Book Description

This 36th volume of Perspecta -- America's oldest and most distinguished student-edited architecture journal -- begins with the assumption that association is a tool of creativity and analysis. The axiomatic modernist oppositions of macro/micro, literal/phenomenal, nature/industry, either/or, and both/and have evolved from an argumentative tool into a narrative method.

Juxtapositions create conflict. "Juxtapositions" attempts to reclaim the breadth, scope, and relevance of the early volumes of Perspecta through meaningful juxtapositions -- what might be termed poignant adjacency. Thus a critique of studio education is deepened by its adjacency to discussions of technology and urbanism, to visual art, to old modernism, to balkanization and globalization, to film, to fear of war, and to the annihilation and creation of cities. The juxtapositions (graphic and ideological) in the volume, although created with editorial consideration, seek to evade and subvert that consideration in favor of unforeseen overlap. This is meant as a provocation -- not intentless, but ultimately intent-proof, a landscape upon which the unexpected can occur. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

bamboo manifesto
There are many fantastic images of bamboo design and architecture, which is being taken to the next level by Velez and others. With population growth and environmental crises what they are, bamboo may emerge as a key building material worldwide. Velez's mushroom dome for the Hannover Expo 2000 was a gorgeous massive structure in bamboo that established bamboo use in large-scale architectural projects.

However magnificent it is, the pavilion-as-statement suffers from its own pagoda poetry. The main block to widespread adoption of bamboo is its low-tech image, in both the developing and developed worlds. This low-tech, low-status image is why Colombians continue to build inferior concrete buildings, even after such structures are decimated by earthquakes (while leaving the bamboo buildings standing). The pagoda image reinforces associations with the past and low-tech traditional construction.

To move bamboo forward as a workaday modern building material, it needs to be used in a more ordinary International Style residential or office high-rise that successfully embodies the myth of hi-tech modernity. Wrapped in a glass and metal skin, this bamboo wolf-in-sheep's clothing would bare its fangs when asking Buckminster Fuller's (and Velez's) key question: "Gentlemen, what do your buildings weigh?." Unfortunately, "modernism" is a filthy word for Velez. Mexico's Luis Barragan created a new architecture by successfully fusing colloquial Mexican style with International Style - it will be interesting to see if Velez or one of his students can do something similar for high-tech bamboo construction.

The book is surprisingly thin on detailed treatment of Velez's own work. Would like to have seen more on the Luis Salazar residence, because its smaller scale and middle-class prestige make it more relevant to implementing the bamboo manifesto than the showy ZERI pavilion.

Whole double-page spreads are dedicated to suggestive connections between the bamboo forms and the work of other architects. But the book is relatively thin on diagrams on the types of bamboo joints, integration of bamboo with CAD, data on load bearing (compared with reinforced concrete for example) and other information outlining more precisely how to bring bamboo into the arsenal of modern construction.

That said, it is the best recent book to state the bamboo mainfesto of strength, versatility and modular nature of bamboo. If you have any interest in environmentally sound design, this is THE coffeetable book to have, but

...why wasn't it printed on bamboo paper? ... Read more

Book Description

Rooted in real world observations, this book questions the concept of tradition - whether contemporary globalization will prove its demise or whether there is a process of simultaneous ending and renewing. ... Read more

Book Description

American Classics is centered around one of Frank Betz Associatesgreatest strengths-classic American homes in traditional and timeless styles.Totaling 103 designs, this collection features homes ranging in size from 1,436 to 5,466 square feet of living space.For the reader's convenience, the book is divided into these four helpful sections: Classically designed one-story homes, Classically designed two-story homes, Classically designed main level master suite homes and Frank Betz Associates EXCLUSIVE Southern Living Magazine Design Collection homes. ... Read more

Book Description

Exercises to teach drawing procedures and skills. A companion to the Design Drawing, this collection of 60 assignments allows students to develop the proficiency in drawing required during the design process and to experience the relationship between what is being drawn and what is being designed. The exercises, covering both conceptual and representational drawing, help students of architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design master the fundamental elements necessary for the conception, development, refinement, and presentation of a designed space or object. The methods are direct and simplified, breaking down complicated procedures into easily understood steps. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

disapointed
I am really disapointed by this book: the example drawings are ugly!!!

