Reviews (2)

Historic Preservation: Curatorial Mgmt of the Built World
The content is, of course, excellent, and deserves 5 stars. The editing, however, is shoddy and annoying. It's a pity Fitch couldn't see a professional copy of his classic work before he died.

There are misspelled words: "ideed" vs. "indeed," p 13; "pressence" vs. "presence," p 55; "centure" vs. "century," p247; "Sienna" vs. "Siena," p 329, and others). Wrong dates are given: "...completely reconstructed to an assumed date of 1976" vs. 1776, p 275. Different information is given regarding the same process: ("flourescent dyes had to be added," p 338 vs. "had to be stamped with a metal die," p 342). LeMoyne is referred to as "LeMoyne" and as "Lemoyne," pp 17 & 18; Anne Cunningham is referred to as both "Anne" and "Ann," pp ix, x, 89, 90. Comma and semicolon use is weak, the use of italics with foreign words is inconsistent.

Curatorial Management of the Built World, Historic preservat
A very fine book and is used in my graduate "Philosophy of Preservation" course at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. We are the largest undergraduate and graduate preservation program in the country and this book is of the quality that we demand. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Anti-Architecture
If the architecture of Frank Gehry, has been described as a movie composed entirely of special effects, then Tschumi's is like special effects that don't quite come off. Herbert Muschamp, the modernist cheerleader who is the architecture critic for the NY Times, began his review of Tschumi's Lerner Student Center at Columbia University by saying "By now, everyone knows that Bernard Tschumi's new Lerner Hall is a dud." And City Journal described his work as ""an agitated, irrational mix of limestone, brick, metal, and glass... giving the impression of a building on the edge of a nervous breakdown." Journalist Robert Locke has written, ""Tschumi's theoretical writings, the basis of his reputation, are a tangled mess that alternately induces dizziness and puzzlement as to whether the author actually knows what philosophy is, or merely heard it described by someone in a bar once ...... The worst of this stuff is so self-evidently empty as to defy attack". - It only remains for you to ask yourself whether you are one of those fools who will be taken in by this confidence trickster who has ruined the cities we live in, or whether you will move on to more intelligent reading. [Hint: Try Louis Kahn. It's a good start!]

diggity dank
this book is phaaaat. You know like a cold ice cream on a summers day. Man it is better than poppie's chicken. dogg

A full monography from "la Villette" To "le Fresnoy"
This monography of Tschumi is very interesting and show well the conceptual approach in his works. the design of the book is also made by Tschumi himself. We can like or don't like these esthetism, I mean the black and white pictures with low resolution. But nevertheless, this book is a full monography of all the project until the beginning of the 90's. there is a new book planned to follow this one "Event-cities 2". So I believe these two books would be good to have in your own library if you want to have a full coverage of tschumi works. ... Read more

Book Description

In this new comprehensive volume, Chiras includes chapters on green building materials, earth-sheltered architecture, passive solar heating and cooling, sustainable approaches to water and waste, energy efficiency, and environmental landscaping. He sets the record strait on the vast potential for passive heating and cooling and provides a resource guide, recommendations, and a green-building checklist. ... Read more

Book Description

Divided into three sections, The Smart House Book illustrates how the many manifestations of technology are changing our homes. Each aspect of this technology whether it is digital or real, illustrates actual projects by top architects. Where appropriate, plans and drawings are used to further convey the message.

Section One: Smart Technology: The digital house has arrived and this technology is beginning to have a profound impact on the way in which we live. This section looks at five aspects of this technology and show how it is being integrated throughout the house: lighting design and window treatments ("electronic" glass, window covering that automatically respond to changes in weather, etc.) audio and video entertainment, voice and data management, security and access, and environmental controls and energy management.

Section Two: Smart Materials: New building materials such as titanium, electronic glass that can become transparent or opaque at the flick of a switch, polycarbonate materials, laser perforated metals—all are changing the way homes are built and the ways in which we use and perceive spaces within these structures. Recently completed projects that celebrate these new materials and construction techniques are featured.

