Book Description

In March 2003, Bernard Tschumi convened forty of the world’s architectural designers and theoristsóElizabeth Diller, Peter Eisenman, Zaha Hadid, Steven Holl, Rem Koolhaas, Greg Lynn, Winy Maas, Thom Mayne, Ben van Berkel, Mark Wigley, Alejandro Zaera-Polo, and many othersófor a conference at Columbia University. The exceptional array was asked to predict the conversations and directions of architectural practice in the twenty-first century. Speakers addressed the categories of current architectural discourseóform, aesthetics, material, detail, politicsóand questioned their future validity. Other topics included architects’ obsession with the "detail," the possibility of practicing a politics of material, the definition of an avant-garde urbanism, the importance of form beyond its aesthetic value, and whether architecture can directly influence the social world. The State of Architecture brings together manifestos, musings, and meditations to capture the key polemics raised by this extraordinary convocation of thinkers. ... Read more

Book Description

A practical guide to research-just for architects
From searching for the best glass to prevent glare to determining how clients might react to color choice for restaurant walls, research is a crucial tool that architects must master in order to effectively address the technical, aesthetic, and behavioral issues that arise in their work.
This book's unique coverage of research methods is specifically targeted to help professional designers and researchers better conduct and understand research. Part I explores basic research issues and concepts, and includes chapters on relating theory to method and design to research. Part II gives a comprehensive treatment of specific strategies for investigating built forms. In all, the book covers seven types of research, including historical, qualitative, correlational, experimental, simulation and modeling, logical argumentation, and case study and mixed methods.
Complete with real-life examples of how good research can be used from project inception to completion, Architectural Research Methods is an essential reference for architecture students and researchers as well as architects, interior designers, landscape architects, and building product manufacturers. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Uphill Reading
As a graduate student taking my first official course in research methods, I was disappointed. The language and structure of this book could have been made a lot easier to follow. I would have appreciated, for example, more frequent subheadings and listing of points. Because of the lack of, the book is difficult to skim or pick and choose sections to read; expect to read thoroughly. Some of the examples in the book were questionable -especially the chapter on experimental and quasi-experimental research. The frequent diagrams were also lacking in clarity. I think that the text could have been half as long and still conveyed the same amount of information. Redundancy aside, I did (with much caffeinated effort) gain a broad understanding of several research strategies and tactics. The book is not a comprehensive guidebook for conducting research based on particular research methods; it is merely a broad introduction or clarification of various strategies. However, it frequently suggests comprehensive texts for further reading if you are so inclined.

Cohesive and comprehensive
I found this book to be excellent: comprehensive and approachable, eclectic and interdisciplinary. It should save any student, researcher or instructor much time and can serve as a text book and/or a comprehensive reference manual. It also adds to the body of knowledge by freshly demonstrating the application of the research methods of many other disciplines in the specific context of architecture (including many cases and examples), all within a nice, logical, unifying philosophical framework.

Arc hitectural Research Methods
The text is relevent for those interested in "Evidence based architectural design". It is excellent for both a beginning researcher in acadamia or an experienced practitioner involved with architecture research. It provides a broad research background as well as specific application to architecture. It is well organized and usable as an office reference or classroom text. It is written with jargon and graphics familiar to architects.

At last, a comprehensive text related to architecture
Having completed three doctoral level research methods courses using bits and pieces of material from a variety of sources, I am happy to at last have a comprehensive text that relates specifically to architecture. Groat and Wang have developed a wonderful, thorough, well-written, and well-illustrated text. I imagine that everyone in methods courses will feel very lucky to have such an excellent resource. And the usefulness to researchers overall can't be understated. Many, many, many congratulations to both authors for an excellent job on a much-needed resource for architectural education. ... Read more

Book Description

Profusely illustrated with fine instances of architectural experimentation through the centuries, Experiencing Architecture manages to convey the intellectual excitement of superb design. From teacups, riding boots, golf balls, and underwater sculpture to the villas of Palladio and the fish-feeding pavilion of the Peking Winter Palace, the author ranges over the less-familiar byways of designing excellence.

