No comments about Architecture Inside Out.

No comments about The Space of Appearance.

3 comments about Building Ohio: A Traveler's Guide to Ohio's Urban Architecture (An Orange Frazer Roadbook).

1. First, few clarifications regarding earlier reviews: Be advised that the editorial review covers both books in this series, and that they have nearly identical titles. The first is 'Building Ohio: A Traveler's Guide to Ohio's Urban Architecture'. The second title is identical if you substitute "Rural" for "Urban". The word "Rural" is a little misleading, as the second book covers small-to-medium-sized cities as well as the countryside.

   Regarding walking directions, the books do provide walking directions for small groups of closely-spaced sites. If you want to construct a longer walking tour, then you easily can plan it using the supplied addresses and directions with a city map.

   The writing is very well researched, informative, and a pleasure to read. I've driven past many of the Cincinnati landmarks described here without knowing what they were, and it's a pleasure to be able to associate them not only with names and dates, but with stories. It's fascinating to know that modern airport taxi and bus routing, concourses, and baggage handling were pioneered in the design of a grand train station, Cincinnati's Union Terminal. Or, that landscaped cemeteries such as Adolph Strauch's Spring Grove Cemetery used to be popular picnic and party venues before cities started building parks to divert the load. In reading about our architecture, there is much to learn about ourselves. I'm still reading.

   Photographs are in black and white. There are many sketches used judiciously to show how a building appeared in the past, or to present city-planning layouts. Not every entry is accompanied by an illustration, which was sometimes disappointing. The author defines her area of interest broadly to cover not just buildings, but landscaping and city design as well.




2. Building Ohio: A Traveler's Guide To Ohio's Urban Architecture by Jane Ware is an impressive and unique guidebook of Ohio urban architecture. Showcasing the buildings of Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, and Youngstown, Building Ohio is enhanced with a four page listing of credits, an extensive bibliography, and a comprehensive index. Black-and-white photographs coupled with succinct information about historical buildings, great landmarks, distinctive features and much more completely fill the pages of this useful and highly recommended resource for travelers interested in seeing some of the finest architectural constructions Ohio has to offer.



3. Building Ohio is a unique book in that it looks at Ohio's architecture from a state wide perspective. Ohio's best architecture can be found in Cincinnati and Cleveland and this book covers both of these cities. However, Building Ohio is the only book I know of that also covers Columbus', Dayton's, Toledo's, Canton's, and Akron's often underrated urban architecture. This alone makes it a valuable and original resource. What I also like about this book is it sometimes gets off the beaten path. This is not just a highlight book of downtown architecture. Jane Ware also explores city neighborhoods and suburbs in search of interesting architecture.

   I have lived in Cincinnati for the past twenty years and I found Jane Ware's opinions and writings informed and correct. I would think the one problem with writing a book on Ohio architecture are all the buildings that have to be left out because of space limitations. There are many buildings and neighborhoods in Cincinnati alone that are unfortunately not covered. If, after reading this book, you are interested in a more in-depth analysis of Cincinnati and its architecture, I would recommend Cincinnati Observed.

   The one complaint I have with this book is that it is hard to use it as a walking tour since there are no directions between each highlighted building. For example, when I was in Columbus, and walking in the downtown area, I found it hard to follow from building to building since I am not too familiar with downtown Columbus.

   Overall, I found this book to be a good buy and a much needed reminder on Ohio's often overlooked architectural legacy.

5 comments about Creation in Space: Fundamentals of Architecture.

1. I'm a freak for how-to books and this one is awesome. Friedman's Creation in Space is lucid and elegant. An architect friend in LA showed me her copy and I had to have my own. What I found was an updated version (second edition), with better developed exercises and accompanying illustrations. This first rate 3-D primer is a step by step design program, complete with hard-to-find but essential essays that every designer needs to have read. If you are a wannabe artist, architect, or just curious, this one is for you.



2. In the second edition of Friedman's excellent architectural guide, the writer and editors collaborate to bring much needed updates to illustrations and examples. Used widely as an artistic introduction to architecture at many of nations best accredited architectural programs, this second edition sets the stage for an excellent educational program. This second example is much easier to follow with better examples and illustrations. This guidebook is a much have addition to anyone's collection. For established architects, to students, to enthusiasts - anyone can learn a great deal about interactions between void and mass and architectural program from this text.



