No comments about Architectural Sketching and Rendering: Techniques for Designers and Artists.

No comments about Contemporary Church Architecture.

5 comments about Interior Graphic and Design Standards.

1. This book is out-of-date, poorly written, poorly organized, and a complete waste of one's money, time, and effort. The graphics are inconsistent and poorly done, and it is a nightmare trying to make sense of technical information provided by Ms. Reznikoff.
   
   This reference has been eclipsed in light-years by Maryrose McGowan's book "Interior Design Graphic Standards", which is now considered THE reference book of choice and the Gold Standard in its class. Use your money wisely and opt to purchase McGowan's publication instead of this one.



2. This book is a necessary staple for every Interior Designer's book collection



3. I recently purchased this book while taking a Commercial Interior Design course as part of my Interior Design degree. I found the book to be very helpful in many aspects of commercial design and specification. Also, my boss, who is a licensed Interior Designer and has been practicing for about 10 years has a copy of the book that she used while in college; she refers to it as her design reference Bible, haha. Although some of the material (such as codes) may be out of date due to the everchanging laws and standards, overall this book is filled with valuable information. A must-have for all interior designers!



4. A great book for interior designers. Serves as a great refrence. A must add to any library collection!



5. A very informative and usefull book for all designers.

5 comments about Visual Grammar (Design Briefs).

1. I stumbled on this book at the local library and found it a very fascinating read. I've been involved in graphic production for years and can push the objects around on the comp, but never really knew the basics and foundation of visual language.
   
   This is a great primer to learn the basic concepts that lead one to want to learn the syntax and the structure of the visual nouns learned.
   
   This is something I will purchase and pore over until I learn the concepts.



2. Wow. Thats just it for this book. Seriously, someone wanted a publication and farted this thing out. I mean, it gives you the vocab of the elements...thats it. Im a college design teacher and this book would be great for a middle-school art/design class.
   
   If you want simplistic...this may be for you.



3. This book certainly takes the simplicity route. It is ruthlessly straightforward in regards to expressing it's information, in a layout that is without a doubt concise and efficient. The nadir? It also unfortunately reads like stereo instructions and the knowledge it tries to impart is thoroughly basic at best. Simple shapes and the like may be the building blocks of structure, but without any really tangible information to be gleaned we are left with an attractive skeleton. Yes there are some bits of wisdom in this book as well as some fetching Adobe Illustrator rendered graphics, but by and large we're just left with more white space than a snowstorm. I really do think people should form their own opinions about reference materials however, maybe you could learn a great deal from this work. Buy it, try it, but I honestly can't envision the need for this volume in light of so many other exemplary works on the subject.



4. Everything was excellent except the quality of the binding on the book. it isn't bad enough for me to want to return it but it is something to mention.



5. The standard for visual literacy was set by Dondis A. Dondis in 1973 with "A Primer of Visual Literacy". However, it was (is) a heavy read. Christian Leborg's "Visual Grammar" gives us a more visual approach to the subject. His thesis is that we cannot understand the visual images that assault our eyes unless we share a common understanding of the symbols involved. Leborg enlightens us with a symplified but nonetheless complex view of symbols that are abstract, concrete, active, and relative. It's an interesting exploration using only basic geometric shapes. This is a "must have" book for those who teach design and a desirable book for students. All you need to know is that it is published by Princeton Architectural Press. Princeton publishes some of the most important books on design. Their positive discrimination is evident in all of their publications.

1 comments about Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future.

1. This book was put together as an accompaniment to a touring exhibit of Eero Saarinen's work. It is one of three books I purchased for an architectural class project on Saarinen and this book is the best of the three, more comprehensive, more personal, and just as if not more informative. I would highly recommend it, it offers tremendous insight into the man as well as the work. The personal interviews and discussions at the end are superb. The editors obviously have a great admiration and affection for Saarinen, and they do an excellent job of making you understand why.

2 comments about Architecture Exam Review: Structural Topics, Sixth Edition (Architecture Exam Review).

1. Disappointingly, this book is full of formula errors. This book must be used in conjunction with a formal Structural Analysis book in order to check and or correct 40% of the formulas given. This book does give you a broad over view of Structural Systems, but do not rely on it to be correct. My firm has both this book and the study series by Kaplan, suffice it to say Kaplan's Structural series is a much better study guide and so far I have found no formula errata. My Structural Engineer Colleagues can not believe That this book by Steven E. O'Hara and David Kent Ballast ever made it through any type of pre-production review with this many errors.



2. A good location to find many different subjects to the topic. Each chapter has sample exam questions for review. A good resource but not the ONLY resource you should use if you are taking the Architectural Registration Exam.

No comments about Introducing Revit Architecture 2009.

3 comments about Key Houses of the Twentieth Century: Plans, Sections, and Elevations (Norton Book for Architects and Designers).

1. I really enjoyed this book, especially because it has a Cd in the back cover with all the pdf files of pictures and dwg files of CAD drawings for the floor plans of each project.
   
   The only downside is that there is only 2 pictures per project, but on the other hand it does have all the main architects of the Twentieth Century.



2. The so called CD of drawings is a joke. True, the drawings are in a real CAD format but they are really nothing more that worthless sketches. Buy the book for the information provide (however brief) on each structure but not for the CD.



3. Few books offer you a chance to see how the building is laid out and organized. Great book, especially for architects and designers.

No comments about Autocad and Its Applications: Basics 2007.

3 comments about Skinny Streets and Green Neighborhoods: Design for Environment and Community.

1. Used it in a board meeting to convince them GREEN is the best color and strategy for design initiatives!! Amazon shipped fast and was right on time for the meeting.



2. I love the bbok, it is beautifully edited, and very relevant for anyone researching on sustainability and cities. It is probably too much focused on the suburban type of neighborhood ( I think they are trying to justify this model through green sustainability ) , but it is very clear and precise on the strategies taken by all these developments.
   
   I was still in needs for more images and detailed sections of the models proposed, that's why I think of it as a reference book. All drawings are very basic, beautifully made but basic.



3. Expertly and knowledgeably co-authored by Cynthia Girling (Director and Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of British Columbia) and Ronald Kellett (Professor of Landscape Architecture and Director of the Neighborhoods LAB in the Design Centre for Sustainability at the University of British Columbia) Skinny Streets And Green Neighborhoods: Design For Environment And Community is an innovative modern introduction and study of urban planning and ecology that deftly provides the reader with an exceptional selection of proven methods for solving generally difficult problems for community landscapes in urban areas. Inclusive of in-depth analysis with years of experience in the urban planning, with an excellent selection of design strategies for opportune placement of plant life for the essential betterment of the environment. An outstanding contribution to Environmental Studies and Urban Studies reference collections, Skinny Streets And Green Neighborhoods is very strongly recommended for all students of ecological design within the context of an urban environment.