2 comments about Public Toilet Design: From Hotels, Bars, Restaurants, Civic Buildings and Businesses Worldwide (Trends in Architecture).

1. Sit and congitate on where you might be if you werent sitting where you were. There are some great and not so great inspirational places to expurge your toxins.



2. while the majority of the WC shown here were created with a substantial budget, Public Toilet Design demonstrates a wide variety of styles and settings that can be inspiring (if you can imagine a public toilet being inspiring) for anyone in the design profession.

5 comments about Metric Handbook, Third Edition.

1. I am an Architect dealing with planning and early stages of projects. This book is concise, clear and comprehensive and I don't know what I would do without it. I had a well-used and dog-eared copy from the original edition of 1979 and have just updated to the current edition. The information is easy to find, not over-detailed and still seems to be under the control of one person. Highly recommended and good value.



2. A valuable and a must have book...but print and paper quality is not worth...it is very much like as if phocopied and binded...
   Yagmur TOPRAKLI



3. I'm a graduate design architect, and i've been looking for a design standards reference. I came across this book, i've never heard about it before, as i was more familiar with Time Saver. But i was surprised by how good this book is and how sufficient the information contained is for all stages of design.
   The Time Saver Book might be more comprehensive in some aspects and may also have more examples of different building types. But the price of this book is very good compared to the time saver, which costs much more. I definitely recommend this book...



4. this cd cost 250 dollars, it is a plug-in program for autocad. it creats a new toolbar for autocad users to find images. However, i find this toolbar is NOT frinedly to use and it is hard to find images, and this software can't work in autocad 2000, it just can work with the outdate autocad (r13,R14). Further, this software not ever cover different size of common doors and windows. EDITOR, your CAD-library is not powerful enough. I personally believe this software is only worth 50 dollars.



5. I have been told that there was a review that said that there were errors in the book. This is certainly so, I should know, I am the editor! No reference book as comprehensive as this will ever be perfect. However, if you, the customer, finds one of these, please tell me. My e-mail address is David_Adler@compuserve.com. Thank you.

5 comments about Designing with Models: A Studio Guide to Making and Using Architectural Design Models.

1. It describes materiality and techniques for model creation but quality of the picture in this book is poor for the price i paid.



2. It took a while to get to me but not long and the book was practically new! I'm very happy with it!



3. I was astonished with poor quality of BW pictures this book contains. And I paid $50 for this? The photos are poorly lit so the details are not clear, and not sharp enough for this kind of printing. Texts are rather sketchy too. Intrestingly, resources contain a section for books on presentation models. I found most of them are out of print.
   I can just imagine this book's innitial run was so low that gave this hefty price tag to this book.
   Unless you have a lot of money to waste, or you're advanced, you'll be surprised like me.



4. From the standpoint of representation, and despite the advent of computer graphics and animation, the architectural model has persisted in being a privileged way of expressing architectural intentions. The irresistible iconic relation between the model and the building, and the intimacy witnessed through this association, has unquestionably contributed to this survival. Because in the model no extra interpretive energy is needed to grasp the intended, and because there is definitely a pleasure in seeing something big represented by something similar to it but smaller, the critical denigration of model-making has been minimum. This is unlike the case of the plan and other classical modes of projecting buildings where the conventional nature of representation has opened the gates for questioning their legitimacy. From the angle of making and performing, model-making has also remained a very powerful means of exploring ideas that have 3-d space as their support. The relative absence of a cognitive distance between intentions and their crystallization in the sensible realm, due essentially to the paramount role the hand directly plays in the shaping of a given design idea, has reinforced an interest in model-making as a means for expressing the immediate and the spontaneous. A closer relation the other visual arts has followed, and the architectural model has become a competent candidate not only for expressing design ideas but also emotions and feelings. The author, who is both an architect and an artist, seems to be implicitly alluding to these stands in one fashion or the other.

   Now this Studio guide to making and using architectural design models begins with an introduction to the equipment, materials and model types. In detail, Chapter Two tackles basic techniques for assembling model components. Cutting, attaching, fitting, templating and finishing routines are provided with clear instructions and illustrations. Chapter Three, I think, remains the heart of the guide. Here the author explores a framework for conceiving and using models. As a pedagogic section, this chapter is full of tutoring guidelines and is a meticulously comprehensive investigation. Much of what is suggested in relation to scale, ideas, manipulation and development of models remains focussed. Mill's analysis here illustrates the paramount role models can play not only in representing defined architectural ideas but also as the prime generators of information without the aid of drawings or exact scales. The dialectical relation between sketch models and concept drawings is investigated nonetheless. But it is the stress on the idea that architectural thinking could be deeply investigated through model-making, with all possible alternatives, that is interesting. "Often, " Mill writes, " new directions emerge that do not follow the original intention. Instead of ignoring these and steering the design along preconceived paths, it can be profitable to let go of earlier ideas and follow the implications suggested by the model. This may involve following the design through a strong shift in direction or even returning to an earlier generation in preference to latter versions. " Other observations like these follow. In Chapter Four, the author applies a step-by-step case study of concepts and techniques in relation to the design of five cases: a residence, a multifamily house, a sculptural foundry, an office building and an urban park. These projects trace the evolution of design from early conceptual stages to finishing models. Many assembly techniques and strategies presented in Chapters Two and Three are shown to convey possible applications in the context of evolving designs. Chapter Five (Creating Curvilinear Forms and Special techniques), presents a range of techniques for making sculptural shapes. "Because sculptural elements are more often needed as components of a model, many of the examples present ideas for creating individual shapes. These can be expanded to entire models if desired." In Chapter Six, examples of model usage from the architecture practice are provided. The author reminds us that in practice, "modeling offers one of the strongest ways of understanding the impact of design decisions on the built work and is of particular value in working with complex geometries." The suggested projects offer examples of models from several types of practices. Many of the strategies discussed in Chapter Three and Four can be seen at work, as well as the connection between built work and the model history that helped form them. Finally, Chapter Seven provides useful advice related to alternative media, related models, transferring model dimensions, photography and detailed presentation models.

