5 comments about 10 X 10.

1. I paged through this book literally twice after removing it from its packaging before the binding entirely separated from the pages. The cover of mine is now completely off the book, the "glue" that Phaidon used having completely failed to keep it together. This isn't an isolated incident either; several of my friends in possession of the same book have had the exact same problems. Even the copy on special reserve in my school's architecture library is experiancing problems of this sort. Above and beyond the binding issues, the actual design of the pages is very poorly thought out. As a previous reviewer mentioned, the captions of the pictures are oriented vertically within pages so chock-full of pictures it is hard to discern what one is looking at or for. The book's final offense is the essays in the back, which are printed on orange paper with black lettering, making them almost impossible to read. This book, while the content may be ok, is so poorly thought out that it warrants a second thought before purchase.



2. Im an architecture student at the University of Florida and this book, including 10x10_2 are a must have. They help to see many different types/styles of Architecture and also help in learning Arch. photography and how to capture that perfect shot, along with how to compose images/drawings of projects for presentation purposes. The book definetly puts you in the mood to design, even after many sleepless nights in studio, working on projects. Its also a good convo. starter if sitting on a coffee table.



3. This is an interesting book with plenty of visual information. However, as soon as you start paging through it, the binding will fall apart. The book is too thick to be held together with that crappy glue. Get a hardback edition if possible.



4. The book itself is great; full of inspiration for an architecture student like myself. Great glossy photos, short bits of writing for each architect, basically just what I was looking for. However. And this is a big However. The binding will literally become completely detached after looking at half a dozen pages. I just took the binding right off, cut off the front and back pages, and glued them to the adjacent pages, and its somewhat been working by being held together with the binding string. Seriously, come up with a better binding for this great book.



5. This book is an awesome tool for any architecture student, it provides an insight into what is possible if we push the boundaries of design.
   It has been a great resource for me and many of my peers during my architectural studies.
   Can't wait to pick up the new book 10x10-2
   I only hope it provides me with as much reading pleasure as the first.
   If you have a family member or friend about to start studying architecture or who has a keen interest in architecture, buying this book as a gift will most certainly whet their appetite for the field.

1 comments about On the Art of Building in Ten Books.

1. The Ten Books of Architecture by Alberti, is one of the finest texts for the education of an Architect or Town Planner. Alberti's ideas are studied at almost very Architecture Program in the world. The Ten Books of Architecture describe how to design successfully, and how to design towns that are safe. Alberti expands on the work of Vitruvius. I would recommend this book for anyone who has an intrest in design. The text is very simple to understand. After reading these books, one will have a much clearer understanding of design.

2 comments about Digital Ground: Architecture, Pervasive Computing, and Environmental Knowing.

1. The book digital ground presents new ideas about place and technology. I was particularly struck by the idea of technologies piling up at a place -an interesting problem is how this pile of technologies can be organized into a useful whole - device ecologies, and an extensible system (hardware and software) that can grow over time (and be subject to changes, e.g. devices removed, replaced, added,etc). Another interesting idea is how certain places fulfill or serve different aspects of life or functions, and the technology at a place should then be in accordance with the corresponding aspects of life or functions at that place, or at least be attuned to or be aware of context necessary for such functions and related activities. There are also other interesting ideas and underlying theories in the book which makes it an interesting read, and not only for architects and builders but computer scientists!



2. This book is a wonderful look at the background and future of interaction design. McCullough provides wonderful depth of understanding for the reader on the many discipline that support interaction design: psychology, architecture, cultural anthropology, technology. Not only does McCullough draw the disciplines together nicely, it is done seamlessly to the reader.
   
   My copy is now filled with highlighter marks and it a book I will be returning to for my profession and through time. If you are a fan of well developed end notes to find further information, this book is a charm.

3 comments about Salmela Architect.

1. This is a handsome book, well organized and full of excellent photographs and clear, readable plan and elevation drawings. It is a wonderful addition to the library of anyone interested in thoughtful and articulate architecture. Salmela's work is beautiful and rich, and this book does it justice. I'm very glad to have this in my library.



2. This book is a lyrical tribute to the work of Minnesota architect David Salmela. The text is knowledgeable and engaging (Fisher is dean of the U of M's College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture), and the large format photographs are beautiful and vivid, inviting the viewer to "walk right in." Highly recommended for anyone interested in architecture, interior design or photography!



