Book Description

For architects, builders, and contractors who want to save time, effort, and money, the solution is this first-of-its-kind collection of 1,300 CAD-compatible traditional details, from electrical and foundation to structural. Compatible with both AutoCAD and other CAD systems (.dfx and .dwg formats) on both PC and MAC. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume documents the complete works of Carlo Scarpa, one of the leadig Italian architects of the twentieth century. There are over two dozen essays by leading architects and architectural critics, including Bruno Zevi, Vincent Scully, Arata Isozaki, and Christian NorbergSchulz offering an extensive overview of Scarpa's life and career as well as lucid interpretations of his architecture. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

no pictures
I was expecting alot o clearf pictures of his works, and got none. If a text book is what you are looking for, I recomend it but since I wanted mostly pictures, I was very much dissapointed. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

excellent, thought-provoking, calm
I've hesitated to review this book because I'm personally suspicious of glowing praise. However, this book deserves it. Brand's starting point is the observation that most architects spend most of their time re-working or extending existing buildings, rather than creating new ones from scratch, but the subject of how buildings change (or, to adopt Brand's metaphor, how buildings learn from their use and environment) is ignored by most architectural schools and theorists. By looking at examples (big and small, ancient and modern), Brand teases out patterns of re-use and change, and argues (very convincingly) that since buildings are going to be modified many times, they should be designed with unanticipated future changes in mind. Of course, the same is true of programs, and I found again and again that I could substitute the word "program" for "building", and "programmer" for "architect", everything Brand said was true of computing as well (but much better written than any software engineering polemic I've ever read).

A fascinating book about buildings changing over time
I'm always fascinated with how seemingly impersonal forces effect changes over time. This book is about exactly that: Although people are responsible for changes to a building, over a long period of time and many owners the reasons for the changes become obscure and the effects of many different changes turn the structure into something unique.

Brand includes hundreds of examples of "rephotography": Photos of a location taken at many times from roughly the same angle to illustrate the changes. (Among the best are 140 years of photos of San Francisco's Cliff House, which burned down at least twice.) He examines both structural and cosmetic changes to a building, as well as the ephemeral changes to the people and things inside a building which change much more rapidly. He also considers a few buildings which were designed from whole cloth, and as a result are both resistant to change, and decidedly more cold and unlivable regardless of their artistic merits.

Brand's friendly, yet often opinionated, writing style is tremendously engaging, and unlike many non-fiction books there's rarely a sense that he's repeating the same ideas over and over: There's always something new here, more lovely photos to look at. And it imparts Brand's love of the organic, living man-made environment where the practical and the aesthetic merge into something entirely enjoyable.

Morality in building
The best part of this book is its historical photos, a history of our society told by its buildings. Worst part is its premise: that once we understand the importance of adaptability in buildings, we will build differently.

The fact remains building owners will never pay more than is necessary to meet their forseeable needs. (And if it weren't for building codes, even health and safety would be compromised.)

Another point: Although he values ordinary buildings, and wants an architecture free of pretense, pretense of some sort is the essence of architecture, which, as Frank Lloyd Wright said, begins where function ends. Do we really want a world of plain utilitarian structures?

So the book ends up being more of a criticism of our short-sighted culture, using buildings as examples. The arguments may not hold water, but the vast amount of research that obviously went into this book to document how buildings change over the decades still makes it interesting.

This Book Effectively Merges Technology with Preservation
Stewart Brand's How Buildings Learn: What happens after they're built is as much a reflection of his life as it is about architecture. This potent clearly written essay provides valuable insights for a wider ranging audience while poking fun at established norms in the information age. Depreciatory of modernism casting doubt on the success of popular monuments paying homage to their creators, Brand does not limit his criticism of Wright for Falling Water in southwestern Pennsylvania or I.M. Pei's Media Lab Building at MIT. The strength of the book is the candid and thoughtful approach, interrelating complex issues with simple strands. Weaving a tale of old stuff in a new world, Brand proposes that buildings are most useful to their occupants and neighbors when they adapt. He assures that change will happen and that the only enduring monuments are those that can transform with time. Brand relies on a variety of primary and secondary sources and reinforces his examples with candid photographs, often visually comparing and contrasting to make his points. For each of these archetypes he tests the building against its function to perform basic living needs. He candidly makes observations without concern for political correctness within the broader architectural community.