At one time, writes Rasmussen, "the entire community tool part in forming the dwellings and implements they used. The individual was in fruitful contact with these things; the anonymous houses were built with a natural feeling for place, materials and use and the result was a remarkably suitable comeliness. Today, in our highly civilized society, the houses which ordinary people are doomed to live in and gaze upon are on the whole without quality. We cannot, however, go back to the old method of personally supervised handicrafts. We must strive to advance by arousing interest in and understanding of the work the architect does. The basis of competent professionalism is a sympathetic and knowledgeable group of amateurs, of non-professional art lovers." ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Excellent and Accessible Architectural Overview
I am interested in architecture as a hobby, and as a potential career at some point in the future, so the perspective I had when reading this book was that of an informed amateur. I can't praise this little book enough. In its pages are the best explanations and analyses of contrasts, textures, shapes, and colors that I have seen in one single, condensed location.

Originally published in Denmark in 1959, and therefore lacking some of the more contemporary and postmodern design trends, this is an invaluable analysis of primarily European design through the mid twentieth century. This book is profusely illustrated with black and white photographs (most of which were taken by Rasmussen himself) and a fair number of drawings, all of which greatly assist the reader with his understanding of the material.

Specific buildings mentioned are too numerous to list, but the run the gamut from St. Peter's basilica in Rome, to the haunting and sinister Palazzetto Zuccari (also in Rome), to the ultramodern Johnson Wax Company building in Racine, Wisconsin by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the very modern study in open spaces found in the Copenhagen Police Headquarters (one of my personal favorites.)

This would be a useful guide to architects, and is the single best introduction to historical architectural style that I have yet found. Anyone with even a passing interest in architectural design or history would love this book.

A Great Experience
When I was looking for some books to begin to learn about architecture (on a purely amateur level), someone recommended "Experiencing Architecture". I could not be happier with this book. The author consistently uses simple, concrete and engaging examples to illustrate his points. He compares and contrasts; uses buildings, sidewalks, windows, doorways, and steps from all over the world and across the centuries. Given my love of travel and history these references (liberally illustrated throughout the book in black and white photographs and some drawings) brought the book to life and added an additional dimension of enjoyment.

The reviews printed on the back cover say it all-"Lively without ever becoming condescending...learned without ever becoming dull" and "...so lucid and clear that every layman and beginner will be able to understand and to enjoy it". I can't recommend the book enough for anyone that has even the slightest interest in learning about architecture.

Excellent overview of good architectural conditions.
Good for beginner architects. Rasmussen made my summer vacation very pleasant with Experiencing Architecture. The introduction of very key elements, such as Corbusier's modular system forces the reader to explore further the many varying conditions of architecture. Worth every penny.

After Lego
Experiencing Architecture was a basic text in my first year of design school; the principles that I learned from it have followed me ever since.

Rasmussen takes the visual world apart and taught me to see things in their simplest forms. His commentaries on form, texture, and massing heightened my appreciation for all forms of design; his discussion of color--for one who is colorblind--provided a life-long guidedog.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wanted to pioneer the Lego curriculum at university-- ... Read more

Book Description

For anyone who has dreamed of living in a Colonial-style home, this showcase of Colonial Williamsburg standouts is an irresistible wish book. And for the home design do-it-yourselfer, it is even more than that. Domestic design and construction expert and award-winning historic preservation writer Hugh Howard provides a tour of favorite Colonial Williamsburg restorations that will fast become a primary resource of ideas and no-nonsense information.