3. I was introduced to Salmela's work through some friends living in Minnesota. One wintry weekend we toured his Jackson Meadow subdivision, taking our time to examine nearly every property: the specific architecture of each structure, the landscaping, and the feel of the development as a whole. Our feelings were substantially complex, ranging from awe and intrigue to doubt and disturbance. But Salmela's signature on the land was definitely singular, and we all agreed that in some way, his work had blended with the natural world.
   
   This book is a great primer for entering Salmela's world. The photography is clean and expansive and the chosen sites are almost all spectacular. In particular, the coverage of Jim Brandenburg's home is noteworthy. Salmela's work on Brandenburg's property is spectacular and resonant with Falling Waters in my humble opinion.
   
   If you are a Midwesterner interested in architecture, buy this book and enjoy.

5 comments about Lost New York, Expanded and Updated Edition.

1. The original version of Silver's ode to New York City's architectural ghosts was compiled almost forty years ago, so it's nice that this revised edition was released in 2000, with a ton of new photos and revised text. It definitely belongs on the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in the modern history of Manhattan. That said, the book is very poorly designed and would benefit from a total makeover. The photo size and placement follow no discernable grid or system, and the text and photos often don't match up, forcing the reader to flip back and forth. More annoyingly, there's no standard system for captioning or dating the photos, except for an "Illustrations and Sources" section at the back. So, I read this book with one finger permanently stuck in the back so I could flip back and forth to get a sense of the eras I was looking at -- very cumbersome. It also would have been really nice to have a map at the front with the photos matched to it. While the photos are obviously archival, the reproductions seem curiously flat and fuzzy. This may be due to the uncoated natural paper the book was printed on, but they would benefit from the contrast a bright white paper would provide as well as new scans and some careful retouching work. So, this is a neat book, but could become something really excellent in the hands of a good designer.



2. Mr. Silver has a poetic prose style, revealing a most poetic soul, and frames his message of architectural conservation and adaptation through a highly effective personal lens of incredulity and nostalgia, articulating what most readers subconsciously knew but probably never take the time to think about: that architecture is the most accesible and inescapable reminder of urban culture at a given moment; that while culture evolves and architecture becomes artifact, these artifacts can often continue - through thoughtful planning and incentives - to live and to serve without economic detriment to their owners; and that rapacious, self-serving obliteration of our architectural past is the obliteration of cultural evolution and memory.

   I would like to see Mr. Silver now produce a companion volume to LOST NEW YORK, a book about what has been saved.




3. IF the reviewer below is really Nathan Silver, I congratulate him on the shift of gears from his 1968 version of LOST NEW YORK to this one. (Even if it's not him, I congratulate him anyway.) The first edition was heavy on the preservation/conservation debate while this one is more reflective and personal. In both instances, however, Mr. Silver has made an incredible contribution to the study of New York history--not just its architecture, but to the thinking that went into the creation of these lost structures, and the lack of thinking that destroyed them.

   Like Jane Jacobs, Mr. Silver shares a passion for the city and how its monuments, public buildings and spaces, and private residences have a direct and fortifying effect on its citizens. The photographs are stunning, as is the quality of the printing. Mr. Silver's text is equally powerful and just as relevant. At times the effect of seeing these representations of a lost time, and reading about their ends, can be upsetting; the sense of loss is very powerful. But there is a point to all of it beyond the seeming nostalgia: we had better start appreciating those gems of the past that are still rooted in the schist of Manhattan before they wind up in the next edition of LOST NEW YORK.

   One last note: As rebuilding begins on the site of the World Trade Center (a part of lost New York that wasn't our fault), this book indirectly compels New Yorkers to participate in some forward-thinking. It makes one wonder, not only what was lost to us, but what will we give to future generations?

   Rocco Dormarunno,
   author of THE FIVE POINTS




4. The book Lost New York by Nathan Silver is one of the best photo and information books ever writen. Old photos and information on land marks in New York City which have been torn down. Shows you how buitiful a city is but also how little care some people can have for it's treasures



5. This wonderful book gives wonderful pictures and descriptions of lost buildings.

5 comments about Patkau Architects.

1. I have met her through my school days in MA. As a guest critic, she was a great mentor and great designer herself. She even showed up to give an unscheduled private review sessions with one or two of us before she was heading back to Canada the next day and, I was impressed and much thankful for her passion and care for the education.
   
