urban/suburban settings…MORE! From project administration, planning, design standards and analysis to site development, construction, materials, field techniques, and common rules of thumb, hundreds of handy tables, diagrams and schematics, checklists and field guides give you the accurate how-to’s and expertise you need – ANYWHERE, ANYTIME! It packs easily in your briefcase, so you can cut down on time-consuming trips and calls between field and office, or get satisfyingly fast facts and guidelines when you’re catching up on work at home. It’s a distillation of the entire profession… and provides the perfect ASLA registration exam review. You get:

* A framework for interpretation, conceptualization, evaluation, and communication at multiple scales, regardless of the type of landscape planning or design project
* Standards, techniques and devices
* Analysis-to-project administration guidelines and checklists
* Step-by-step procedures
* Mechanics and design calculations, formulas,worked examples and models
* 193 clarifying illustrations -- from USDA plant hardiness zones to basic layouts and schematic diagrams…from approval processes flow charts to a CPM bar chart
* 98 quick-check tables let you instantly pinpoint area space standards…tree mortality causes and remedies…recommended live loads for different decking uses and maximum decking spans…irrigation system selection criteria – and much, much more* Scores of easy-to-use, easy-to-remember rules of thumb
* General unit cost factors for materials, systems, and construction
* More!

From the broad overall aspects of a project to the smallest detail, find the specific data you need on…Project Management; Permits; Site Selection and Clearing; Grading; Drainage; Decks; Fences; Lighting; Paving; Plants; Ponds; Pools; Retaining Walls; Billing; More ... Read more

Amazon.com

It takes only a drive through any typical American subdivision to confirm that in recent decades the average house has grown in size, narrowed in style, and shrunk in vision. Jim Tolpin's The New Cottage Home represents a return to a previous school of thought about living space: that it should be no larger than is needed, conservative of resources, rich in detail-- in short, that it should pay homage to honest architecture and fine craftsmanship, not to conspicuous consumption. The 30 cottage homes pictured, all recently built, have the slightly unfair advantage of almost magically beautiful locations, but each has a unique character and many cottage-style nooks and crannies: the converted island pump house with sod roof, the 600-square-foot woodland temple, the salvage-built house on the Kansas prairie, the off-the-grid shingled hilltop house built to take advantage of natural light. Tolpin does an excellent job of pulling together the elements of each that make it a cottage and make it appealing. In his own words, "These houses seem to call as much to the heart as to the head, enriching us more with the highs of nature than with the highs of technology. These are the new American cottages that embody the ancient storybook dream, and the kind of homes that many of us have always dreamed of living in." ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Found My Dream Home
I absolutely love this book. Beautiful photographs of exteriors and interiors and the "rough sketched" floor plans are quite helpful. Also informs you of the locations of the actual cottages pictured and how you can contact the architect. I've finally decided on my dream home and purchased my new home plans because of this book. Can't wait to start building my "Three Gable Cottage"!

What a wonderful book.
I'm so inspired by this beautiful book, which makes a nice companion to the Cottage Style decorating book that I got from amazon last year. I'm marking pages of ideas to use when we have our own cottage built, but in the meantime, I'm picking up ideas I can use now to cozy up our present home. The first thing on the list is an upholstered window seat to go under our bank of living room windows. A beautiful book.

More than just another coffee table book!
You WILL find inspiration here.

Get Cozy!
This book hails a return to the smaller house. We have overlooked the value of coziness for too long.
Delightful! I must confess, my copy is quite dog-earred.

A collection of wonderful smaller homes
Getting away has taken on a certain urgency in the past week. The second home we've been wanting now seems like a good idea for our primary residence, instead. Getting our family of the metro area is something we are seriously considering. This book is gorgeous. It looks like most of the homes are architect designed, so the architect's fees might eat you alive if you decided to go this route. Still, though, the houses are reasonably sized and include lots of charming details. I also recommend:
SECOND HOME (shows great houses around the country but also includes real estate shopping information, tips on evaluating a region or a small town, and so forth. inspiring and helpful too. houses includes new homes as well as refurbished older ones. A handsome but realistic book.)
CABIN FEVER (a style book that does show how delightful a small cabin can be)
SMALL HOUSE BIG STYLE (a very helpful book that also shows how to live in smaller spaces) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An excellent book on current residential architecture
If you are a minimalist, if you love modern residential architecture, and if you want to know who's who in this area, get this book. Excellent selection of 20 projects around the world.

