3 comments about West Coast Bungalows of the 1920s: With Photographs and Floor Plans.

1. I was a little bit disappointed in this book. I guess I didn't realize that this is basically a reprint of a catalog, all in black and white. I had hoped for some color photos of interiors and exteriors.



2. E. W. Stillwell and Company was an architectural firm in Los Angeles that started business in 1906 and rode the West Coast building boom, eventually creating their own book of house plans. This little booklet is a reprint of their 1919 plan book.
   
   It's a fun read, with 50 house designs offered in its 64 pages. It's a small book, measuring only 6" by 8" and the print is small, but easily legible.
   
   Some of the homes offered by this firm are very attractive and a few are the classic California bungalows with the oriental peak on the gabled roofs. A few of the houses in this book are really quite unattractive. Many of these houses are quite spacious by 1919's standards, measuring 1,000 square feet or more. A few are the more modest worker's homes, with 700 - 800 square feet. It would not be difficult to take these designs and "puff" them a bit, making them large enough for today's needs.
   
   There are a dozen pages of extras, including testimonials from happy buyers, a street scene of these homes lined up like little soldiers in Pasadena, some financing information and my very favorite part, "Age of The Bungalow," a poem written by Ethel Brooks Stillwell (wife of the architect?).
   
   The photos are pretty clear, the floorplans are easy to read and fun to study and the print is also quite legible and dark. For the price (six dollars), you can't go wrong.
   
   Rose Thornton
   co-author, California's Kit Homes



3. I loved this little book. It's small, but every page contains a photograph of the exterior and at least one floor plan. In many cases, alternate floor plans are also provided. Wilson designed classic California bungalows. His designs are under-appreciated, and in many cases inspiring. If you live in or lust after a California bungalow, you'll spend hours pouring over the ideas and plans presented in this book. I consider it a must-have for the library of the bungalow enthusiast.

3 comments about Pipe Drafting and Design, Second Edition.

1. At first glance this book seems impressive - good illustrations, easy to read and seemingly well organised. The problem is that it purely focuses on using the Pro-Pipe software and doesn't mention any other software (like CADToolsonline, Hercule Design etc).
   
   If you are going to use Pro-Pipe then it is worth buying but otherwise stay clear.



2. This book is clear, easy to read and well laid out. It does an excellent job of introducing pipe drafting to a person with a general drafting background. However, very little of the book has anything to do with the 'how' of piping design. All it does is explain in simple, concise terms why the items in a piping facitily are put together the way they are. In summary, if you looking for a good book on piping drafting, look no further. If, on the other hand, your focus is piping design, then you need to look elsewhere.



3. I am currently in college taking pipe drafting courses. We use this book as our textbook along with the accompaning workbook. I find it to be very knowlegable and informative as well as well written. It explains step by step how to draw your pipes manually, using auto cad and pro-pipe as well. Illistrations are very good also. My husband has been a welder for 22 years, and now he is also taking this course with me, and agrees with my opinion. This teaches you the basics of piping it is not an indepth book on the subject. but for beginners it is outstanding I would highly recommend it to any one interested in the subject...Kathy Noland

5 comments about AutoCAD 2000: No Experience Required.

1. This an excellent manual for any one who has no idea how to work with AutoCad. The author takes you through each task step by step making some of the difficult steps seem easy, as though you have done them before. There is no flipping back and forth to different pages to try to figure something out that you had already done.



2. I am a brand new AutoCad user and found this book to be exactly what I was looking for.This book delivers a lot of information at a steady pace but is not suited for someone who wants a crash course. You need to do the project in order to learn and this takes time, so be prepared to commit to it.



3. Although this book is based on architectural drawing, Frey walks
   you through this with the intention of showing you all (most?)
   of the possibilities with AutoCad, so you can pick up and go
   where he lets you off.
   
   I started with no knowledge of this program and before I have
   finished the book, I can already see how I can do my electrical
   drawings quite easily.
   
   This is a 'must have' book for beginners, and I think even
   experienced users may have their eyes opened with this one.



4. Iv'e had the book for two days now and am on page 243,. Very easy to use (almost too good of a job explaining)
   This book IS for begginers ,as the title says but i went from scatching my head to doing my own projects in a day



5. I am a new user and is the first time to explore autocad .I bought autocad 2000 of David Frey, but without the disk I can not use it. I need help, I am appreciated for those who would help me how to get a disk to apply this book.
   Again, thank you very much

3 comments about Drawings and Plans of Frank Lloyd Wright: The Early Period (1893 - 1909).