Outstanding book for beginner artists' and designers
I am a landscape desinger and was introduced to this book through a landscape architect that I work with. I have been a designer for about 4 years and have never learned how to draw sections or elevations. After reading and completing the exercises in this book I am well on my way to showing section view illustrations for my landscape designs. This isn't a long book, but the exercises are definately worthwhile. ... Read more

Book Description

Assembled in honor of Eduard F. Sekler, Professor Emeritus ofthe History of Architecture at Harvard University's Graduate School ofDesign, Form, Modernism, and History is a fitting tribute to a man whohas been instrumental in restoring history to a prominent place incontemporary architectural theory and practice. In twenty-two essays,distinguished scholars and designers--including architects Henry Cobband Rafael Moneo--combine the insights of history, theory, and practicein order to reveal the evolution of design thought and methods and tointerpret the relationship of architecture to its social, cultural, andpolitical contexts.

This volume is distributed by Harvard University Press for theHarvard Graduate School of Design. ... Read more

Book Description

On Weathering illustrates the complex nature of the architectural project by taking into account its temporality, linking technical problems of maintenance and decay with a focused consideration of their philosophical and ethical implications.

In a clear and direct account supplemented by many photographs commissioned for this book, Mostafavi and Leatherbarrow examine buildings and other projects from Alberti to Le Corbusier to show that the continual refinishing of the building by natural forces adds to, rather than detracts from, architectural meaning. Their central discovery, that weathering makes the "final" state of the construction necessarily indefinite, challenges the conventional notion of a building's completeness.

By recognizing the inherent uncertainty and inevitability of weathering and by viewing the concept of weathering as a continuation of the building process rather than as a force antagonistic to it, the authors offer alternative readings of historical constructions and potential beginnings for new architectural projects.

Mohsen Mostafavi is Associate Professor of Architecture and Director of the Master of Architecture I Program at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University. David Leatherbarrow is Chairman of the Department of Architecture and of the Program in Urban Design at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, University of Pennsylvania. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Fresh New Approach on Materiality
This book provides a fresh new approach on how architects and/or designers should view the use of materials. The ingeneous approach on how the natural weathering process of materials can be a phenomenon that may enrich a material's physical property, provides a great insightful approach for a 'responsible' use of materials in architecture. This book is a MUST read for all those architecture students that have a great interest in materials. ... Read more

Book Description

What comes between utopia and dystopia?According to Reinhold Martin and Kadmbari Baxi it's entropia, a place weighed down by its own lack of movement.Via three architectural projects - a home office, an open-plan house and an embassy - the authors try to show that entropia is bound to implode, so that the space is irretrievably lost.The selected projects disturb the various 'structures' of existing buildings and contexts, repeatedly calling them into question and forcing a radical re-thinking of architectural logic.Dimension: 7 x 9 ½ inches, 100 b&w and color reproductions. ... Read more

Book Description

This conceptual introduction to architectural structures covers all the basic structural principles and terms, explains how to use statistics of equilibrium formulae to calculate beam reactions, and employs illustrations and multi-exposure model photographs to provide a compelling overall guide to structural behavior. Also distinguishing this guide from many others on the market are its case studies and useful preliminary sizing data. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

best intro to architectural structures
Excellent intro to architectural structures. Strong on principles and concepts with numerous case studies; illustrations (by the author) alone are worth the price; expensive.

understanding how structure work with architecture
i am an architect. my professor has translated this book in farsi for introduce this book to his students. i think this book is very useful for architects, because they can understand structures good with many good examples. ... Read more

Book Description

A companion volume to the author's successful text, Analysing Architecture, this new book, using the same approach and format explores further conceptual themes in architecture.These books might be considered as manuals of basic architectural ideas and will contribute to the student architect's understanding of the way in which architecture may be expressed and will help student to develop their own design skills. ... Read more

Book Description

Apply media & techniques to fit any design task

Architectural Representation Handbook Traditional and Digital Techniques for Graphic Communication

Thanks to the impact of computer graphics on architecture, there are more architectural representation techniques, conventions, and styles than ever.Luckily, the Architectural Representation Handbook helps you make sense of it all. Not only does it give you a solid overview of these tools, but, just as importantly, it guides you toward the tools that will work best for any phase of your project.