Proposing six shear levels within a building based on their ability to temporally adapt, How Buildings Learn uses Site, Structure, Skin, Services, Space, and Stuff as a highly successful outline in delivering its message (p. 13). One source attributes this paradigm to that developed by British architect and historian F. Duffy's "Four S's" of capital investment in buildings. The site is eternal, yet often ignored by architects. The structure is most permanent defining the form and lasting 30 to 300 years. The skin is the part the architects get to play with. The services change every 10 to 15 years and, for ease of adaptation, should be kept separate to allow slippage from structure. The space (interior partition and pedestrian flow) and people's stuff change continually at the will of the occupants. After defining these layers, Brand then maps how buildings acclimatize over time based on their architecture.

The architecture is divided into three paths: low road, high road, and monumental. As a counter-culturalist, Brand observations should surprise no one that those dysfunctional places revered by society adapt the worse while despised "low visibility, low-rent, no-style" structures are functional, cost effective, and adapt easily to change. Contrasting the "temporary" World War II government warehouse Building 20 at MIT to I.M. Pei's Media Lab on the same campus, Brand illustrates his points with human testimonies and photographs. Though scheduled for demolition a number of times over the decades, Building 20's adaptable character has resisted. On the contrary, it appears the only forces retaining the overly designed and dysfunctional Media Lab are economic and social: the millions of dollars expended for its construction and the people that approved the funding for a monument to its designer. High Road buildings are high maintenance, described by Brand as a "labor of love measured in lifetimes." Citing original work by the Duchess of Devonshire, he attributes the character of these buildings to "high intent, duration of purpose, and a steady supply of confident dictators" (p. 35).

Unlike Low Road buildings that demonstrate value through utility, or High Road buildings that endure for their beauty and majesty, the worst buildings for adaptation are Famous buildings. For this arena, Brand has a target-rich environment. One book reviewer describes these buildings as "ignoring time, while time does not reciprocate." Because of its leaky roofs, Falling Water becomes, "Rising Mildew" and a "seven-bucket building" (p 58.) Famous buildings cannot adapt. They either exist as monuments to their creators, requiring significant investment to preserve, or as relics on the landscape succumbing to the forces of nature disintegrating into the landscape upon which they sit. Brand applied a similar logical approach to contrast exposed building elements. The Eiffel Tower, though despised by the locals at its inception, now stands as a monumental icon to the technical advances of the early twentieth century. The structure is beautiful in the nude. On the contrary, the exposed systems on the twenty-first century Pompidou Centre - originally celebrated for innovation and creativity - are now rusted and cracked. Without intervention, Famous buildings are destined to return to the landscape from which they were created.

How Buildings Learn mirrors Brand's interest in preservation and high technology. While one might interpret preservation and modern construction materials as diametrically opposed disciplines, Brand alleys these concerns. The chapters on Preservation and Maintenance allude to the desirable attributes of quiet, populist, victorious, and romantic. The space materials create environmental stewardship through their speed, efficiency, strength and effortless implementation. Traditional or "vernacular" materials will be touchable and aesthetic but come at a higher price. Smart materials, created from advanced processes, are cheaper and may provide the economic incentive to preserve an old building that might otherwise succumb to the financial pressures created by vernacular restoration. Brand suggests that future buildings will learn more quickly. He uses computer advances in sensory and motor response as metaphors; however, does not suggest to what part of his six "S's" illustration this prediction relates.

As a matter of fact, Stewart Brand has a history of predicting technical change and has built a contrarian consulting organization around this ability. Unlike most management consultants, yet consistent with How Building Learn, Brand helps companies adapt - designing for impending change instead of planning for a strategic future outcome. As Fortune magazine paraphrased him, "If mind-boggling change is the only constant, focusing on the avoidance of major blunders yields better results than the single-minded pursuit of the big win."

