2 comments about Cinemetrics: Architectural Drawing Today.

1. The architecture and urban planning professionals of the twenty first century have at their disposition, digital technologies for design never before available to the mind and practice of designers. The problem is how to bridge the traditional way of conceiving and representing space in two dimensions, and the three-dimensional representation and animation in digital virtual space.
   
   'Cinemetrics' presents a successful theory to help the designer develop a concept to perceive, analyze, imagine, and construct form and space in time as'mater-flux'.
   
   Using as models three masterful pieces of cinematography, Ozu's 'Early Spring', Goddard's 'Contempt', and Cassevetes' Faces, McGrath and Gardner explore, as a model, the imagination of the cinematographer as a vehicle to humanize the technological tool and elevate its potential as the ultimate drawing and design tool for the contemporary designer.



2. Computer Assisted Design (CAD) is now a vast prison for young designers, a tool for seniors to censor discourse and suppress creativity. The seniors don't know how to do CAD, crow about their inability and disparage those who do know CAD as contemptible "CAD operators."
   
   What the narcissitic fogies do love, though, is stab their greasy fingers at the screen, yell do this or do that to the operator, then swoon at the capability of computers to generate glorious images to peddle inept design, even though computer-generated structures have evolved to appear to be the work of morticians out to make carcasses appear better dead than alive.
   
   In delicious contrast to the moribund illusion of the design profession, what computers in the hands of the truly creative can do is what Brian McGrath and Jean Gardner wonderfully demonstrate in "Cinemetrics: Architectural Drawing Today."
   
   They use cinemetrics to show bountifully diverse alternatives to the static monoclic rendering intended hypnotize the viewer with a command to sit there, shut up and admire this newborn-dead.
   
   Cinemetrics invites engagement of participants in the forever difficult design process, to be never sure of a perfect outcome, to not settle for the easy-greasy solution lifted from the magazines, to refuse the irresponsible deception of the ghastly rendering so favored in property development brochures.
   
   Realtors offer 360-degree walk-throughs for prospective buyers. None offer a chance to design the property to fit imagination.
   
   With liberating cinemetrics the CAD shackles on those who produce construction documents, and in particular lying computer renderings, will be unlocked.
   
   Design may then be freed to be as variable and exhilirating as computers are to those who know what's phony in the colored output.
   
   Creative cinemetrics, not CAD manuals, and never ever CAD standards tailored to productivity.

No comments about Future Forms and Design for Sustainable Cities.

2 comments about The Illustrated AutoCAD 2002 Quick Reference.

1. The downside to technology is that you have to try and keep pace, expecially in CAD technology. This book helps to make the learning curve not quite so steep. It is laid out like the other "Quick Reference" books for ACAD, in alphabetical order, with numeric commands (usually 3d) after 'Z'

   When you get to the command that you have a question about, there is a wealth of information. You not only have the command, but the icon also, if there is one for that command. You then get the command line reference, and a picture of the dialog box (again, if there is one with that command) In the command line feature, you also get the way to type the command, with a hyphen, to use the command in the command line only. You also get a brief description of options, related commands, system(s) variables, and quite a set of tips. They also tell you if a command has been renamed or is an undocumented, by AutoDesk, command.

   All in all, you get very good information for a basic grasp of the command. This will make it easier for you when you go to more in depth resources for AutoCad.

   Some other good features of the book are: 1) pictures of the function key and their functions on the inside cover, as well as some of the Control key combinations, 2) Command prefixes on the inside front cover, 3) 29 pages of system variables, 4) Commands that have been removed, and 5)some miscellaneous information on the inside back cover.

   I would recommend this book to anyone that is now using AutoCad 2002. I would also suggest that anyone thinking of purchasing AutoCad 2002 to pick it up and see what it has to offer.




2. A perfect and user friendly book and its a must have reference book especially to whom practicing AutoCAD.

No comments about Envisioning Architecture: An Analysis of Drawing.

1 comments about Typo China (Poster Collection).

1. Each Chinese character looks like the pictograph that describes its meaning such as moon, sun, tree or human. When these characters combine with images in posters, they become interesting and effective messages that convey to audiences.

No comments about Environmental Design: An Introduction for Architects and Engineers.

No comments about Tutorial Guide to AutoCAD 2000, A.

No comments about Architectural Quality Control.

5 comments about Laboratories: A Guide to Planning, Programming, and Design.

1. As an architect who is actively engaged in the planning and design of laboratories I found this book to be an indisposible resource. Mr. Dahan's knowledge of what makes a good lab work comes through on every page.



2. This is a complete and comprehensive handbook which shall be used by all involved in the planning and design of chemical, biochemical, and other laboratories. It is a comprehensive reference covering guidelines for site selection, the design of laboratory rooms and wings as well as of complete facilities. It provides the most up to date criteria for the design of sustainable type of labs. It also give a unique process for the analysis of needs and the determination of what type of building should be acquired for each given set of circumstances, all in the context of strategic master planning. We feel here in our laboratory that it is an excellent tool for architects, engineers, and project managers as well as for those who commission, operate, and manage laboratories at every level from schools to industry.



3. This is a complete and comprehensive handbook which shall be used by all involved in the planning and design of chemical, biochemical, and other laboratories. It is a comprehensive reference covering guidelines for site selection, the design of laboratory rooms and wings as well as of complete facilities. It provide the most up to date criteria for the design of ustainable type of labs. It also give a unique process for the analysis of need and determination of what type of building should be acquired for each given set of circumstances, and that in the context of strategic master planning. We fell here in our laboratory that it is an excellent tool for architects, engineers, and project managers as well as for those who commission, operate, and manage laboratories at every level from schools to industry.



4. This is a complete and comprehensive handbook which shall be used by all involved in the planning and design of chemical, biochemical, and other kinds of laboratories. It is a comprehensive reference covering guidelines for site selection, the design of laboratory rooms and wings as well as of complete facilities. It provides the most up-to-date criteria for the design of sustainable type of labs. It also gives a unique process for the analysis of needs and the determination of what type of building should be acquired for each set of circumstances, in the context of strategic master planning. It is an excellent tool for architects, engineers and project managers, as well as for those who commission, operate and manage laboratories at every level from schools to industry.



5. This book not only provides state-of-the-art technical information related to laboratory design such as layout, mechanical & electrical systems, air quality, instruments, special purpose labs, etc. but it also deals with information useful in the planning process for a new facility which should be valuable to lab users. I know of no other source for this type of information. This book virtually provides a step-by-step guide for providing a laboratory facility.

No comments about Architecture: Residential Drafting And Design.