5 comments about 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School.

1. Great little book that takes me back to my college days. It's fun and a great conversation piece.



2. The book contains 101 ideas and concepts that are explained through text on one page and a simple -pen and ink- sketch on the opposite page. The concepts discussed vary widely from simple drawing techniques to positions of architectural theory through enlightened ideas of form and space composition. The book is a good use for students specially in 1st and 2nd years. And could work as a good reminder for graduated practitioners. But actually not a good use for researchers.
   
   You can end reading this book in less than 20 mins. However you will need to re-read it again and again to explore the ideas more.
   
   My advice to the reader: get use of it -but- not to take it for granted... After all there are some ideas that are controversial and anyone would adapt different "accepted" positions toward it.



3. Very insightful, informative and funny! A humoristic, light-hearted take on the architectural education, which sometime tends to be dry... Well, except for studios hours! Frederick's book is quick read that will quickly become any good student's basic reference to answers that sometime we're afraid to ask, such as are my graphics and texts too small on my panel? See 67. Or, is this a good idea to incorporate in my project? See 28. Or, will be a good architect? See 101.
   
   The book's format and presentation makes it easy to grasp the idea or intention of each of the 101 things to be learned, or remembered (pending where one is in his or her architectural education). Its simple and effective drawings convey the message, just like Ching's architectural design guidebook Form, Space and Order. Frederick's book should be placed next to Ching in every student's library... may be even as its author suggests should be kept in plain view in the studio so other can use it!



4. My only regret is that I didn't see this book until now. Wish I had discovered it sooner. Worth every penny.



5. Great book with funny and very serious tips. I am an Interior Design major and I look at it for ideas as much as I can. I received it quickly and enjoyed every minute of it.

5 comments about Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use--Includes How to Make Ferrocement Water Tanks.

1. I love all those oasis manuals. Once again Art Ludwig surprises us with a manual full of info reagarding water catchment and storage. Although I'm working in this field for more than 10 years, I always find something new and interesting in Oasis manuals and ther are a fundamental part of my permaculture-libary



2. This book can help you for how to planning the different water systems in rural and urban areas, the best is how to make ferrocement water tanks.



3. I Built a 10,000 Gal tank straight out of this book for US$ 1,500.
   It looks good & it doesn't leak.
   What more can you ask for ?



4. This book is well written and complete. I feel that after reading this book I can safely capture rainwater and I know all the details to think about when designing our system, specific reasons to place pipes etc in specific places ... an excellent detailed referrence book and enjoyable read; I read the entire book and enjoyed it. If you are seriously considering to have a rainwater catchment system this is a must read.



5. Wow! This book has a ton of usefull, usable information packed into such a thin booklet! No wasted space, which makes me feel that I've not wasted my money on this book! If you are serious about helping to save this planet, or even just surviving the next tragedy that may befall upon us: Get. This. Book.
   Can I just say again: WOW!

2 comments about Decorating Master Class.

1. Decorating Master Class should be required reading in all interior design firms. As a matter of fact, It is is soon to be a benchmark in the annals of decorating history. The authors have not only captured the essence of good taste and style, but they present their craft in a manner that is easy to comprehend and understand. I love this book!!!!



2. The concept of a "Master Class" is a course taught by a top, often world-renowned, professional in a field, to graduate-level students of the highest caliber. When you really understand what a master class is, you get a better sense of the proper audience for this wonderful book showcasing the work of Cullman & Kravis. BUT be prepared -- while the authors may have intended this as a book for the layman, it's for a more precise niche, either the very knowledgeable amateur, or the young professional hoping to work in ultra-high-end interior design.
   
   I would recommend it highly to someone just starting out in the design world, or someone who wants a better understanding of the options available to those with the checkbook to get anything they want. If, for example, you're planning a major interior design project and intend to work with a designer, this is a great primer on the process and details. It'll likely make you a far more informed client for the designer you'll ultimately choose.
   