This magnificent treasury presents each house in beautiful new color photographs and an easy-to-read floor plan, revealing all the characteristic architectural details that define the Williamsburg style. Relating the stories of the restoration projects that gave these structures new life, this book covers large and elegant dream houses along with equally charming smaller houses, including those that are open to visitors as well as rarely shown private examples. Colonial Houses will have enormous appeal for the 800,000 guests who flock to Colonial Williamsburg each year, and for all those who simply love its aesthetic. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Williamsburg at its Best
I absolutely love Colonial Williamsburg so when this book was published I couldn't wait to receive it. The photographs of the homes and their interiors are of high quality. The book offers you a look at more that a dozen homes of the historic area with a brief history on each. In addition are several of the floor plans, before and after photos, photos of carved moldings, beautiful staircases, and furnishings. I have reordered this book for Christmas presents. A great book @ a great price! ... Read more

Book Description

Develop design and working drawings more efficiently

Packed with useful hands-on information for both schematic design and computer-assisted working drawings, Architect’s Studio Handbook is the ideal tool for every architect who wants handy rules-of-thumb, convenient graphic conventions, and easy-to-find answers in diagrams, charts, and drawings -- all in a stay-open, flex-binding format. Author/architect Terry Patterson’s complete, up-to-date, information-packed guide helps you:

Book Description

Building on industry fundamentals, this new edition provides the skills a student needs to build a sucessful real estate practice.The text explores issure facing professionals, including advertising, qualifying prospects, loan applications, investment analysis, competitive market analysis, and using the Internet in practice.(493 pages, 2004 copywright.)Chapters include:
* Instructor Note
* Student Enrichment Exercises
* Power Point Presentations
* Chapter 1: Getting Started in Real Estate
* Chapter 2: Ethics, Fair Housing and Trust Funds
* Chapter 3: Mandatory Disclosures
* Chapter 4: Prospecting
* Chapter 5: Listing Presentation Package
* Chapter 6: Listing Presentations
* Chapter 7: Servicing The Listing
* Chapter 8: Advertising
* Chapter 9: The Buyer and The Property Showing
* Chapter 10: Obtaining the Offer and Creating the Sales Agreement
* Chapter 11: From Offer To Closing
* Chapter 12: Real Estate Financing
* Chapter 13: Escrow and Title Insurance
* Chapter 14a: Taxation
* Chapter 14b: Taxation (cont.)
* Chapter 15: Property Management and Leasing
* Chapter Quiz Answer Keys
* Mini Quizzes for All Chapters
* Mini Quiz Answer Keys ... Read more

Reviews (1)

simple minded book
This book has the annoying habit of presenting opinion as fact. It's a required textbook for "Real Estate Practice" in some classes in California, but if you are just looking for an informational book on California Real Estate outside of the classroom, I would recommend a Nolo Press book instead. ... Read more

Book Description

Although modern technologies and new materials have greatly decreased the number of structural failures in today's world, buildings still fall down. Two world-renowned structural engineers take us on an enlightening guided tour through the history of architectural and structural disasters, from ancient times to the present. B/W line drawings. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Fun follow-up
If you have read the book 'Why Buildings stand up' you should definitely read this one, since it is much more interesting to know why certain buildings collapse, since this makes the news.

There are some chapters almost the same as the first book, but most chapters are case studies on bridges (the famous galloping Gertie in Washington State), explosions, structural failures etc. An extra chapter is added to explain the collapse of the the World Trade Center Towers after the September 11 Attacks in 2001. Also 5 Appendixes are added dealing with stress, loads and more engineering things, which can also be found on the PBS site on buildings.

structure problems
a good book explaining the details og building and bridge failures. im wondering why the author didnt include the word 'bridge' in the title since this book covers a lot of them. illustrations are very helpful as well

A clear and entertaining book
Such is our morbid fascination that this book is inevitably more attractive than one called "Why Buildings Stay Up". That said, I think I have not only learned more about structural engineering than I would have done from a positive counterpart, but I have also learned vastly more about the other factors, human and natural, that influence the ultimate success or failure of structures.

The book is based on the same material as the late 1990s TV series of the same name, and having watched that series many of the incidents and issues were familiar to me. The advantage of the book is the ability to digest information at your own speed and refer back to earlier pages, but it has to be said that the TV series communicated some of the issues better, helped by animated graphics and by the better mutual support of both pictures and narrative.