Section Three: Smart Design: Swimming pools cantilevered in mid-air, windows that recreate digital views at night, interior spaces whose functions are transformed through architectural slight of hand and by computer aided design, all point to new ways of thinking about how we live and how we use space in this increasingly space-challenged world. Several recent projects where smart design has created breathtaking results are featured. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Belongs on a coffee table
I bought this book to get insight into the Smart home concept and implementation.
This book has very little of hard knowledge, as far as smart homes are concerned. It does have a lot of picture, I agree with the other critics, IT MAKES A GOOD COFFEE TABLE BOOK.
I wouldn't recommend it for anyone that actually wants to know about the smart home concept.

Hmmm...I am not sure
This book started out on a great premise, to talk about smart technology, smart materials and smart design in residential house.Examples illustrated in this book are not bad, either.Layouts are there, pictures are there.Descriptions are quite well-written.Still, this book is lacking of that wow factor that manages to captivate our interest, or perhaps, to keep us reading from beginning till end.Perhaps, it is the quality or the presentation of this book.It is printed in Hong Kong and compared with books done by Taschen and Phaidon, this book is definitely of a more inferior quality.My conclusion is simply, hmmm...I'm not sure.Keep up the good work, though.

Not for copying
this book is a great display of "smart" housing in the contemporary scene. if you are an architect or an architecture student who is looking to rip off other peoples designs and details this book is not for you!!

Poor Execution
When I bought this book I was looking for a source of "options" that I could apply to the design of my own Smart House.This is more of a coffee table book, not a useful reference.For some unknown reason the editor chose to print the text as white print on a black background, which I find almost as annoying as reading text that is entirely bold-face.On top of that the author chose to showcase several houses that are starkly contemporary and amazingly ugly in my opinion.In sum: this book has nothing much to offer the prospective home builder.

pretty pictures, low executable value
I am in the process, prolonged process, of building a house and wanted some pointers, some good ideas. I got them in pictures but not in details. For instance one of my favorite houses, Sund Olsen's Courtyard House is here in page after page of photos. Great but not one detail about what the specs are on all that glazing, what the R value is of the roof. The books also really slants to West Coast environments and doesn't bring a lot of relevance to the South (not that the South necessarily has a lot of relevance). ... Read more

Book Description

This is a paperback version of a collection of period building details, featuring highlights from the first four editions of Architectural Graphic Standards. Spanning the years 1932 to 1951 it is designed to assist architects and interior designers renovating and restoring buildings constructed in the first half of this century. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good for all those tiny details
If you are a designer, or a student of design, and your teachers recommend that you obtain Architectural Standards, well don't bother. This gathers all the best details from the Standards, and makes them available in a comprehensive paperback. (That is portable in a backpack, and considerably lighter than the Standards, as well as much cheaper, and that's the bottom line, isn't it?) Full of information about the size and shape of everything from a writing desk to a city bus, this work is essential to make accurate designs for the stage. This work leaves out all the less used info in the Standards, and if you are an absolute purist, (Or an architect,) then Architectural stndards is what you want, but for the rest of us, who don't need to know the specifics, but are hung up on the details, then this is an indispensable resource. ... Read more

Book Description

This practical reference for design professionals and those in related fields applies the latest research on sound behavior, high-performance materials, and audiovisual systems to a wide variety of building types and uses. Case studies draw on the firm's 22 years of experience as acoustical engineers, and drawings and diagrams help explain what can't be seen, only heard. Acoustics ". . . takes what could be a dry, academic manual and infuses it with the energy of real-life solutions." ... Read more

Book Description

This book/disk package offers architects, contractors, and engineers virtually all the structural, mechanical, electrical, lighting, and acoustical design data they may need to solve a huge range of architectural engineering problems with remarkable speed, accuracy, and ease.Packed with vital formulas, innovative design tools, and beautifully illustrated examples, it guides readers through the selection and sizing of virtually any functional component of a building, from shed to skyscraper, anywhere in the world.In addition, powerful calculation software lets users simply enter the name of the component to be designed and values are computed in seconds! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Not good reference for Arch Engineering PE Exam
DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE STUDYING FOR THE NEW ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING PE EXAM - IT IS NOT USEFUL AT ALL. I bought this book as reference to study for and take the newly established Architectural Engineering PE exam and was sorely disappointed. The author fails in his self-proclaimed attempt to distill engineering design formulations into an easy-to-read format. The equations throughout the book are simply "dumbed down" linear statements of esoteric symbols with next to no regard to engineering notation conventions. The example problems may resemble some types of common design problems, but are rarely general enough to apply to varying situations. I didn;t refer eveon one time to any equation or example problem in this book when studying for or taking the actual PE exam in April 2003.