   It is emphatically not, however, for the DIY reader. The authors assume that you'll be working with professionals, and present options accordingly. The guidelines in such areas as upholstery & trim, lighting, and flooring are invaluable, but such detail is for those who really want it. Your reaction may be, "Okay, that's more than I wanted to know." They also assume such luxuries as custom cabinetry, custom-colored rugs and upholstery, custom embroidery -- basically, an entirely custom environment. This is, after all, what Cullman & Kravis does so beautifully, but it may not be of help to a reader looking for guidance in the real world.
   
   Such books by top designers are the "in" thing lately -- note Jeffrey Bilhuber's Design Basics: Expert Solutions for Designing the House of Your Dreams, Mariette Himes Gomez's Rooms: Creating Luxurious, Livable Spaces, Rose Tarlow's The Private House, Bunny Williams' Point of View: Three Decades of Decorating Elegant and Comfortable Houses, Michael S. Smith: Elements of Style, etc. They cover the length and breadth of interior design today, and they vary widely in their approach. "Decorating Master Class" is for those who want only the finest, and the authors assume their readers have the wherewithal to achieve it.

5 comments about Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies (For Dummies (Home & Garden)).

1. Green architect Eric Corey Freed knows his stuff and it shows in Green Building and Remodeling for Dummies.
   
   Freed makes green building and remodeling approachable and very doable.
   
   I like the checklists throughout the book and the perfect green rooms, both of which make understanding the big picture easy.
   
   Freed does an excellent job in explaining the advantages of building green for the health of the occupants and the environment.
   
   If you've ever wondered what the true environmental cost of a particular product is, Freed does a great job of explaining it in "the life cycle of materials from cradle to grave." If you didn't "get" greeen before, this section will show you how important it is to look at the entire life cycle of a product to determine how green--or not--a particular product is.
   
   I also liked the handy list of green material substitutes which make purchasing very easy.
   
   The book was very readable and concise and even fun to read. I highly recommend it.
   
   By the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet



2. This book gives a great overview of various green building options for homes. It has a lot of practical and useful information for the beginner or even the advanced green building enthusiast. It also contains a really helpful list of resources for further research. I would have liked a little more information on solar and geothermal, but the book isn't designed to give thoroughly detailed information about every option. I would highly recommend this book.



3. Great info. in an easy to read format. Really enjoyed learning about different products and solutions.



4. I am truly a dummy when it comes to green building, I've never bought a dummies book before - but wanted to remodel my kitchen and needed some expert green advice. The book is broken down into these really helpful sections like finishes, water and energy. It even includes helpful checklists to remodel your kitchen in a green way. The advice I learned from this book will probably save me thousands in construction costs and will continue to save me $$$ on my water and energy bills. The author presents the info in a very fun and logical way. Anyone building or remodeling their home should do it green - and definitely needs this book to guide them every step of the way. The reason I bought this book is that I heard the author speak at a local green conference, and the way he presented the information just made sense to me.



5. Green Building & Remodeling for DUMMIES is the right information at the right time. This book answers every specific question I have come up with. It dispells many old myths about green building, and teaches that green is not only accessible, but it's enjoyable. You can't calculate the $$ payback of a more comfortable home. You can't put a $$ value on the improved respiuratory health that improved indoor air quality provides. But you can take those monthly energy and water savings to the bank every month. Thanks to Mr. Freed for his passion and his pragmatism.

5 comments about A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Center for Environmental Structure Series).

1. I bought this book after reading the glowing reviews on amazon. It was also an inspiration for Will Wright to make SimCity and the SIMS..... so I had high expectations.
   
   I was shocked to find how opinionated and philosophical the book is. I expected the book to look at the history of cities, towns, etc. and describe patterns that already exist (much like the GoF's software design patterns book talks about patterns that people actually use). Instead the book presents a series of ideals about how the world should be structured.
   