   The book itself does not cover all of her professional works as an architect or as a professor but it was good enough to introduce her name out as it is somehow difficult finding her name or works out internationally.
   
   If you are a student looking for a consistent yet tectonic architect, this book is a good introduction to what a passionate $ insightful architect produces over the time. I hope to see more of her great works in the future.



2. With plenty of large format pictures, this book helps to capture the detail for which the Patkau's are famous. And an essay by Kenneth Frampton doesn't hurt. This is my complaint about most Monologues: not enough process/methodology information. As an architect, I am more interested in HOW they solve particular design problems, than just the beautiful end product. But overall, this book is better than the their first [depth of analysis and range of products].



3. Patkau has been my favorite not only because of its formal language which is undoubtedly influenced by Aalto and 90' Morphosis, but also of its rigorous examination of every line, angle, corner, fenestration, texture, etc. all of which best exemplified by Seabird island school and Strawberry vale school. While the latter is arguably overdone, both of them masterfully guide circulation and elevate genius loci with precisely positioned (figural) elements, a method also seen in Haus Tugendhat by Mies.
   
   Unlike tectonic poetry pursued by Todd William & Billie Tsien that often comes down to the choice of fastener type for a detail, Patkau approaches tectonics in a hierarchical order that operates at the design level like structural articulation, material palette, and construction system. That said, one can certainly appreciate surprises like, say, steel plate canopy in Barnes house, or imaginary deleted gutter in Gleneagles Community Centre that allows rain strolling down the roof into landscape.
   
   However, Patkau seems to (intentionally?) deviate from its established site-specific approach when it comes to larger scale projects. Case in the point: Grande Bibliotheque du Quebec. Here Patkau chose to neglect civic and contextual challenge/opportunity with a homogeneous, if not abstract, plan and construction that resulted in an introverted and hard edged building (perhaps the climate or they spend too much on the channel glass skin?). Conversely, Bolles-Wilson successfully answers to challenges of greater magnitude with a complex yet poetic weaving of highly differentiated space and tectonics in the splendid Munster City Library project.
   
   Hence the title.... If you are interested in an earlier yet already mature Patkau, I would recommend "Patkau Architects: Selected Projects 1983-1993", a nicely edited monograph featuring additional projects and illustration, such as original scheme for Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery design competition.



4. A must for architects interested in challenging their approach to contemporary forms in architecture. A wonderful expression of the models involved in the designing process, a must for the contemporary architect.



5. Based on Frampton, PA's architecture can be divided more or less chronologically into two groups.
   
   First group are the buildings that emphasize the combination of earthwork
   and roofwork. This group holds the indigenous spirit of the specific
   place, telling the story of totem and genius loci expressed in the
   irregularity of forms. On the other hand, second group are the projects,
   built more recently in an urban setting, that speaks and advocates the
   modern approach of universal values manifested in the form of orthogonal
   approach.
   
   Chronologically different in attitudes, all the projects have same
   attitude towards the poetics of construction. Its organic forms expressed
   in wood, its attention to the details and play of light, and its almost
   mythical symbolism to site aligns to the approaches of Aalto, Scarpa, and
   Fehn. (Per Frampton)
   
   Personally, three projects were favored: Barns House (`93), Canadian Clay
   and Glass Gallery (`92), and Grande Bibliotheque du Quebec ('05).
   
   Barns House and Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery is an interplay of
   lightness and heaviness. Almost bird's wing-like roof is paired with
   smooth hard concrete floor. Likewise, light wooden fenestrations
   ungravitate the presence of cmu wall. The anchoring of floor and walls
   really emphasize the freedom towards the sky and forest.
   
   One of the most current built projects, Grande Bibliotheque du Quebec,
   illustrates PA's future potentials. More advanced and innovative in its
   use of materials, but still, basics are same. Structural concrete is in
   striking contrast to the light veil systems. This winning scheme of
   international competition proved that PA's architecture does not bind
   itself to the rural site with single-story program.
   
   Less oriented in theory and abstraction, the projects provide ample
   pleasure of making and specificity of architecture.

4 comments about Green Architecture (Architecture & Design).