Standard Handbook of Architectural Engineering
This book is very helpful for the architects understanding of structures with its companion CD, is a unique problem-solving tool and provides solutions to difficulties as they arise on the job.

Excellent resource for practicing professional engineers
Excellent resource for professionals who need ready access to common architectural design issues. Provides excellent emperical techniques not available in academic texts. Real time saver. One disappointment - the computer disk of calculations was for the P. C. computers and not usable by the MacIntosh community which I am a part. Even without the computing aid, the book was well worth it's price.

i like it
Me gusta mucho la manera como se expresa el autor, y las muchas posibilidades de investigacion que se pueden encontrar en ese libro ... Read more

Book Description

Quick access to the primary requirements of the ADA, now updated to cover the latest ADAAG guidelines

This concise guide provides facility professionals, building owners, architects and designers with the primary requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Up-to-date with the latest revisions of the Federal Register's ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities, this valuable reference provides instant access to the key provisions which impact facility design and management, including scope and technical requirements for accessibility elements and spaces. It covers the unique compliance needs of special building types, including restaurants, medical care facilities, and offices.

EVAN TERRY ASSOCIATES, P.C., (Birmingham, Alabama) is an architectural firm which also offers workshops, seminars, and publications on the facilities requirements of the ADA. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

.....but this one fits in your pocket
The Table of Contents of this book is nearly indentical to the "Code of Federal Regulations" issued by the Justice Department and provided free of charge to anyone who asks for it. But at roughly 6x9 inches, it doesn't fit in my pocket. So if the pocket thing is important to you, I highly recommend this book!

ADA Compliance Simplified!
This little book is easy to carry around and contains all of the ADAAG info you could ever need! I've been using mine for 2 years and would be lost without it! Thomas Schmokel - ADA Consultant

Get a grip on ADA, pocket size.
Are you tired of tracking down the office copy of the ADA standards? Is the only copy within the workstation of King Tornado? Get your hands on this little number. Keep it by you at all times. I have used this reference guide for two years now and it has saved me a lot of time. This is a very easy to use condensed version of the state issued ADA guide. It is accurate and reliable and it does not have to go back to the office library. And don't let the words "pocket guide" scare you off, this is not a brochure, it is a book. It's just smaller and smarter, not to mention lighter than the stardard issue. So get a grip on ADA, pocket size. ... Read more

Book Description

Have you ever been intrigued by a beautiful building and wondered when it was built? "Identifying American Architecture" provides the answer to such questions in a concise handbook perfect for preservationists, architects, students and tourists alike. With 214 photographs, it allows readers to associate real buildings with architectural styles, elements and orders. "Identifying American Architecture" was designed to be used--carried about and kept handy for frequent reference. Every photograph is keyed to an explanatory legend pointing out characteristic features of each building's style. Trade bookstores order from W.W. Norton, NY ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Highly recommended for students of American architecture
Enhanced with 214 photographs, John Blumenson's Identifying American Architecture: A Pictorial Guide To Styles And Terms 1600-1945 enables the reader to associate real buildings with architectural styles, elements, and orders. Every photograph is keyed to an explanatory text pointing out characteristic features of each building's style. An extremely "user friendly" identification tool, Identifying American Architecture is highly recommended for both students of American architecture and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in identifying architectural classifications of buildings they encounter on trips and excursions throughout the country or in his own neighborhood. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Florence-based Studio Marmo provides marketing materials to stone suppliers worldwide, and in that sense, Fine Marble in Architecture is kind of like a straightforward, coffee table-quality shopper's catalog for designers, builders, their clients, and anyone else who wants a working primer of the finest marbles available for big-ticket, high-profile projects. After an introduction that lays out the basic traits, history, strengths, weaknesses, uses, and technical details of the best marbles, the book becomes a guide to some 48 different varieties, including polychrome and monochrome breccias, ophiolithic-type green marbles, quartzites, stones, and granites. A handsome full-color blowup of each marble in question appears on every right-hand page while a rundown of its aesthetic characteristics, locale and mode of production, workmanship, and history (including distinguished sites that incorporate it) appear on the left, sometimes along with contact information for a producer or distributor (nearly all in Italy).