   As a conclusion, Designing With Models contributes to the (modest) body of literature on model-making in a significant way. It is, to my knowledge, the first complete step-by-step guide to fundamental and well-developed modeling. One could not fault the visual clarity and graphic organization of the work. The black and white photographs do not stand isolated but are balanced by the supplemented comments. The text includes sufficient information for a thorough understanding of the proposed model-making techniques. Although some of it is concise, the text is for the most part well written, and to the point. The lack of a bibliographical section, however, is somehow disappointing, but then the book does not pretend to be a theoretical treatise or a scholarly work.




5. Gives helpful methods of design methods intergrated with the model creation process. Things such as representation of materiality and techniques in the process of model creation are described. Very nice tool for those looking to branch their technique past 3D/2D computer and hand drawing design.

5 comments about Geodesic Math and How to Use It.

1. I don't like to spend money on information that I can get for free. I found plenty of free information about geodesics on the web, but not enough.
   
   I'm glad I spent the cash. This book filled in all the gaps.
   
   It is not for people with weak math skills.
   
   The book seems confusing at first, but if you keep reading and studying you will be rewarded with a deeper understanding of geodesics than you can imagine.
   
   This book is a "must have" for anyone who wants to build their own dome, or just learn more about geodesics.
   
   And yes, it's worth learning the math skills to understand this book.



2. To paraphrase Barbara Mandrell, geodesic domes were green when green wasn't cool. I read this book in college and was sorely tempted to steal it out of the university library because it had gone out of print and was just not available new or used anywhere else. I kicked myself later for not yielding to temptation when I went to check it out again and realized that someone else stole it before me! Seriously, give Kenner his rightful due, this is a classic in its field. What is my test for saying so? It has been thirty years since the book's first printing and has yet to see its equal. And there have been many many contenders. I could not recommend any one book higher for hobbyist or even professional reference to geodesic calculation and the practical design of geodesic domes. Though Hugh is no longer with us, five years gone as I am writing this, but the effects of his powerful intellect live on and continue to infect others with his inquisitive spirit by way of such seminal work.



3. Seemed over-technical at 1st, but after about a year has been my reference book on geodesics & making all kinds of geodesic domes... It lists chord factors (lengths of segments before applying radius of dome) on tables to 7 decimals for various domes @ the end of the book if you don't want do calculate w/formulas provided. If your familiar with trigonometry, it will let you jump around chapters that are of more interest.
   
   This book was originally copyrighted in 1976, but not edited for this 2nd paperback 2003 Edition (glossy color cover). The author, Hugh Kenner (1923-2003), has compiled a very thorough book. Very well written & explained in orderly fashion with excellent general layout & (especially for the time) detailed diagrams plus cross page-references. IMO there is very little that I would change except for replacing current diagrams with modern CAD generated illustrations, that's about it.
   
   Has 172 pages with several blank pages for notes (I note in the wide margins instead) & is 8.7 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches. Not a small book but not a big bulky one either. Makes for a lot of information handy to store just about anywhere...
   ____________________________________________________________________________________
   
   I found many formulas & shortcuts throughout the book. From Chapter 12 I plotted a 16 frequency (# of divisions making total # of triangles) icosahedron (the typical geodesic polyhedron shape) dome with 3880 chords or "struts". Even made them into arcs for a perfectly round sphere. Chapter 12 has "Using the Tables" with a simple symmetric triangle xyz-grid on a spreadsheet. Each chord calculated does not rely on another chord's result, so chance of error is greatly reduced. Chapter 14 "Truncations" has "Truncation by Rotation", which saves time on calculating the rest of the chords in dome, or moving chords by their symmetry.
   
   This "still nicely" bound book after a lot of use covers tension & tensegrities, subdivisions, great circles, symmetry & breakdowns, choosing a polyhedron, spherical coordinate system, ellipses & superellipses, truncations, space frames & many kinds of angles - plus charts & other resources @ the end.
   