Excellent book on current residential achitecture
If you are a minimalist, if you like modern residential architecture, if you want to know who's who in this area, get this book. Excellent selection of 20 projects around the world. ... Read more

Book Description

Phylogenesis--wait, we'll explain the title soon--is structured as a reflection on the work that Foreign Office Architects (FOA) has produced during its first 10 years of practice. With its genesis as a primarily speculative and academic endeavor, FOA has recently expended much energy in the development of a technical arsenal for implementing real projects. Such explorations have been undertaken through a series of competitions, speculative commissions, and lately some real projects, some of them already completed, others still under construction. The outcome of these years is seen not just as a series of experiments, defined by the specific conditions of a project, but as a consistent reservoir of architectural species to be proliferate, mutated, and evolved in the near future. With the spirit of a scientific classification, the genesis of the projects is here identified as the evolution of a series of "phylums," actualized--and simultaneously virtualized--in their application to the specific conditions where the projects take place. Phylogenesis also includes an FOA-curated compilation of previously published texts from several critics who analyze "external" topics that relate to different aspects of the firm's discourse.

Excerpts by Bernard Cache, Manuel de Landa,SanfordKwinter, Farshid Moussavi, Detlef Mertins, Alejandro Zaera-Polo, Sandra Knapp and Mark Wigley.

Hardcover, 6 x 8 in./600 pgs / Illustrated throughout. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Encyclopedia of FOA
Very good book with an interesting structure/classification system for their projects. Projects are well described in text and graphics, and the essays that are inserted between 'sections' add an interesting perspective towards architecture and artistic/cultural theory in contemporary practice from several authors viewpoints, not just the firms. This is FOA's S,M,L,XL (with less bulk) with all projects (to date) presented and explained in detail. ... Read more

Book Description

Save time with topic-by-topic guide to building standards

The only comprehensive reference to all building types, Time-Saver Standards for Building Types, Fourth Edition is loaded with all the essential design criteria and standards you need to prepare preliminary designs, execute programming requirements, and analyze the functions and uses of a building. Authors Joseph DeChiara and Michael Crosbie focus on topical issues of rehabilitation, change of use, preservation, accessibility, energy conservation, and environmental regulations. New material in this edition includes home offices, entertainment centers, assisted living, primary-care and wellness facilities, day-care and nursery facilities, jails and prisons, places of worship, health clubs, international sports facilities, and new rail facilities. What's more, new international examples and full metrification make the book a truly global publication. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

perfect reference
rich in graphics and details, perfect companion when you need quick answers, specially if you get a used book at a fantastic price like these, it is worth it!!

newfet Architectural data
dear sir/madam

am in need of a book call newfet Architectural data so plsss help me find it plss

from terry

A great reference book
This is a book that sometimes resembles Neufert's, but it has a lot of additional information you might need that will make easier the process of designing various types of buildings. It gives you notions, ideas, proportions, measures and everything you need to know when starting a project. A must-have to any architect (specially with these incredible low-priced used ones. I got mine for 13 bucks and it's absolutely like new).

Over priced
Amozon.com says that they save you money on books but this book cost a cool 150 smackers even if a customer has purchased many books from them -- the book is valuable and used like a dictionary for reference -- why can't we get a resonable price for it -- Amozon.com send out thank you and promises to do their best to keep the price lowest but why do they continue to bate and switch. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Now more than ever, vacationing Americans are choosing to stay right here in the U.S., to look inward at our own rich national heritage. Thus, there has never been a more appropriate time for this sweeping, gorgeously photographed look at rural America's most enchanting houses of worship. "The country church tells us who we are. In doing so, it provides a sense of security, especially in times of crisis," says Pulitzer Prize nominee William Morgan in his introduction.