Finally, there's a portfolio of built works utilizing various marbles. From a ninth-century Indian temple to the Jefferson Memorial to the Trump Tower, the authors make it clear this book isn't a do-it-yourselfer for homeowners looking to install a marble birdbath. There's also a CD-ROM with all the samples from the book, if you want to pass around swatches electronically. This could well be the standard-bearer for fine-marble references--there's really nothing else quite like it. --Timothy Murphy ... Read more

Book Description

Conservation and Restoration of Glass is an in-depth guide to the materials and practices required for the care and preservation of glass objects. It provides thorough coverage of both theoretical and practical aspects of glass conservation.

This new edition of Newton and Davison's original book, Conservation of Glass, includes sections on the nature of glass, the historical development and technology of glassmaking, and the deterioration of glass. Professional conservators will welcome the inclusion of recommendations for examination and documentation. Incorporating treatment of both excavated glass and historic and decorative glass, the book provides the knowledge required by conservators and restorers and is invaluable for anyone with glass objects in their care.

* Includes both theoretical background and practical procedures, providing a comprehensive view of the subject
* Contains new highly illustrated case studies
* Concentrates on 2 and 3 dimensional glass object restoration ... Read more

Book Description

Classic work by the great Victorian expresses his deepest convictions about the nature and role of architecture and its aesthetics. Timeless observations are required reading for architects, students and lovers of architecture. This authoritative edition includes reproductions of the 14 original plates of Ruskin’s superb drawings of architectural details from such structures as the Doge’s Palace in Venice, the Cathedral of St.-Lo, Giotto’s Campanile in Florence and the Cathedral of Rouen.
... Read more

Reviews (6)

rip off
The kessinger edition of this book is a rip off!!! do not buy it!!!
i received a copy in which the margins on the pages were 2 inches all around and the text was so small. everything seemed to be copied with a fax machine, so there was lots of tiny black dots all over the pages. the images are so unclear. they were black and white with no grayscales and it was so hard to make out what the images were. i returned this book for a refund.
buy the dover edition instead. its practically the same text except the text fills up the whole page and the pictures are clear. its also less than half the price of the kessinger edition.

Be forewarned: Unashamed moralizing and aesthetic certainty
If you are looking for a "practical guide to the
structures and tools" of architecture, this is NOT
your book nor your guide.
For John Ruskin is an art critic, classicist, and
moralizing aesthetic prophet. He is not an "art for art's
sake" temporizer or relativist. He not only knows what
HE believes...but he believes he knows what YOU should
believe too. If that makes you uncomfortable or makes
you feel hampered, you might want to pass him by until
you feel you can accommodate the "insult" and "restrictions"
on your "free will choices." Otherwise, there is much of
beauty, wonder, and insight to be gained in these pages.
Ruskin's point of view is that of a classical Platonist
mixed with the moralizing tenor of an exhorting (but not
shrilly so) prophet toward beauty, Truth, and clarity of
vision...and moral purpose in Art. He also has a wondrous
prose style which is both clear, compelling, and entrancing.
This edition published by Dover as a reprint is of the
second edition of the work from 1880. It also includes
14 plates of drawings which Ruskin did to illustrate the
points which he makes in the text.
Along the way, Ruskin includes shortened Aphorisms
in the margin which restate the bold face print points
which he is making in the text. In Chapter 2, titled
"The Lamp of Truth," Ruskin stands forth most forcefully
and dynamically (and perhaps to the "modern," most
tendentiously) as the classical Platonic moralizer
and aesthetic apostle/prophet/priest. Though raised
a strict Protestant, Ruskin rebelled and left Christianity
for a classical Paganism based on beauty, Truth, and clarity.
Needless to say, this more than tended to alienate him
and isolate him from the mercenary, industrialized
Victorian world which was chugging along outside his
hermetically sealed temple dedicated to Truth, Beauty,
Goodness, and Clarity. Mercantilism and "practical
progress" don't exactly exalt those four princples as
the means or the goals whereby to make money and become
successful in the eyes of the world or popular opinion.
But if you want to read about Truth and Beauty and
read it through the eyes and soul of a lover of those
qualities -- and read it expressed in most beautiful
prose and style (which is both poetic and powerful),
then Ruskin and this work are clearly the choices you
should make.
This excerpt from Ruskin tied to Aphorism 29 {"The
earth is an entail, not a possession.") clearly shows
that Ruskin's vision and prophetic power extend beyond
the merely practical realm of architecture into an
all-encompassing total vision of responsibility and
reverence: "The idea of self-denial for the sake of
posterity, of practising present economy for the sake of
debtors yet unborn, of planting forests that our
descendants may live under their shade, or of raising
cities for future nations to inhabit, never, I suppose,
efficiently takes place among publicly recognized motives
of exertion. Yet these are not the less our duties; nor
is our part fitly sustained upon the earth, unless the
range of our intended and deliberate usefulness include,
not only the companions, but the successors, of our
pilgrimage. God has lent us the earth for our life; it
is a great entail. It belongs as much to those who are
to come after us, and whose names are already written in
the book of creation, as to us, and we have no right, by
any thing that we do or neglect, to involve them in
unnecessary penalties., or deprive them of benefits which
it was in our power to bequeath."
Read...enjoy...benefit...