More that just buildings can learn
Stewart Brand's "How Buildings Learn" is a well put together book on a
rarely addressed topic. By well put together I mean that it is not only well
written, but well illustrated. The photographs are excellent and help explain
the topic under discussion.
The book is about how buildings change over time. Brand shows numerous
examples of how different buildings have changed with use. More important he
explains what makes a building that can improve and adapt to new uses as it
ages. This is important for architecture since builds often last longer than the
people who design and build them. At some point they may be put to uses that
were never anticipated when they were built.
The author, who is an architect, is highly critical of how his colleges
design buildings. Most buildings are designed without any thought for the
occupants. Nor is any thought given to the uses the building will be put to in
the future. Few buildings are designed so they can adapt to unanticipated uses.
In brands opinion the more impressive the design of the building the less useful
it will be to it's occupants.
Brand offers advise and examples on how to make a building that will last
and be used and loved by its occupants for a long time. These rules are fairly
simple. Several good examples are included. This is the most important part of
the book.

I read this book about architecture even though I am not an architect and
have no particular interest in the subject. This book was worth while because of
the ideas for how to design something complex and long lived so that it will
remain useful. This can be applied to software engineering just as well as
architecture. I do not know of any better discussion of the subject. ... Read more

Book Description

Defined as "the practice of architecture, planning and interior design in which psychology is the principal design tool", the purpose of Design Psychology is to create environments that reflect the individual or group as well as encourage positive change.

Some Place Like Home introduces the new field of Design Psychology, using in-depth interviews with design superstars Michael Graves, Andres Duany and Charles Jencks to examine how places from the past contain the seeds of future choices – for home locations, dwellings and interior design.

The Design Psychology Exercises used to delve into the ‘environmental autobiographies’ of Graves, Jencks and Duany can in turn be used by readers, themselves, to explore their own environmental treasure chests.

The last portion of the book focuses on the practical application of Design Psychology by showing examples of residential, corporate and institutional projects created via the Design Psychology process. A Design Psychology Toolbox, provided at the end of the book, gives readers hands-on programming exercises they can use to explore and design from their most fulfilling inner experiences.

This is a groundbreaking, ‘must read’ book for anyone seeking to create an ideal environment that feels "Some Place Like Home". ... Read more

Reviews (1)

One of the best design tools out there.
This book is wonderfully written and easily understood by those directly and indirectly involved with interior design and architecture. The author, Toby Israel, leads you through her pioneering ideas behind design psychology with an interesting format that includes narration, interviews and exercises. You'll discover how your own past history of place - where you grew up, the type of home you lived in and even where you went to school - can affect choices you make regarding dwellings and workplaces now and in your future.
The exercises throughout the book help readers uncover influences from their past and can help them create successful environments for themselves or for clients. This book is a must have for anyone seeking to create satisfying designs with tools we inherently possess but too often ignore. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

How to Build Your Own Adobe Home
This book is for the individual who wants to and is able to build his/her own home. The details are geared towards someone who is already familiar with building techniques and jargon. If you're planning to design your own adobe home but have a contractor do the actually building of it, you probably don't need to know this much and will be overwhelmed by the information provided.

Excellent first book on adobe and rammed earth buildings.
This book is easy to read and understand when the author explains adobe and rammed earth buildings. The book seems to be a bit more focused on the details of adobe brick making which is great if that is what you want. The rammed earth sections are very informative but lack some of the construction details. I would have liked to have seen more detailed decriptions with better drawings of forms, for example. The author also has several table having containg soil composition that was a bit too technical for practical use. Overall,I believe this book is well worth the money for an introduction to adobe and rammed earth buildings. Additional books would be needed to learn enough to build one yourself though. ... Read more

Book Description

rIAnalysing Architecture offers a unique 'notebook' of architectural strategies to present an engaging introduction to elements and concepts in architectural design. Beautifully illustrated throughout with the author's original drawings, examples are drawn from across architectural history (from primitive places to late 20th century structures) to illustrate analytical themes and to show how drawing can be used to study architecture.