3. In the second edition of Friedman's excellent architectural guide, the writer and editors collaborate to bring much needed updates to illustrations and examples. Used widely as an artistic introduction to architecture at many of nations best accredited architectural programs, this second edition sets the stage for an excellent educational program. This second example is much easier to follow with better examples and illustrations. This guidebook is a much have addition to anyone's collection. For established architects, to students, to enthusiasts - anyone can learn a great deal about interactions between void and mass and architectural program from this text.



4. In the second edition of Friedman's excellent architectural guide, the writer and editors collaborate to bring much needed updates to illustrations and examples. Used widely as an artistic introduction to architecture at many of nations best accredited architectural programs, this second edition sets the stage for an excellent educational program. This second example is much easier to follow with better examples and illustrations. This guidebook is a much have addition to anyone's collection. For established architects, to students, to enthusiasts - anyone can learn a great deal about interactions between void and mass and architectural program from this text.



5. In the second edition of Friedman's excellent architectural guide, the writer and editors collaborate to bring much needed updates to illustrations and examples. Used widely as an artistic introduction to architecture at many of nations best accredited architectural programs, this second edition sets the stage for an excellent educational program. This second example is much easier to follow with better examples and illustrations. This guidebook is a much have addition to anyone's collection. For established architects, to students, to enthusiasts - anyone can learn a great deal about interactions between void and mass and architectural program from this text.

1 comments about Greene & Greene: Architecture as a Fine Art/Furniture and Related Designs (Greene & Greene).

1. Bought this book from Half Price Computer Books
   on 4 March 2006 and I'm still waiting to receive it!

No comments about Verb Matters.

No comments about hiCat: Research Territories.

No comments about The Architecture of Science.

1 comments about On Foster...Foster on (Architecture).

1. This book is what is a 800 pages that let us drown into the life and toughts of one of the most brilliant architects in the whole world, Norman Foster.
   This isn't a kind of book that describes the projects and works, this book give us the fundamental of the work, the process of construction. The cd that come together is a selection of works with animation and images, but is equal to the norman foster and partners site on the web, it could be more useful and different.
   THIS IS A WONDERFULL BOOK ABOUT A GREAT ARCHITECT, THEYRE MASTERS , FRIENDS, AND PARTNERS.

3 comments about AIA Guide to Chicago.

1. Limited to the Chicago city limits and Oak Park, the selection of buildings is good, but certainly not exhaustive (Evanston would have been a nice addition). Since commercial architecture is so important to Chicago history, there is a palpable emphasis on these structures. The book is in standard AIA format, with short essays for each entry, some including a small photograph. In fact, the major flaw with this book, in my opinion, is the lack of effective photography. There's a photograph for, perhaps, one out of every ten building entries, and the entries that do include photos are often not that interesting. One tries to come away from this book with a mental image of Chicago, derived from the text, but with little assistance from photography. There are also more than a few entries that include no text, simply the building name, address, date and architect. Keep your favorite internet map program handy.
   
   There are so many magnificent things to see in Chicago, it's a shame this guide doesn't much help us to see them. That (critical) matter aside, it's a solid and important addition to the AIA-sponsored series.



2. Only one other city is so steaped in architecture history than Chicago and this guide does a commendable job of highlighting the most important Chicago buildings, the synopsis on each building is susinct, the only qualm I have is that there are not more pictures, I also wish the authors had ventured more into the suburbs and commented on some of the great houses in Lake Forest and Highland Park, but that omission does not mar the overall enjoyment of this scholarly guide. If you are interested in architecture at all, I recommend you pick up this book, Chicago is so steaped in architecture history and this is a good guide to the best examples.



3. Chicago is generally known as one of the centers of modernist architecture, and this visual guidebook, complete with maps, photographs and authoritative little essays on most of the important buildings, is a must-buy if you plan to tour this richly textured urban center. It's also one of the best small resources for anyone interested in architecture from 1850 to the present. Inexpensive, designed to slip in your pocket, it holds up well-- I depend upon mine to help me with the walking tours of the city I give on a regular basis, and it's still in one piece after three or more years of hard use.