Each chapter takes a topic, whether a human factor like the law, a type of construction such as the dome, or a cause of failure such as metal fatigue, and then illustrates the issues by consideration of a number of case studies, frequently including some notable successes as well as dramatic failures. In the case of failures the book always attempts to assess both the practical cause, and also any human cause, impact and implications.

The book is very well written, in an accessible style supported by some useful appendixes on structural engineering principles. However, sometimes the simple line drawings and verbal descriptions of a structure don't manage to communicate a full understanding, and more sophisticated illustrations might have helped.

Mario Salvadori died in 1997 (at the good age of 90), and the surviving author, Matthys Levy updated the book in 2002. My feelings on the update are mixed: the chapter on terrorism, culminating with the collapse of the New York Trade Centre towers on September 11th 2001 is excellent; but why did the author not acknowledge the brilliant success of efforts to stabilise the Leaning Tower of Pisa in the late 1990s?

Overall I heartily recommend this book to anyone with a serious or lay interest in structural engineering, and the many complex human and natural issues which influence it.

Fascinating case studies
An entertaining book for readers who know about structures, and an educational book for lay readers, WHY BUILDINGS FALL DOWN is an interesting collection of case studies concerning building failures. Never condescending, but never too technical, it's a fun way to learn about architecture or structural engineering.

Very entertaining, sometimes a bit sad...
Well written, suspensful and interesting. It is sad that man does not learn from his previous design mistakes and allows budgetary decisions put us at risk of death..... read on. ... Read more

Book Description

For almost ten years, Samuel Mockbee, a recent MacArthur Grant recipient, and his architecture students at Auburn University have been designing and building striking houses and community buildings for impoverished residents of Alabama's Hale County. Using salvaged lumber and bricks, discarded tires, hay and waste cardboard bales, concrete rubble, colored bottles, and old license plates, they create inexpensive buildings that bear the trademark of Mockbee's work, which he describes as "contemporary modernism grounded in Southern culture."

In a time of unexampled prosperity, when architectural attention focuses on big, glossy urban projects, the Rural Studio provides an alternative of substance. In addition to being a social welfare venture, the Rural Studio--"Taliesin South" as Mockbee calls it--is also an educational experiment and a prod to the architectural profession to act on its best instincts. In giving students hands-on experience in designing and building something real, it extends their education beyond paper architecture. And in scavenging and reusing a variety of unusual materials, it is a model of sustainable architecture. The work of Rural Studio has struck such a chord-both architecturally and socially--that it has been featured on Oprah, Nightline, and CBS News, as well as in Time and People magazines.

The Studio has completed more than a dozen projects, including the Bryant "Hay Bale" House, Harris "Butterfly" House, Yancey Chapel, Akron Chapel, Children's Center, H.E.R.O. Playground, Lewis House, Super Sheds and Pods, Spencer House addition, Farmer's Market, Mason's Bend Community Center, Goat House, and Shannon-Dutley House. These buildings, along with the incredible story of the Rural Studio, the people who live there, and Mockbee and his student architects, are detailed in this colorful book, the first on the subject. "I tell my students, it's got to be warm, dry, and noble"--Samuel Mockbee ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Rural Studio: Samuel Mockbee and an Architecture of Decency
Creative architecture doesn't have to be paved in gold. Mockbee and his students use basic materials in the most interesting ways for creating wonderful living, playing and meeting places for poor people out of former shacks or sometimes starting from scratch. I would love to see actual planned communities for the general public built in this style. I would live there! Very inspiring...

this book is great
i am a student at the rural studio right now and the book represents the rural studio very well. the book introduced me to architecture, and now i am here in architecture school and i am at rural studio.