Simon Unwin clearly identifies the key elements of architecture and conceptual themes apparent in buildings. He describes ideas for use in the active process of design. Breaking down the grammar of architecture into themes and 'moves', Unwin exposes its underlying patterns to reveal the organizational strategies that lie beneath the superficial appearances of buildings.
Exploring buildings as results of the interaction of people with the world around them, Analysing Architecture offers a definition of architecture as 'identification of place' and provides a greater understanding of architecture as a creative discipline. This book presents a powerful impetus for readers to develop their own capacities for architectural design.

In this second edition the framework for analysis has been revised and enlarged, and further case studies added. Many new drawings have been included, illustrating further examples of the themes explored. The link between analysis and learning about the possibilities of design has been reinforced, and the bibliography of recommended supplementary reading has been expanded. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

So, so
I used this text for a architecture class I was enrolled in. The writing isn't exactly a brilliant discovery into architecture, but it is a great starter book to figure out how architects think and what building design means. The figure/ground drawings are useful.

An informative book on the fundamentals of architecture
This book establishes a systematic method in analyzing architecture. It explains how architectural elements are combined together to form designs that could relate an appropriate sense of 'place' specific to the programme as well as the environment surrounding it. The book is well illustrated with diagrams and examples. An extremely useful introductory guide for those who want to learn more about the basics of architecture.

Excellent introduction.
Beginning with the root definition of architecture as its "conceptual organization, its intellectual structures"., the author makes clear its function as "identification of place", goes on to identify the basic elements and concepts, examines the use of natural features of the landscape, analyzes primitive place types, geometry in architecture, space and structure, and other key concepts.
From the campsites of primitive man to the sophisticated structures of the late twentieth century, architecture as an essential function of human activity is explained clearly, and illustrated with the author's own excellent drawings. Highly recommended as a well-organized and readable introduction.

(The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.) ... Read more

Book Description

Visitors and residents alike continue to be pleasantly astonished by the rich and varied architectural heritage of the San Francisco Bay Area. This completely revised and updated guide offers a comprehensive catalog of noteworthy and representative sites, including residential and commercial buildings, parks, and public art works, each illustrated by an accompanying photograph. All are located within the major San Francisco neighborhoods as well as outlying areas. Useful maps, descriptive tidbits, and sightseeing hints embellish this densely packed volume. Whether used as the basis for a walking tour or as a reference for students and historians, SAN FRANCISCO ARCHITECTURE is the definitive guide to the natural and urban development of one of the most recognized and visited areas in the world. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

a most useful guide
San Francisco Architecture is the best field guide around if you want to find out about both old and new architecture in the Bay Area.It not only covers San Francisco,but does a a good job of tours in San Jose,Oakland,and Berkeley,and up to Sonoma, and Napa with the wineries.I took several of the tours with my friends and we all found it a very insightful and pleasurable experience that i highly recommend.It is loaded with photos to help with the selection of what you want to see and not too big and bulky to take along comfortably.I give it an enthusiastic five stars.

Crisp, clear, concise
The new edition of San Francisco Architecture is everything a portable guide to the built environment should be: organized, accessible, and with enough detail to expand one's sense of time, place, and people.Fortunately, from this reader's point of view, it was written for a lay, rather than specialist, audience; the result is neither exhaustive nor exhausting, merely highly informative. As with any reference book, it must address specific information needs of a specific audience, and, in my estimation, this guide does so very well for a reader with general interest in buildings around the Bay Area.

San Francisco Architecture is unusually well designed and produced: the photography, layout, information structure, typography and printing (espcially the halftone reproduction) are all exemplary and reinforcing of each other. Visually, it is as satisfying as it is workmanlike -- free of excess or caprice and dedicated to serving information effectively.