outdated
I found that tying in human traits to different styles of architecture was not interesting at all. There is no discussion of building techniques or the practical side of architecture. This would be more for the artist that is trying to project different human feelings into the structure. If you are looking for a techincal guide to architecture this is not it.

Architecture's Most Influential Written Work
This book is the origin of virtually every theory held throughout the history of architecture. The arts and crafts movement, Frank Lloyd Wright's organicism, and Corbusier's New Architecture are just a few examples of prominent theories whose foundations lie within the pages of this book. In this book, Ruskin prescribes the essential elements required to make timeless, meaningful architecture. This manifesto is a must for any student interested in the practice and study of architecture.

Wonderful architectural moralism
Ruskin is a master in morality and architecture. This combination, which is very nineteenth-century-like, mixes Ruskin with a wonderful mastery of the English language. The Seven Lamps is a must-read for all you folks who have not yet studied architecture in all its facets. ... Read more

Book Description

An essential reference for architects, contractors, owners, facility managers, developers, city planners--anyone involved in preserving or rehabilitating historic structures.

This unique publication combines expert construction cost estimating with project planning and management guidance from some of the best known authorities in historic preservation. Sets forth the special requirements of historic building projects--and shows how to estimate and control their costs.

The authors explain:

How to determine whether a structure qualifies as historic.
How to evaluate and repair more than 75 historic building materials.
Where to obtain funding and other assistance.
How to properly research, document, and manage the project to meet code, agency, and other special requirements.
How to approach the upgrade of major building systems, including structural, mechanical/electrical, elevators, security systems, and more.

With guidance on creating detailed estimates for the work, selecting qualified contractors, and budgeting for future maintenance once the project is complete. Includes over 300 photos and illustrations, current case studies, and sample estimates. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It's about time!
The American construction industry has been waiting for this book for a long time. Its practical information can make this type of work a usual business practice, with profit for practitioners and retention of the public's cultural heritage. It can be done on time, on budget and still sensitive to original design and fabric, if the team has a well-rounded education. ... Read more