A beautiful book, but slightly lacking
I have been an admirer of the work of the Rural Studio from the start and couldn't wait to get this book... The photos are beautiful and touching, but the book is lacking in drawings (i.e. plans) and text. I was hoping for more about the thoughts and processes that students put into the designs, the role of Sam Mockbee in it all, and some architectural drawings that would more comprehensively showcase the projects

overrated butt-kissing
This book includes too much butt-kissing and paternalism. Sure, Mockbee and his students are helping these people, but they seem a bit too proud of themselves. I wish there was more technical information about the designs, materials, and techniques.

great book
it's inspiring to see Mockbee's design-built works extended to and enhanced another layer of communities with creative uses of materials. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great Book!
All the books in these series are wonderful! They have great photographs and drawings with very little writing. This book was great for stirring up the imagination while in school studying architecture. Just shows wonderful examples of how architecture is changing and where it is headed. Definitely recommend these books!

Maximum Style
Several million dollar plus homes. Mainly photos with a few construction drawings, when they're available, mostly illegible. Commentary is minimal, but a nice touch is the summary list of specifics: external siding material, etc., that spares you having to read through meaningless commentary.

Good resource for some of those custom details
This series of books are quite useful. I used this book a lot when I was in school and got stuck trying to figure out a design solution. Now, it comes in handy when I need a visual aid to talk to a client when starting a project. The photographs are really rich and the inclusion of the construction drawings are heaven sent. The students and designers that are looking for excellent "custom" solutions should take a look at this book, and the other books in the series.

A great picture book that includes floor plans and details
I've bought the set of books in this series; All provide great pictures with details that include location, architect, construction materials, as well as floor plans and other drawings. ... Read more

Book Description

This book addresses the emergence of a new kind of architecture, in which building performance is a guiding design principle, adopting new performance-based priorities for the design of cities, buildings, landscape and infrastructures.This emerging architecture places broadly defined performance above form making; it utilizes digital technologies of quantitative and qualitative performance-based simulation to offer a comprehensive approach to the design of the build environment.The emphasis on building performance is now redefining expectations of the building design, its process and practice.

By bringing together the leading architects, engineers and technologists, the book will explore current and future developments in performance-based design.It is aimed at both professional and academic audiences and will cover a wide range of themes. ... Read more

Book Description

We expect our buildings to do many things: stand up, shelter us from weather, keep us comfortable, provide clean water for drinking and clean air for breathing, dispose of our wastes, give us privacy and security, power everything from tools to toasters, and connect us with the world outside through windows, doors, telephones, and mailboxes. They should be easy to move around in, and shouldn't require excessive expense to maintain.

But how does a building do all this? This is the question Edward Allen addresses so engagingly in the completely revised and updated second edition of How Buildings Work. Illustrated throughout with several hundred clear, sometimes whimsical line drawings, more than half of them from the author's own hand, this easy-to-read work reveals virtually every secret of a building's function: how it stands up, keeps its occupants safe and comfortable, gets built, grows old, and dies--and why some buildings do this so much better than others. Everyone who has ever asked such questions as "why can't they get the temperature right in here?" "why does my basement flood every summer?" or "can't they build buildings so I don't have to hear my neighbors argue every morning?" will find an answer here.

Drawing on things he's learned from the more than sixty buildings he himself designed, including his own house, Allen explains complex phenomena such as the role of the sun in heating buildings and the range of structural devices that are used for support, from trusses and bearing walls to post-tensioned concrete beams and corbeled vaults. He stresses the importance of intelligent design in dealing with such problems as overheating and overcooling, excessive energy use, leaky roofs and windows, fire safety, and noisy interiors, showing, for example, how to use the structure itself to mask troublesome noises such as the impact of rain, slamming doors, and the occasional creaks and groans caused by the push and pull of heat and humidity. And he illustrates how all buildings, from a backyard shed to the tallest skyscraper, are never at rest--they continually experience virtually irresistible forces that would tear them to pieces if not taken into account by the designer.