The wrong book.
If you're looking for the equivilent to an AIA guide for San Francisco, this is not the one.
Issues:
It's full of typos
The building descriptions are bad.
The authors give little or no context to the structures they highlight and no real reason why they selected them.
This makes what is outlined look totally random.
Many of the blurbs are pointess musings or anecdotal info.
They appear to have very little to say and are unable to write a simple building description.
As historicans and architects, you'd think they would have a firm grasp on historic preservation. they don't. A few descriptionsgive the impression that they seefacadism as a perfectly legitimate form of historic preservation when in reality it is one of the most loathed "last resorts" preservationist's are forced to use. ... Read more

Book Description

Over 4,000 architectural definitions 3,000 defining illustrations

Meticulously written, heavily cross-referenced, and unique in the fact that it is a dictionary that can truly be called a visual resource, the Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture, Second Edition, is the best way for any designer or other interested professional or layperson-- to gain a complete understanding of architectural elements. Author Ernest Burden's unique resource contains nearly 4000 design-related definitions and more than 3000 illustrations -- far more than any other dictionary. And now, biographies of over 300 architects, with classic examples of their work, have been added to round out the coverage in this edition. You'll find full details and pictorial coverage of:

* Architectural Styles
*Details
*Building Elements
* Forms
* Building Systems ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Pretty good, but there is room for improvement.
I thought this would simply be a nice book to have (and of course the cover looks cool). It's got almost every architectural term I can think of, but the page layout is a little cluttered if not cramped & the paper they used is a little odd for any book (heavy and rough).

It would make an excellent gift for a perspective architecture student, but is really not necessary for professionals. Perhaps Burden could figure a way out to have the architectural dictionary work backwards (i.e. from the picture figure out what the term is).

A fool-proof guide to understanding architectural elements
Ernest Burden's Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture is long on illustration, a commendable fact given that most conventional architectural dictionaries many times leave one guessing as to meanings even after repeated readings of definitions. If you're ever a bit fuzzy as to the difference between a spandrel and a pendentive, a spire and a pinnacle, Burden's 'point-and-shoot' approach and cross referenced entries may prove invaluable to clearing up such gray areas of the field's nomenclature. ... Read more

Book Description

A thoroughly revised, updated and extended edition of Engineering Noise Control, resulting in a comprehensive discussion of the theoretical principles and concepts of acoustics and noise control. ... Read more

Book Description

In this first monograph on his work, architect Neil Denari sets his sights on the gyroscopic horizon, a term based on the altitude device found in most aircraft. Just as a plane's gyroscope creates an artificial horizon line for the pilot, Denari often eliminates the physical earth as datum or locus of experience, turning to cultural, economic, and graphic forces as points of departure for his work.

Denari, the third director of Los Angeles's innovative Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), has made a reputation worldwide for his projects, installations, and writings on the question of technology and contemporary culture; it has been said of Denari's firm that it moves toward the question of place "with the same dynamic flow as a Boeing crossing the International Dateline headed for the arrival lounge at Narita Airport."

This long-awaited book combines photography, cultural criticism, and meditations on LosAngeles and Japan, along with Denaris trademark computer renderings and descriptions of over 20 architectural projects from the last ten years. Three of the most important projects discussed are the addition and renovation of the Arlington Museum of Art, the construction of an experimental space at Gallery MA in Tokyo (which won awards from I.D. Magazine and the Architectural Foundation of Los Angeles), and the first Microsoft retail store. Other projects include prototype housing in Tokyo, the Kansai-kan Library Competition, the Vertical Smoothouse in Los Angeles, Technology Research Park in Agoura Hills, and theMuseum of the 20th Century in Los Angeles.