In this groundbreaking book, architect, designer, and prominent educator Paul Laseau covers the entire scope of architectural representation--traditional, new media, hybrid, and emerging--and their roles in design. The Architectural Representation Handbook brings showcase examples of representation into specific design contexts, giving architects, designers, and others a real sense of their variety, subtlety, and usefulness as tools for navigating the full spectrum of architecture.

In one complete volume, you'll find a representation of the dimensions of architecture through a rich array of conventions and techniques from the conceptual to the perceptual, the concrete to the abstract, the personal to the public, the subjective to the objective. You'll also discover an extensive set of illustrations, organized in relation to the design activities of seeing, thinking, and communication--a vocabulary of architectural drawing.To maximize the potential of representation tools and techniques for your next design job, go with your best option of all: the Architectural Representation Handbook. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a comprehensive introduction to architecture and architectural history.It explores the experience of architecture in relation to its history and relates to broader issues of culture, conservation, planning and the environment.It introduces issues of urbanism, feminism and ethnicity, concerns which are at the forefront of current debates on architecture. ... Read more

Book Description

This book offers architecture students and professionals a hands-on guide to the practical side of operating an architectural practice. It includes contributions from well-known architects and designers such as Charles Gwathmey, Mario Salvadori, Gene Kohn and others. It covers project management, firm organization, legal issues, marketing, risk management licensing, client and contractor relations and more. Actual situations are analyzed and interpreted in the form of helpful case studies throughout the book. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

uninteresting
As a new sole proprietor, I found this book to be essentially worthless. It is weighty, condescending, and lacks practical knowledge. I was looking for concise advise that could be applied to running a successful business in the new service economy, what I found was a "compendium" of old world ideas.

Read the book "Blur" instead.

A great resource for setting up shop
Andy Pressman is an expert on professional practice. As a former student, (I hope this doesn't taint anyone else's opinion,) I have had the opportunity of learning from a man that is part of the spearhead to change the education of architects and bring integrity back to an area that seems, in some circles, to have been forgotten: client relations. Written more towards the student, this book brings to light what it is to be a design professional. Also checkout Architecture 101, a more general approach to becoming a designer in the professional world.

And yes that is my real name! ... Read more

Book Description

This book deals with architecture of the "New Japanese School" during the 1950-60s, of which architects from the generation of Kenzo Tange were leading exponents. They understood how to develop and combine their extensive knowledge of Le Corbusier's architecture with traditional Japanese architecture. The book presents a Le Corbusier inspired Modern Mannerism. In the book, Modern Mannerism is not understood as a style but rather as a method of architectural design. This method led to a particularly refined modern architecture characterised by a combination of the clarity and order of Modernism and by the Japanese tradition of poetic symbolism. Introduction by the Japanese architect Toyo Ito, who has been influenced by the architecture of the New Japanese School.

Marianne Ibler is an assistant professor at the Department of Architecture and Design, Aalborg University, where she teaches architectural composition and history/theory of architecture. ... Read more

Book Description

London's Contemporary Architecture: A Visitor's Guide is a practical and highly-illustrated guide to the best modern buildings in the British capital. In full colour throughout, this map-based book contains pithy and fascinating comments, plus lavish illustrations, of more than 130 examples of London architectural projects from the last two decades.

This third edition is completely up-to-date with the bestand most interesting architecture of London, from the early 1980s right up to the first years of a new millennium for the city. As the book is logically arranged by geographical area, the reader is led on a physical and intellectual tour. This book directs the architectural enthusiast, professional or amateur, to the sites most worth visiting, and provides the essential background information for architectural appreciation. This includes references to the most significant and enjoyable of London's other architecture, of all periods.