Edward Allen makes it easy for everyone--from armchair architects and sidewalk superintendents to students of architecture and construction--to understand the mysteries and complexities of even the largest building, from how it recycles waste and controls the movement of air, to how it is kept alive and growing. How Buildings Work will enlighten and entertain anyone interested in the way things work. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

What buildings are
HOW BUILDINGS WORK is just a great book, even more interesting than Macaulay's THE WAY THINGS WORK. Buildings are everywhere, and most everyone uses buildings of various kinds for various purposes. Yet how a building works is often a mystery. In this way, I think buildings are much like computers; most people who use them have no clue about the inner workings of them.

Edward Allen takes us through the functions of a building without going into traditional architectural theory. This book is more concerned with the needs that buildings must fulfill, and how we can fulfull them. He discusses water, waste, heat, ventilation, lighting, accoustics, energy, structure, and more, first by explaining each particular concept, and then by examining how problems can be solved with the knowledge of those concepts.

While this isn't a book on theory, neither is it a wholly practical book. That is, it won't equip you with the skills to go and build a house. But it will open your eyes to the various elements of buildings and building construction and you may think "Aha!" the next time you look at a building and observe a strange structural or design detail. You don't have to be an architecture freak to enjoy the book either. You just need to be curious.

All architecture/ building science students should own this
I practice and teach architecture. This is the best book I have ever found for communicating material essential for the study of building science and architecture. The presentation style is frendly and informative. The knowledge of the subject displayed by Edward Allen is superb. I am a unashamed book-a-holic, if I could only take one book to the proverbial desert island - How Buildings Work would be it.

Summarizes in Simple, Graphic Fashion what a Building Does
A practical overview of the natural order of architecture. Explains what building do (i.e. Effects of outdoor environment, human environment and the concept of shelter). Explains how a building works (i.e. Various practical functions, providing water, removing wastes, thermal comfort, HVAC, acoustics, form, structural support, fire control, building expansion, etc.).

This book sticks to the basics of what a building is all about. This is not a book about design princples and concepts (old or modern); the book stresses the practical nature of building construction/design and the interface with human beings and the environment.

Excellent book for students, architecture professors, practicing architects, builders and people just wanting to know more about the principles of architecture.

More than a book about buildings
Edward Allen presents a way of looking at systems and objects that should be valuable to designers in many disciplines. I bought this book AFTER I finished reading a copy from the library. I needed it in my personal library, next to Christopher Alexander's "The Timeless Way of Building," Edward Tufte's "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information," and Louis Rosenfeld's and Peter Morville's "Information Architecture."

recomended
Great book. Pictures aren't to cute or anything but there are alot of them. I liked particularly how it started by talking about the sun which caught me in the right mood breathed a little life into the book right away. I have some serious interest in architecture and this book is a good place to start i think. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Save Your Money.
After purchasing The New American House (Vol 1-3), The New American Cottage, and The New American Swimming Pool which are all excellant books, I ordered The New American Apartment and was severely disappointed.

I SENT THE BOOK BACK! (if that gives you any idea of my satisfaction.)

There are several interesting photos but unless you have several million dollars, the designs and concepts are so unapproachable to the average person that the book was useless for my needs. This is the same kind of stuff they show in Architectural Digest (as opposed to Fine Homebuilding.)

its a visual feast!!
A must have book for a library collection of inspirational modern design. The Book outlines each architect's space with dramatic and all encompassing views along with drawings to further explain the concepts. It left me wanting more!

A great source of inspiration
This is a very good looking lexicon from cover to cover, yet it is more of a starting point in the design mode than a technical manual. I usually don't spend much for books, but this is one exception I can make with little after thought. ... Read more

Book Description

Between a nomad's tent and the Sears Tower lies a revolution in technology, materials, and structures. Here is a clear and enthusiastic introduction to building methods from ancient times to the present day. B/W line drawings. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Why do buildings keep standing up?
This book was recommended to me by my architecture professor and it is well worth reading. Without going into too much physics the author explains clearly the importance of forces like wind on structures like bridges, skyscrapers, domes etc. To illustrate these infuences there are chapters on some of the architectural wonders of the world: Eiffel Tower, Pyramids, Brooklyn Bridge and Aya Sofia to name but a few.