Gyroscopic Horizons, whose territory ranges from the freeway to the Internet, illustrates the intense vision of this architect who draws inspiration from the complexities of modern-day machines and life. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Beautifully designed & seamlessly assembled first monograph
Gyroscopic Horizons shows an indepth look into the process, motivation and presentational work from one of the most important young american architects currently practicing. For a first monograph, Denari's work is seamless offering a unique journey through the architect's portfolio and logic. Denari's book approaches a very important issue for understanding culture and technology. In 1987, renowned architectural critic and historian Kenneth Frampton (architecture, Columbia U) separated Neil Denari out among his peers as a more thoughtful designer. As Frampton predicted, Gyroscopic Horizons contains enormous insight and energy into this thoughtful architects work. Landmark First Monograph! ... Read more

Book Description

Designated by King George V to replace Calcutta as capital of British India, New Delhi was constructed between 1912 and 1929 under the steady eye of architect Sir Edward Lutyens who sought to bring to this British Colony a sense of classicism, order, and institutional beauty. Brimming with more than 300 color and black and white illustrations, plans and photographs, this book presents the most comprehensive examination to date of how this city was envisioned, planned and constructed.

From the massive war memorial arch and resplendent sandstone and marble government house to the spacious gardens and the gloriously imposing Viceroy's House, the evidence of Lutyen’s architectural genius is everywhere throughout New Delhi. As architectural historian Andreas Volwahsen discusses the importance of Lutyen’s work he provides a fascinating account of the making of a city: the contentious debates and cultural considerations, the inspiration and the painstaking construction, and finally the ways in which New Delhi has evolved into a modern city. With the growing interest in the preservation of historic sights worldwide, this magnificently detailed yet highly accessible history is certain to become a classic in the fields of architecture and urban design. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Imperial Splendor
Wow, this book is incredible, it is quite frankly a perfect book on this subjuct.This book does not leave one leaf unturned, it has amazing B&W photos and the research is impecable, I just kept thinking, this took a great deal of time and effort to put together, that it had to have been a labor of love or they would have never gotten through it. The effort by the British Raj to build Imperial New Delhi from scratch in two decades is a tribute to British imperial power at its zenith.Whether you think it was wrong or right of the Raj to brand its imperial power on India forever, in the form of Western classical meets Indian mogul, you can't help but be blown away by the scope and beauty of Imperial Delhi. Anyone who has any, I mean any, interest in this subject should buy this book, they will not be disappointed, it is a facinating story of the ultimate colonial power and its effect on this amazing country called India. I will have this book in my collection forever and if you knew me you would know that this is high praise indeed.

An excellent treatment of Imperial Delhi
As someone who lives and works in New Delhi, I've often thought that Raj Path (the Central Vista) reminded me of Washington DC and Paris, and now my suspicions have been confirmed thanks to Volwahsen. I've been to most of the prominent buildings built by the British in New Delhi and the author does them justice. The book is beautifully illustrated and supported by numerous maps and photos. The text is well-written and knowledgable.

My only criticism (a minor one) is that Volwahsen at times assumes that the reader has more than a general knowledge of architecture. For example, he frequently refers to the "stupa" without ever really defining it (a sort of Buddhist roof style). I would have added an appendix with a listing of architectual terms used along with definitions and context.

This should not detract from anyone's decision to read Volwahsen's work, however, as he has done a masterful job. I heartily recommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Learn from Compaq's own Active Directory experts techniques and best practices for creating a secure and scalable network foundation for Windows 2000 and Exchange 2000.

Mission-Critical Active Directory provides systems designers and administrators within growing and large organizations with techniques and insights into Active Directory. Using this information, they can build a Windows 2000 network that reliably accommodates many thousands of new users, computers, and programs. Few individuals possess the knowledge of Active Directory design, operation, and security necessary to build a truly secure and stable Windows 2000 system. Now two of these experts--Compaq's own resident authorities--share their methods and experiences with readers.

Uniquely treats Active Directory as a true enterprise networking foundation
Special focus on Active Directory scalability and security
A technically sophisticated, intermediate book - does for Active Directory what Redmond does for Exchange Server ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Mediocre at best
This book was a disappointment.

I really figured that since the title has the word "Infrastructure" in it, that the book might be about building an Active Directory infrastructure. It is actually a Windows2000 security book with some AD basics thrown in.