Ken Allinson and Victoria Thornton possess a unique familiarity with London's architecture, serving on numerous public bodies and RIBA committees. Victoria is a founder of London Open House, an architectural charity that promotes the accessibility of London architecture. Ken is a practising architect, author of The Wild Card of Design and Getting There By Design, and also a studio lecturer at Oxford Brookes and Greenwich Universities. Together they currently run the research consultancy Architectural Dialogue, and for over seventeen years they have been researching and managing architectural study visits around the world.

* Aids navigation of the city's greatest sights with a clear map-based format
* Features more than 130 buildings, with full notes and references
* Provides a superb full colour photographic record of the UK's capital ... Read more

Book Description

Today, architecture schools are truly international in their intake, as students are able to select from courses worldwide. For school leavers and undergraduates, the choice is bewildering. Where different institutions provide very different courses and ultimately very different architects, the very act of shopping for a degree is an incredibly important stage in an architecture student’s career.

This book is set to become a touchstone publication for anyone involved in architectural education, from the academic to the aspiring student.

• It provides interviews with four of the most influential educators/heads of schools around the world:

Peter Cook, Chair, the Bartlett School of Architecture, London, UK

Bernard Tschumi, Dean, School of Architecture at Columbia University, USA

Leon van Schaik, Innovation Professor of Architecture, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia

Elia Zenghelis, Berlage, Dusseldorf

• This is followed by short self-biographies of eleven further prominent figures including Rem Koolhaas, Anthony Vidler and Paul Virilio
• It is the first publication of its kind to comprehensively cover architectural education in its current context as an international market
• It will feature the first invaluable listing of architectural schools worldwide: no dedicated listing currently exists in printed form or on the web, giving students a useful reference from which to start the decision making process

Reviews (2)

Great inspirations for students of architecture!
In 200 pages or so and generously illustrated with photographs of his work, Cesar Pelli had summed up a lifetime of his own architectural insights. His thoughts are very pragmatic with a careful balance of theoretical insights. This book really shows how architecture should connect to our past, our present culture, and to our future. It reveals his design process and the way he envisions, plans, and designs his projects. It talks about how materials are related to architecture.

His thoughts are incisive and demonstrate the importance of clear thinking in architectural work. In many ways, his book does not deal with all the academic architectural mumble jumble out there. It shows a very useful path for all "students" of architecture. I really wish more architects would write books like this one. Thanks Mr. Pelli!

Learning from the Great Cesar Pelli Himself
I found this book to be very insightful. In this book, Pelli says there are 8 "connections" that influence architecture: time, construction, place, purpose, culture, design process, constituency, and oneself. In each section of the book he goes into each in depth. Reading the book almost makes you feel like Cesar Pelli himself is actually teaching you about the profession of architecture. ... Read more

Book Description

Dissertation: an Architecture Student's Handbook is a comprehensive guide to all that an architecture student might need to know about writing a dissertation. It clearly navigates the student through the whole process of starting, writing, preparing and submitting a dissertation, as well as suggesting what to do after the dissertation has been completed.


Subjects covered include how to write a proposal, which research methodologies and techniques to adopt, which libraries and archives to utilise (including special architectural resources on the internet), as well as how to structure, reference and illustrate it.

Dissertation also takes architecture students into new terrains, suggesting alternative methods of undertaking dissertations, whether as video, prose writing, multimedia or other forms of expression.

* Learn how to organise and direct your studies with this clear and accessible guide
* Extracts from first class UK and US dissertations provide inspiration to get better marks
* Get advice from an experienced international author team ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Great Guide for writing thesis and dissertation
Well, I bought this book as a guildline for writing an architectural dissertation proposal. The book includes good suggestion of how to begin the dissertation, generate ideas, write proposal, conduct an architectural research as well as give sources. This book is great for architecture students who are in the beginning process of writing thesis and dissertation.

Architect's Research Paper Manual!
Finally, a book on how to write a research paper, aimed at and written by architects! Other research methods books touch on what subjects to look at, how to go about analyzing information, etc, but rarely do they explain how to do a case study in detail, how to carry your "hypothesis" into your designs, and vise versa. This book should be a required text for anyone pursuing a professional degree in architecture! ... Read more