There are no photographs in this book but crudely drawn pictures, which actually makes the reader understand the concepts better.

If you like buildings and architecture in general this book is instrumental in the understandings of why buildings stand up.

why they stand
an excellent laymen's book on the foundations of buildings and bridges

clear and understandable
This is a book that sums-up alot of material about loads, properties of building materials, beams and columns, and translates it into the strength of modern structures. I found the book fascinating and it answered many questions, among them why the height vs base of the pyramids automatically contain the value of PI. This book discussed the anchoring of todays skyscrapers and large structures. This is a book that explains where the forces and loads are projected and how they are contained and countered without getting into the mathematical aspect of it. This author did an excellent job in conveying
the logic behind structural engineering. Well done.

Parts you slog through, parts you gobble
Salvadori clearly explains, with the invaluable aid of lots of little pictures, how and why buildings stand up. There are chapters on cathedrals, the Eiffel Tower, the Hagia Sophia, bridges, domes, and so forth. The chapter on wind is particularly fascinating--I found out a lot of things I'd had no idea of. Other chapters, like "Form-Resistant Structures," were pretty deadly dull. Overall, though, the book was well worth reading. It's not always entertaining, but it's always informative, and sometimes tremendously interesting.

I loved it.
The author's love for the art, science, and engineering of building shines through on every page. If you haven't already you, will soon become fascinated by all that is involved in architeture in this wonderfully written book. ... Read more

Book Description

Profiling twelve years of architectural education from 1972-1985, Education of an Architect celebrates the work of the talented students and the spirited faculty of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of the Cooper Union. It is divided into two parts covering chronologically the first four years of the design studio, and the thesis year which is organized by topic:Instruments, Orders and Projections, the City, the Institution, Outskirts, the House, Bridges, Topographies and Texts.

This volume is a sequel to an earlier work of the same title, published in 1971 when the Cooper Union School of Architecture was invited by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, to exhibit student work produced between 1964 and 1971, the first such exhibition ever held at the Museum. That volume has since become a classic within architectural education, immensely influential upon architectural thought and practice in the last fifteen years.

This new collection presents work influenced by art, literature, and medicine, and consequently details the scope of expanded thought that now permeates Architecture.
... Read more

Book Description

Architecture Exam Review, Volume II: Nonstructural Topics provides a thorough review of the ARE nonstructural exam topics, including the exam's most challenging divisions: Site Planning and Building Design. More than 80 sample questions are provided, with solutions, along with a valuable checklist of items that should be considered in every design solution. The book also covers test-taking strategy, and is enhanced by illustrations, figures, and tables, along with a detailed index. The fifth edition has been updated to reflect changes in the exam-the adoption of a computerized format and use of the 2000 versions of the International Building Code and the International Plumbing Code. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

In the process of studying...
I am currently studying for the exam and I've been using this book as a basis. The individual chapters are fairly short and each one has a short quiz at the end to test your newly gained knowledge. This is helpful because it makes asborbing the information much more manageable - much better than trying to read Architectural Graphic Standards from cover to cover.

Beware: some sections are somewhat spotty so count on having to use other resources as well.

Great Guide
I found this guide to be extremely valuable. It covers a broad range of topics in the appropriate detail. Of course, it doesn't have all the answers to the ARE, but those tests are meant to have many "unanswerable" questions. But this guide will give you a strong base from which to work. It also has valuable information and rules of thumb that apply to practicing architects. I leaned most heavily on this resouce in order to take my exams.

Excellent Jumping Point
I found that this book was very helpful in preperation for the ARE. Although the book did not cover all the topics on the actual exam, it proved invaluable on the areas of study that were tested. The chapters were highly organized and easy to follow while the content was neither too broad to be ambiguous, nor too precise to be cumbersome. The only gripe I had with the book was that some information (minor in detail) was contradictory to current trade manuals and other study material. Other than that, I highly recommend this book as an aid to studying for the exam - and it makes an excellent reference book for your library.