The book goes into medium level detail on DNS, replication, and some pretty good security topics including Kerberos, Group Security and PKI.

The comparison tables were somewhat helpful and the KCC section was pretty good. But for the most part, there is nothing new here - and nothing that one can't read on Microsoft's web site, or in any other 'MCSE' book.

IMNSHO; Infrastructure issues that admins have problems with are with eliminating WINS, migrating DNS, establishing split DNS, multiple domains, and NT4 Member server migration not to mention Windows98 issues. I find it really hard to believe that Compaq had none of these issues during the migration process. The 'Migration' section was absolutely paltry and poorly written.

My impression is that there were two distinct voices here; a non-technical project manager and a Windows Security person - neither of which are talking to an infrastructure engineer.

If you read the preface, it is apparent that the writers were very happy with their QTEST experiment, which I am guessing was mostly others (deClerq and company) with Ballidelli taking the credit.

Snore.

Stan Yarbrough
MCSE, CCDP, CCNP
Network Architect
North Highland
Tampa, FL

Almost a Classic!
The Telecommunications Technology Program [URL] at Sheridan College seeks out the best books to support the courses. Along with books by Radia Perlmen, Christian Huitema, Geoff Huston, Stevens, Comer etc. we now include Balladelli and De Clercq. This book is the right mix of practical and conceptual information in a clear, thorough and very well edited package. From DDNS to PKI the book unravels AD by examining how it works and how it ties with standards. For the students, this book is a keeper and I know of no higher praise!

Awesome!
Everything that you ever wanted to know about AD but were afraid to ask! This book really gets down to the "nuts and bolts" level of Active Directory, yet it is surprisingly easy to read. The authors make even the more arcane topics of replication, kerberos authentication, and PKI easy to understand while still covering the subject matter at a depth and scope that even the most avid geek will appreciate.

It is not all theory, however. The book is full of practical information that will prove highly useful to IT professionals in both large and small enterprise settings (the stuff on DNS was some of the best I have read anywhere).

Worth every penny!

Beyond the Basics
There are a sea of Windows 2000 books out there but few go beyond the basics. Finally, a book that tackles the intricacies of Active Directory. This book is SUPERB! It is absolutely my favorite information source for Active Directory.

Superb
If you are looking for a superb book regarding Active Directory implementation in a real world environment of todays enterprise - this is what you need. You might not get the tips and tricks you are looking for if you want to become a MCSE but you get all the information you need if you have to build a scalable and secure Windows 2000 / Active Directory environment for your enterprise. ... Read more

Book Description

This book features the most current design standards for the wood industry. Load and resistance factor design (LRFD) methods are being used for design analysis to relate more effectively to computer-aided design (CAD) methods. The focus on CAD design systems have become generally accepted, and their impact on design processes are addressed in this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Old-House Dictionary From a One Room Cabin to a Beaux-Arts Mansion… Here’s a concise and easily understandable architectural dictionary for professionals and amateurs alike. More than 450 illustrations, 1500 terms, 750 definitions, and 17 useful cross references guide you smoothly through the oftentimes confusing language of American domestic architecture. Who is This Dictionary For?

• Architects and Architectural Historians
• Preservationists
• Building Trades Professionals
• Interior Designers
• High School and College Students
• Old Home Owners and Lovers

Book Description

This widely used book is a timesaving reference for design professionals working in either commercial or residential construction. Interior Construction and Detailing also serves as a comprehensive resource on materials, finishes, construction assemblies, mechanical and electrical systems, building codes, and planning standards. Hundreds of figures and tables illustrate the text. The second edition has been updated with current information on the International Building Code and more information on structural coordination and environmental issues. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good reference book but boring
Has lots of tables and charts, and is adequately explained. The author also writes study guides for standardized architecture tests, and that pretty much sums up the style: no opinions, just facts. Very thorough though. Personally I don't need a whole chapter on locks, but I suppose there are those who do. Presentation and graphics are a bit low-rent for an architecture book.