   A free program on the web called Windome is useful to 8 decimals, but lacks input parameters like radius... So I use it to verify chord factors. From 2-16v involving about 12,240 chords plotting all verified (to 15 digits) on 1st try. Besides spreadsheets, formulas can be used in programming like "The R Project", formulas & programs are also written for old Hewlett-Packard HP-35, 21 & 45 series calculators & programs filed with the HP-65 library (circa mid-1970's). I guess it also goes to show Hewlett-Packard has a history in the PC & hardware programming business...
   
   One thing - spherical coordinate symbols for Theta & Phi are switched, though referenced in correct order (check Mathworld). Easy to correct, just read "Phi symbol" as Theta & "Theta symbol" as Phi - references & formulas will be in order. This book was written in mid-1970's, guess more? people then used this as convention.
   ____________________________________________________________________________________
   
   There are many good free sources on the web for geodesic domes & math plotting through Cartesian x,y,z and/or spherical Theta, Phi coordinates using basic trigonometry. This book cost me $13.57 shipped free brand new & is WELL worth it, even after searching the web...
   
   
   A final word of caution on building materials for domes in general: if you use wood make sure you take extra fireproofing precautions, unless it's a temporary frame. 2 domes here in town (on same lot) burnt down before fire department got to them - and they were right down the street! The intense heat from both fires left nothing except the slab & melted everything.
   
   So, when they start to burn there is very little time to exit the structure. As energy efficient as they are, the same design allows for a very efficient combustion, especially with wood stud frames & panels. Other problems arise as well with ventilating interior wood frames to help prevent condensation.
   
   There are many other materials that will not burn that could make up the panels (like from American Ingenuity, Inc.), or even a monolithic concrete pour over a temporary plastic covered geodesic wood frame. Another method that doesn't use geodesics is a "monolithic shotcreted airform dome" (from a company called Monolithic Dome Institute).



4. The subject very well presented and in a way that is easy to understand. Gives the underlying math to be able to use our modern computers setting on our desk tops to go far beyond what one person could do 25 years ago.



5. Well, the time has come for the pirates to take a hike. UC Press is reprinting this book. The information I have indicates both hard and softcover bindings...It will be available this year (2003).

   Geodesic Math and How To Use It is an extremely well written book, and with the NASA papers, forms the "canon of applied geodesic math." It is a great book, well written and useful.

1 comments about Design for Assisted Living: Guidelines for Housing the Physically and Mentally Frail.

1. This is an amazing book because it includes design considerations that are European and American. Northern Europe has a definite view of the aging population that is very different than that of Americans. Much more focused on wellness, physical activity, landscape as part of healing, maximizing the aging process. This book also includes American facilities that are more focused on creating a HOME for elders. Wonderful photos too. Comment made that senior residences are designed for the daughters (those who make the decision) rather than for the residents. This gives you ideas on how to change that issue... for the positive. Very good resource book.

No comments about Engineering Analysis with COSMOSWorks 2007.

1 comments about Handmade (Poster Collection).

1. another little thin nice book. Great content. I wish it bigger. All book of the poster collection series are too small. why?

4 comments about The New American Swimming Pool: Innovations in Design and Construction: 40 Case Studies (New American).

1. I think the book's inside cover is close to correct...
   
   "Lavishly prodiced, The New American Swimming Pool is an invaluable and practical refernce book [Pool Owner - maybe not practical]. It is a fresh, important source of inspiration for architecture and landscape architecture enthusiasts, homeowners, architects, landscape architects, landscape designers, and pool contractors."
   
   [...]



2. This is a great pool book if you're contemplating building a classy pool with beautiful landscaping.



3. ...there is absolutely nothing on construction. It's a coffee table book at best!



4. Not just great photos and ideas. This book give details on all the pools, including geographical location, size, depth, color of plaster, type of coping and decking/terrace, etc. Although there are a lot of great books out with wonderful pictures, this one doesn't have all tropical pools, which is nice for those of us who don't have a jungle of palms! Very nice designs for those who live in temperate climates or with more traditional yards/homes. Best pool book yet.

1 comments about Working Drawing Manual.

1. most practical drawing standards for architects

5 comments about Entourage.

1. A must-have book for anyone practicing or learning the art of hand drafting and rendering for architecture or interior design. Included are line drawings of many different types of people in many different positions, scales and perspectives that can be copied and inserted into one's own drawings. The pages are perforated and can be torn out for copying, reducing, and enlarging.



2. Entourage is an excellent resource for students and professionals in any design field. The tracing files are organized for quick and easy use. Some of the images are a little dated, but overall it is a must have!



3. As others have stated here, this book is a great resource for entourage, but most of the imagery is from the 1970s and early 1980s.



4. This book has pretty much been the standard in its genre since the 1970s, but that doesn't mean designers want to use people, vehicles, and other objects that still belong in that decade. The vast majority of images in this book are utterly useless because they are so terribly out of date.



5. I am a 1st year landscape design student and this book has been a great help in my studies.I found this book on amazon for 30 dollars less on amazon than I would of had to pay at the bookstore.