An excellent study aid
If you can overlook the poor proofreading it is of great help. The actual ARE is easier than the quizes in the book. Good Luck! ... Read more

Book Description

This is a comprehensive guide to the various metals available for use in architecture. Technological advances in metal finishing and processing have increased the number of metals available to the building professional. The market is now scrambling for detailed information regarding their options. From Frank Gehry's Weisman Museum of Art in Minneapolis to Antoine Predock's American Heritage Center in Wyoming, metal is playing a starring role in the world's most exciting new buildings. ... 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

Amazon.com

Chelsea Green's The Rammed Earth House and The Straw Bale House chronicle the possibilities and realities of straw bale and rammed earth construction. Buildings of Earth and Straw fills in the gaps for professional builders, contractors, engineers, inspectors, lenders, and architectural students. It includes special construction requirements of earth and straw, design capabilities and limitations of these materials, and documentation of testing data for use in addressing the concerns of officials. This book offers the nuts and bolts of rammed earth and straw bale building techniques, and why they are so spectacular, durable, and earth-friendly. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Earth, Straw, Yehaa!
Learn how to build with earth, and straw. But there are no photo's of finished projects.

Technical information on the mentioned building methods.
This book educates the lay builder of "earth and straw" about the technical side of the mentioned building methods. This technical lingo is explained clearly for the person's understanding. This book bridges the gap between building inspetors and the "alternative" builder by increasing the technical knowledge of basic building structures and forces.

The funniest structural engineering book I have ever read.
This book is definitely the funniest structural engineering book I have ever read. It is also useful for the professional, intelligible to the general reader, and attractively illustrated. King includes California's straw bale code, a comprehensive wish list for further testing, and a useful list of references for both stabilized earth and straw bale. Included are equations for the engineer who is ready to start designing right now, and a glossary for the lay reader who isn't quite sure of some of the terms. A valuable book which is also enjoyable to read. This is not always true of engineering texts! ... Read more

Book Description

In the critically acclaimed first edition of this book, Mainstone offered a brilliant and highly original account of the structural developments that have made possible the achievements of architects and bridge builders throughout history.


In this extensively revised and expanded new edition, now available in paperback, new insights and a full coverage of recent developments in both design and construction are incorporated. The book identifies features that distinguish the forms built by man from those shaped by nature and discusses the physical and other constraints on the choices that can be made. It then looks in turn at all the elementary forms - arches, domes, beams, slabs and the like - which combine into the more complex forms of complete structures, and at the different classes of the complete forms themselves. The development of each form is traced chronologically, but with an emphasis less on the chronology than on the problems that designers have continually faced in trying to serve new ends with limited means or to serve old ones in new ways. The book concludes with a chapter on the processes of design, showing how the designer's freedom of choice has been widened by a growing understanding of structural behaviour.

* Covers all aspects of structure providing the reader with a comprehensive text on the subject

* Drawing on the author's unrivalled knowledge of the subject it provides an easily readable and comprehensive coverage

* 360 photographs and drawings, mostly by the author and closely integrated with the text, greatly facilitate understanding ... Read more

Book Description

The portfolio is the single most important part of every architectural student's education. This book proides a complete guide to preparing, compiling and presenting this crucial element of the architecture course.

The experienced author team gives practical advice for the creation of the portfolio covering issues of size, storage, layout and order. They go on to guide the student through the various forms a portfolio can take: the Electronic Portfolio, the Academic Portfolio and the Professional Portfolio suggesting different approaches and different media to use in order to create the strongest portfolio possible. The team also presents the best examples from international student portfolios to show the reader their recommendations in practice.

The book has a companion website where full colour representations of the best examples of portfolio work can be accessed.

* Offers step-by-step advice for students on how to prepare and present their portfolios
* Advice from the experts on how to make portfolios the best they can be
* Fully illustrated with examples of the best students' work from around the world ... Read more