The outcome of an inspired two-year cross-country road journey of writer and photographer, American Country Churches touches the heart of America-and many of its religious denominations-as it presents 250 moving, all-new color images of more than 40 of our nation's most uplifting, soul-soothing spaces. The introductory text places the churches within the greater context of American history, while short essays on each church highlight its particular role in the story of its region, architects, and worshippers. As this glorious volume proves, no matter which state one calls home, there are always nearby places to go to find solace. AUTHOR BIO: William Morgan has taught at Princeton University, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Louisville. His articles have appeared in numerous publications, and he is the author of The Abrams Guide to American House Styles. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island. Radek Kurzaj is a travel and architecture photographer based in Sczecin, Poland, and New York City. His books include Abrams' Living Large in Small Spaces, Colonial Houses: The Historic Homes of Williamsburg, and The Abrams Guide to American House Styles. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Uneasy Transposition
In this book, the authors compared the present construction process of buildings to that of the automobile, ship building and aerospace industry. This is not new (remember Towards a New Architecture?). While Corb's book talked about end products, this talks about processes. Indeed, the authors presented some impressive research evidence on how the building construction industry can learn from these neighbors by sharing many common features of process and final product between industries.

However, what is not clear as an example, is the articulated, and perhaps even necessitated need for a building to emulate the joint tolerances of a car or an airplane. While the latter can sometimes determine the life and death of the user, a "half-inch tolerance" on a hospital facade will occur over the "millimeters" simply because there is no pragmatic need for such an emulation. This is, of course, not even an excuse for the lack of craft, but a statement that there should be a real need presented before a necessitated manifestation in form to occur. One simply should not look over to the greener pastures for the sake of doing so. The book is peppered with many such unclear determination and one has to really specify what kind of architecture does what, in a rather blunt way, before assuming with this pretense that emulation is good. Spirit of the Age has erred twice now over the raison d'etre.

The second major criticism for this book is the uncritical constant comparision between the building and the . As much as I can appreciate the way automakers think of creative ways to make money from us, the allegedly "creative" folks through the streamlining of the process, a car differs vastly from a building because of context. Sure, context is too well hyped these days but surely we can speak the same for a plane or car in any context but we cannot do the same for every building we make. A car is driven in Asia or Europe but a building, as the authors noted, does not move very much. Context, therefore, as well as the ill-defined problem space of design is the problem here.

Thirdly, one cannot talk about refabricating architecture without commenting on the economical, labor structure of our society. Who are the conceptual workers of this industry? What is their wage and labor structure like? We simply cannot compare industry to industry on such a macro-scale because some fundamental aspect, though microscopic at this scale, dictates much of the process. The automobile or aerospace engineer can streamline their methods compared to architectural designers because of a marked difference between their wage, working and corporate conditions. What about forms of insurance, legal laws governing these different industries? All these are "form-makers" of the design process too. One cannot proceed to such an unbridled admiration of other design processes without at least commenting on these discrepancies.

The only salvation, in my opinion, of this book, remains to be the salvation of an architect's vision (architects, in this case of two authors). The very last part of the book displayes what modern architects are trained best to do, a marketable vision, possibly manifested in physical or representational format. While this remained as one of the rare books out there to tackle difficult topics of architectural process and methods, it needs a rigorous rework and editing (and perhaps peer review) before what is simplistically presented can be deemed as a useful reference for folks out there who is trying to do what the authors intended.

As a last reminder, F. Brunelleschi had the might of the Medici's empire backing him when he invented the cranework or the shell of the Dome. One simply cannot compare singularities in history with the challenges that the small to medium size offices face in this country everyday.

(The author of this review is not an Architect, but is interested in design in the larger context.)

Outstanding
Once again, Stephen Kieran and his firm has put out a great book on Architecture. He has totally transformed modern Architecture and taken it to another level. Seeing his work first hand is truly a treat for those of you interested in this field. A gold Medal - Congratulations ! ... Read more