1. Una raccolta di disegni da non perdere, in cui la cura del dettaglio e la ricerca estetica invitano a scoprire il lavoro minuzioso di Frank Lloyd Wright. Un libro che non può mancare nella collezione.



2. We were fortunate to find one of the original prints while visiting a Chicago gallery. Unfortunately owning more than one print was well beyond our price range. This book captures the entire collection beautifully. These prints do Frank Lloyd Wright and his work justice, and the details are so interesting.



3. A republication of the of the work first published by Wasmuth, Berlin, 1910. Plate headings are translated into English and there is a glossary of the German terms found in the ground plans. There is an essay by Wright, "Studies and Executed Buildings", written in Florence, Italy, 1910. These are the early houses and commercial buildings by Wright which even today remain modern and relevant; with the incorporation of up-to-date bathrooms, they would eclipse most of what is being designed today by leading architects. No color, and all line drawings, but you can spend hours studying the plans and admiring the elevation drawings.

1 comments about The New Boutique: Fashion And Design (Design New Titles).

1. impressive design projects from all over the world, well photographed. i've showed this book to a few industry ppl and they were really excited about it. i highly recommend it to anyone who works or interested in retail design and fashion. there's a lot to see and learn from it- for architerctures, interior designers, and stylists.

1 comments about Commercial Design Using Revit Architecture 2008.

1. this book along with the residential book by stine are excellent sources of beginning revit arch. they are used at my community college to teach beginnning and intermediate revit.

5 comments about The Complete Yurt Handbook.

1. Excellent pictures. Good overall introduction to Yurts. Quick read. Not a lot of stupid info.



2. One of the best books I've found with concise building instructions. It also gives the historical context and more period method of construction as well. Great book for a beginner, which I am.



3. This book is an invaluable source of information on the history, building and use of the portable felt structures called Gers. Well researched and clearly written, the book covers all the detailed procedures needed for building one of these structures including authentic plans for a variety of sizes. There is a good glossary of terms and many helpful suggestions for the sourcing of materials.



4. None of the chatter, just good info on how to build yurts and gers. Forget the other larger books. Simple and to the point. Most of the drawings are freehand and not cad, but nothing is lost in the process.



5. It's amazing how much information is in this rather small book. You could keep it in your pocket as you built your own functional yurt. The writing is to the point and very informative. I've checked out many books on building yurts and this is the best. High points of this book for me: clear patterns, listing of materials and tools needed, time estimates for building, vocabulary of yurt parts, basic history of the people who use yurts, their various regions, and yurt variations. Get this book if you really want to build a yurt and do it right.

No comments about AutoCAD 2009 & AutoCAD LT 2009 All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

5 comments about The Urban Design Handbook: Techniques and Working Methods.

1. this a firm way of working
   just one way of doing things



2. This book is a rare but insightful look into the practice of one of the New Urbanist legends. UDA began the pattern book revival a decade ago (and also has a book out describing the process of writing one.) They also are one of the pioneers of the New Urbanist revolution, which, by discarding the fictions of Modernist planning, have rediscovered existing methods and have discovered new methods of creating compact, mixed-use and walkable neighborhoods that were always the basic cellular structure of cities from the dawn of time until just before World War II. We have understood the basic principles again for some time. What this book shows are some of the mechanics of how to do it again.



3. The architects at Urban Design Associates use war stories and bold illustrations to provide detailed instructions on how to transform a blighted urban area into an aesthetically pleasing community. This Pittsburg-based firm created the architectural plans for city redevelopment in communities from Cincinnati, Ohio to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to Riverside County, California. The book shares UDA's time-tested, 10-part "charrette process."

   The charrette brings together local residents, government officials, real estate developers and other stakeholders to guide the design process. Using the existing community's "best addresses" as an ideal, UDA produces a unique pattern book that describes preferred neighborhood building arrangements and architectural styles. The plans emphasize the area's natural features by making parks and public space an integral part of each project.

   UDA has one cardinal rule that guides these working sessions: "No matter how many encounters you may have with participants, the first time you meet people, you are asking questions, not giving answers." Judging from the work presented in this full-color manual, they are asking the right questions. Their designs are scaled for pedestrians and they incorporate building sites that can accommodate single-family homes, multi-family residences, civic buildings and commercial space.