1. Lots of ideas,concepts,inspirations at 1/10 the price. Well worth the money towards architectural environmental consciousness.
   However the discussion remains as an introduction without too much depth into project details



2. At first glance this seems like an excellent introduction to green architecture. James Wines has assembled an impressive collection of photographs of some of the eco-architecture that has been built over the past 30 years. But, a closer examination reveals numerous holes in the narrative. Wines has put together a grab bag of ideas that held my attention but left me scratching my head as to why he left so many important architects out of his survey, and included some of rather dubious distinction.

   Wines holds Frank Lloyd Wright paramount in his pantheon of ecologically-minded architects, alluding to his concepts of "The Natural House" and "Organic Architecture," as virtually the only texts written on eco-architecture at the height of the Modern movement. Wines likes Wright more for his aesthetic vision of ecologically sensitive architecture than for any great technological innovations in the field of eco-architecture. Wines laments the fact that eco-architecture is driven too much by the latest technology, and not enough by aesthetic concerns.

   He brushes over the Modern movement, which did offer a number of technological innovations, such as Buckminister Fuller's Dymaxion House and geodesic dome, and did explore traditional patterns in design, as in the work of Aldo Van Eyck, who was a contributing editor for Shelter. Wines wrote off Le Corbusier, ignoring the architect's later work, which was very site specific.

   However, the most glaring omissions are contemporary architects like Ralph Erskine, Glenn Murcutt, Samuel Mockbee, and Ken Yeang who have all given a great deal of consideration to environmentally responsive architecture. You certainly can't call them "eco-freaks," as their work has been readily accepted by the mainstream architectural community.

   But, Wines does offer a number of engaging examples from which to draw from, including his own work with SITE. Perhaps the most interesting examples are the "prophetic visions" such as an Ozone-maker by Jeffrey Miles, seemingly inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, and Michael Sorkin's "Shroom," which has a wonderful kinetic quality like that of Kiesler's "Endless House." Great photos and illustrations, but read this book with grain of salt.




3. This book questions the way architecture affects the environment, and encourages architects to ask the (W)right questions themselves to help remedy their destructive ways. I am disappointed that certain architects where left out of this book, for example there was one photo of a Malcolm Wells house, but no essay was done on him!? An essay on earthships would have fit into this book nicely also. I could go on, and on about all the Green Architects that where left out, maybe the author will include more with a new version 10 years from now. You need to be careful that you question all that the author tells you. For example the author seems convinced that Christians are bent on destruction because of their belief that the earth was made for them, therefore they have the right to destroy it, but in reality the Christian's point of view is just the opposite in that the earth was made for them so therefore it is their duty to protect it. What's with the photo taken in B.C. Canada, I never knew there where palm trees in Canada!? I bought this book for some of it's photos of unusual looking buildings, but have discovered there is allot more to the book than photo's. Read it, enjoy it, question it, question yourself.



4. Our basic way of thinking and living must change in order for the human species to survive and evolve on a sustainable planet. We already possess the knowledge and the technology to rebuild paradise on earth. We now need a growing, global conciousness and the wisdom necessary to move forward.

   This book gives an excellent historical and philosophical account on the shifts of human settlements and explains the imperative necessity of a change in attitude towards our built environment and its intrinsic relationship with its natural context.

   Many examples and a variety of projects, attitudes, perspectives, and approaches to the environmental problems back Mr. Wines view that there is no alternative, that a green architecture must become a basic constant and not remain a mere superficial trend.

No comments about Contested Symmetries and Other Predicaments in Architecture.

1 comments about Ecological Architecture: A Critical History.

1. this book is often historicaly incorrect, misinformed, but committed to ecologicaly damaging projects like the destruction of the ballona wetlands and the construction of soviet era apartment blocks in place of the natural environment. he characterizes an open storm drain as an riparian corridor for example.
   
   he thinks that mackentosh was a modernist, who was in fact influenced by lethaby, an anthropologist interested in the ancient symbols, and ignores frank wright entirely.

2 comments about Order in Space: A Design Source Book.

1. This was one of the books that first showed many people the interrelationships between the Platonic and Archimedian solids. Critchlow studied under Buckminster Fuller and many of Bucky's perceptions find their way in to these pages. Not without a few small errors here and there but overall a groundbreaking book of its day and still an essential volume on the shelf of anyone who works structurally in 3-d. Highly recommended.



2. That this book is back in print is a gift to the world. It's a completely thorough and wonderful trip through various 2d and 3d geometries and patterns. The drawings can be appreciated just on an aesthetic level, or can be delved into deeply. A rare book.