Book Description

A thoroughly revised and significantly expanded edition of the popular 1980s original, Googie Redux is the authoritative history of the mid-20th century icon that ignited an architectural revolution: the coffee shop. Emblematic of Southern California car culture, stylized eateries and other roadside buildings built from the 1930s to the 1950s were dismissed as lowbrow stylistic folly in their heyday. Yet, as Alan Hess points out, in many ways they were the realization of modern architecture's grand promises. They were populist, employed new materials, and captured their purpose, place, and culture as vividly as any great architectural style. The influential original edition helped to spark a robust preservation movement and kick-started the reappreciation of mid-century architecture and design. This latest edition features extensive up-to-date research and dozens of rarely seen and newly found photographs. Googie Redux is the definitive document of a style born in California that has spread to all corners of the world. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Real McCoy!
I guess it isn't an easy thing to compose an illustrative guide on such complicated and multilayered portion of Architecture as American domestic styles, but all are included here: easily recognizable types, details, even construction methods! Special thanks to the Illustrator: the pictures are neither "overillustrated" nor of too "academic" appearance - just restrained professional still artistic graphic. As an international Architect often working for an American architectural firm I will surely make use of it.

excellent line drawings demonstrate styles
Not comprehensive enough in scope to be a true dictionary of architectural style, but certainly provides the visual images necessary to recognize the styles. Included floor plans also demonstrate the various modes. Good survey of vernacular styles, often overlooked in other texts. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Should art museums be designed to surprise and delight or to instruct and uplift? Should the museum building be a temple of art or an entertainment complex? Architectural historian Victoria Newhouse considers these and other questions about museums in her book Towards a New Museum. Newhouse examines dozens of art museums built during the 1980s and 1990s and describes how the buildings fit into the history of ideas about the proper function of museums. Some museums are like cabinets of curiosities, a hodgepodge of items the collector assembles to delight viewers. Other designers of museums strive to provide a neutral environment that does not distract viewers from the art. However, some architects believe that hanging paintings on white walls in galleries separates the art from its context. Architects and artists have grappled with these ideas and created some stunning and outlandish museums in recent years. Newhouse describes the sinuous, titanium-coated new Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the fractured forms of the Fredrick R. Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis. She writes about the artist Donald Judd, who bought most of Marfa, Texas, and made it a museum. These are bold and sometimes beautiful museums. Newhouse wisely includes plenty of good pictures and diagrams of each building.

In different segments of the book, Newhouse discusses: private museums, museums that function as temples of art, museums devoted to one artist, and museums designed by artists. She also devotes a chapter to the unfortunate impact of museum politics on design. This chapter, "Wings That Don't Fly," illustrates some of the more vivid design disasters in recent history, including the "toilet tank" addition to the Guggenheim in New York. Art historians, architects, and people who are connected to museums will find this book an instructive, thoughtful overview of what's going on with museums today. --Jill Marquis ... Read more

Reviews (2)

disappointing
This book is ok if you want a coffee-table type, once-over- lightly look at some new museums. If you want the kind of serious consideration or analysis that seems promised by the contents/chapter titles, look elsewhere. A waste of $ for my purposes.

An articulate overview of recent museum design
Victoria Newhouse's book on recent museum design is fascinating--I have been to many of the projects she includes (there are lots and lots of them), and her descriptions and analyses of them never fail to strike me as remarkably insightful. I don't always agree with her comments or her selection of projects (Frank Stella should stick to painting), but as a whole the book is both a wide-ranging compendium of current designs for the visual arts, and an informed treatise with a strong point of view. Far from being an advocate of universal space, Newhouse keeps returning to her central theme: how well does a particular design serve its particular contents? In answering that question, she displays an unusual comprehension of sophisticated issues in both the architectural and artistic arenas. Newhouse has visited much and looked hard; she has also apparently done a lot of research, talked to many of the clients, architects, and curators, and gives one not only the obvious facts but often the inside story. Then she calls it as she sees it, cogently summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of each project's suitability as a container for art. This is required reading for anyone seriously interested in or involved with problems of museum and gallery design. ... Read more

Book Description

A comprehensive, succinct, wide-ranging, accessible reference to architecture in America. In over 2,500 definitions and nearly 1,000 illustrations, Cyril Harris covers everything to do with the built environment, from construction materials and techniques to decorative terms and practical devices, dogtrot cabin to skyscraper, covered bridge to Crystal Palace (the New York one), greenbelt to gristmill, impost to pilaster--enriched, when relevant, with intriguing historical or biographical nuggets. The rich diversity of American architecture is reflected in the 126 styles identified in these pages, a unique contribution to the field. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

needs more graphics
The book is great, but lots of definitions don't have pictures; Some house types had pictures while others did not. ... Read more