Thorough knowledge for Interior construction and details
This book should be on the shelves of every interior designer- it's so thorough that it's a little cumbersome at first. It should be used as a reference book, it gives chapter-by-chapter explanations on the specifics for the construction and application of windows, casegoods, partitions, etc. If there is ever any doubt in a designers mind as to how exactly something is constructed or works when it comes to the specifics of interior design, this book's for you. ... Read more

Book Description

Focusing on green building as it applies to larger commercial, institutional buildings, Sustainable Construction provides a complete introduction to the design and construction of high-performance green buildings. By providing a thorough grounding on the subject, this insightful guide encourages you to realize the ecological and economic benefits of green building.

Author Charles Kibert uses the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) suite of standards to explain the best practices in building procurement and delivery systems. Providing a detailed overview of the entire process of green building, he covers the theory, history, state of the industry, and best practices in green building.

Whether you're an industry professional, building owner, or real estate developer, you'll gain the knowledge you need to test any of the myriad decisions that have to be made in design and construction -- from materials selection to considering the use of natural systems for wastewater processing. ... Read more

Book Description

The complete visual guide to the elements of architectural design

ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

A PHOTOGRAPHIC SOURCEBOOK SECOND EDITION

With over 3,000 photographs and illustrations!

This book offers quick access to thousands of ideas, terms, and photographs related to the essentialelements of architectural design. Comprehensive and easy to use, it combines the best features of a dictionary, photographic guide, and textbook-making information simple to find. It lets you search visually (through the photographs), alphabetically (by index), or by general subject (through chapter headings). Throughout, chapters are arranged to cover different aspects of architectural design, establishing a solid framework that puts information into a physical, historical, and conceptual context. No other reference covers the subject with so much flexibility and from so many perspectives in a single volume.
Ideal for long-term use as a study aid or refresher, or as a springboard for design inspiration, Elements of Architectural Design,

Second Edition is an essential resource for the desktop.
* Traditional and contemporary styles
* Work of famous architects
* Different building types and uses
* Elements of form and composition
* Materials and their use in structures
* Building components and details
* Clear definitions of terms ... Read more

Book Description

This efficiency-boosting resource gives you fast access to 350 of the most commonly used site construction details. Details for curbs, steps, lighting fixtures, walls, and much more are ready to be copied from the convenient spiral-bound, lie-flat format. In addition, this manual offers you a clear view of each detail both in section and in a photograph of a sample installation. To further simplify and speed up your design and adaptation work, each clear, standard-scaled detail is accompanied by full data on cost, CSI Masterformat reference, applications, installation, intensity of use and substrate constraints, maintenance and climatological requirements, and other relevant considerations. Perfect for on-site consultation or desktop at-a-glance reference, as well as time-saving adaptation to documents, Site Construction Details Manual gives landscape, design, and construction professionals the comprehensive and up-to-date selection of details they need, right where they need it. Any way you look at it, this all-in-one detail anthology is an invaluable on-the-job toolÑone that youÕll definitely want to keep within reach. And it's a handy companion to the popular Landscape Construction Details CD-ROM! ... Read more

Book Description

The Uniform Building Code (UBC), updated every three years, is the most widely used model building code in the United States. This book is a guide to understanding and implementing the new 1997 UBC, with particular emphasis to changes that have been adopted since the 1994 UBC guidelines. ... Read more

Book Description

A simple, easy to use step-by-step guide for setting up and using QuickBooks Pro for Architects & Designers. This book has 18 sections including: Set up, Preferences, Chart of Accounts, Setting up Items, Payroll Items, Classes, Customers and Jobs, Vendors & Outside Consultants, Employees, Entering Opening Balances, Procedures and Workflow, Estimating, Receivables, Payables, Payroll, Using the Register, Reports, End of the Month/Year procedures. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great book, I keep it near my computer and refer to it often
Architect's Guide to QuickBooks Pro is very helpful and easy to follow. I was referred to it by the AIA and it has been one of the best investments that I have made all year long. ... Read more