   The book is stuffed with specifics--everything from consensus building tips to digital filing guidelines. Architects, engineers, planners and developers are the obvious target audience for this trade book. But, new urbanists and city enthusiasts everywhere will also enjoy it as an entertaining and instructive reference.




4. The Pittsburgh-based firm Urban Design Associates has been in practice for nearly 40 years, over the decades accumulating quite a lot of experience in urban design. This is UDA's in-house training manual, polished and augmented for public use. If you are starting out in the urban design field, or are just curious about the methods of a successful firm, this is a good place to begin your investigations.

   The first section introduces some basic principles and organizing concepts. Ideas like the "Urban X-Ray" and "Urban Assembly Kit" are easy to understand but at the same time provide a powerful means of evaluating locations and organizing the design process.

   The second section, taking up one-third of the book, is a case study of the design process from beginning to site plan. It's really the heart of the manual. This section takes you through information collection, analysis, charrettes, preliminary design, negotiation, and final presentation. UDA can be justifiably proud of their work here, as the site (a housing project in Winston-Salem) was extremely challenging, yet the final plan was quite good from a number of perspectives. You get some idea of the politics, persuasion and patience necessary when working with established residents, officials, engineers and developers.

   The following two sections cover pattern books and architecture. These sections are mostly about basic concepts and the firm's standardized methods, which can be dry reading. The information is sound, but presented in a rather generic way, and so is less engrossing than the earlier section. It will be of interest to students wanting to understand how one firm tackles contextual residential design.

   In the extensive appendices, the roots of the manual become more apparent. These cover everything from filing system notation to line weight (how to draw a block of houses). Mainly of interest to those wanting to compare office administration procedures, students, and new UDA employees.

   The Urban Design Manual delivers the goods in a concise format, focusing on UDA's methods rather than trying to encompass a variety of possible approaches. The illustrations are a treat to look at, and convey at least as much information as the text. The writing is clear and professional, yet also conversational and even a bit lighthearted. Mini "war story" vignettes in the margins bespeak the writers' understated humor. It is the first step-by-step manual of urban design (hopefully the first of many by various authors), and is valuable resource for students and practitioners.




5. Gindros and Company at UDA distilled the stuff they do every day (-designing buildings, neighborhoods and towns), into a manual for their own new hires. Then they expanded this information into a handbook for publication. The book presents an excellent framework for design work at several scales, from the individual building through the building blocks of great neighborhoods, the street, the block, the public spaces.

5 comments about Color Drawing: Design Drawing Skills and Techniques for Architects, Landscape Architects, and Interior Designers, 2nd Edition.

1. I have a copy of the first edition of this book and am still mesmerized by it. When it first came out, everyone I knew at design school who bought it felt like the information and techniques had given them an out-of-body-experience and it quickly became THE book to own, learn from, and emulate. Anyone who buys this book and applies the material and techniques will become better at drawing, rendering, and creative presentation methods...it is a sure-fire way to achieve "star power" in your office and in front of your clients!



2. great book! Out of the dozens of hand rendering guides I looked at, this was by far the best and the easiest to learn from. It tells you what pencils, markers, and tools to buy to achieve certain effects, and gives you step-by-step rendering instructions for tons of different types of materials and lighting situations. I highly recommend this- in fact, it should be mandatory for interior design students!



3. It's really hard to say too many things about this book. Even older editions of Color Drawing are great, but this newest one goes above and beyond the call of duty. In an age when a lot of books get re-released as new editions with few substantive changes, Color Drawing breaks the mold by updating the techniques with current technology (i.e. Photoshop). It's great to see that the author and publisher realize that pure hand-drawing and rendering is quickly becoming a thing of the past and that the practitioners of today and tomorrow need to have excellent computer skills too. This book is full of very useful tips for combining Photoshop with hand drawings to create great effects. So even if you have an earlier edition, do yourself a favor and buy the new one anyway because you will learn a lot.



4. This is an excellent resouce for the study of rendering. After detailing the elements of color and design, it describes, step-by-step, how to achieve many finishes both interior and exterior. It is both instructive and informative.



5. This is the standard for rendering in architecture and interior design as far as I am concerned. It will most definitely become a required textbook for my classes in visual presentation in the years to come. Doyle takes you step-by-step into the process of rendering with marker, color pencil, and pastels. But he doesn't just spoon feed you the recipe for each material rendering, he presents the basis for a process that allows you to render virtually any material not found in the book.