   If these ideals came from concerns I could identify with, I would take it more seriously. But instead they attack "problems" which I do not perceive to exist. For example, on p. 43 "The homogeneous and undifferentiated character of modern cities kills all variety of life styles and arrest the growth of individual character." This statement is contrary to my experience. I have met many great characters from cities, and seen profound cultural differentiation emerge from cities (e.g. jazz, abstract painting, hippie culture, punk, you name it). But the authors proceed as if cities killing character is axiomatic. I agree that there is a rural character that is not present in cities. But citydwellers have another type of character which is equally valid.
   
   I have only made it through the first 100 pages. In these pages are so many naive ideas about mixing cityspace and vacant space. I live in Los Angeles so I know about sprawl & I also know a lot about cars -- while they are aiming for less sprawl then LA, they also neglect traffic congestion. They claim that making small roads in places make people reluctant to drive there.... the experience worldwide (worst in Malaysia, I hear) is that people use whatever roads are present, and if the roads are small, they then just end up sitting in traffic. The author's are naive in their structuring of space, nowhere do they cite any hard evidence of how these structures function.
   
   I might make it the rest of the way through.... at least it's an easy read, with so many repetitions in how the models work you can kinda skim through it. I like the spirit of the book, it is reminiscent of P.M.'s bolo'bolo.... but where bolo'bolo comes from a purely emotional position, these authors take themselves seriously and believe what they are saying is objectively true. I give the book 3 stars because it is nice to see someone work through the ideas of bolo'bolo (which was actually written ~6yrs after alexander's book). I would give 5 stars to a book that did so by looking more at actual data of how spaces are utilized, and presented designs that didn't have obvious flaws in them.



2. Time has not eroded the significance of this book's contribution to the world of architecture. Though it reaches back to timeless solutions to architectural problems, it is also a way forward. As we devour our social capital in a half century of indiscriminate urban sprawl, this book offers alternatives that will help us revitalize our urban centers.



3. This book is the quintessential book on the subject of creating authentic living spaces.
   This book provides a near mystical approach to architecture in a very simplistic form that anyone can understand.



4. This book talks specifically about what works and doesn't work when building cities and towns and how to take the human element into consideration when doing so. However, I found its conclusions and most of its patterns applicable to software engineering. There are good books on software design patterns such as "Head First Design Patterns", and there are some good books on user interface design such as "Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design", but this book really helped me merge the idea of software design patterns with the user perspective in a way that other books I have read have not.
   
   If you are a software designer, read the book all the way through, make notes as you go, and see if it doesn't help you write better organized code that is more responsive and coherent to a user who walks up to your user interface completely uninitiated in your method of design. I know it helped me.



5. This was an extremely helpful book in using to decide what house or town home to buy, why spaces might work, what needs to be added to them, etc. I am very glad I bought this book.

1 comments about Apartment Therapy Presents: Real Homes, Real People, Hundreds of Design Solutions.

1. Apartment Therapy Presents: Real Homes, Real People, Hundreds of Design Solutions by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan is eye candy for those of us interested in home decorating.
   
   In the introduction, Gillingham-Ryan writes: "More than just a physical shelter, the home is both a second skin that protects us from the world outside and an emotional center that nourishes us and supports our innermost dreams. He also writes: "A healthy home will nurture and support you."
   
   I absolutely agree with both statements.
   
   The author believes that: "It's your home--design it for you!"
   
   With that in mind, each apartment has it's own distinct personality and we get to read about the occupants of each apartment.
   
   While I really enjoyed the book, it does lack one thing, which is why I gave the book 4, not 5, stars. It lacks general tips on how to decorate. I recommend Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet as a companion to this book, because it provides hundreds of tips on how to decorate, clear clutter, make your home green, and more.
   
   That said, Apartment Therapy is very inspirational and real. The apartments feel doable and lived in--not like unattainable glossies in the home decorating magazines.
   
   A floor plan and basic information, like square footage, is provided for each apartment which is smart, as photos alone can't convey the layout of a home.
   
   Next, there is a description which includes information on the occupants, their style and more. I enjoyed reading about the people and it made the decorating choices make sense.
   
   Great photographs.
   
   A survey was included for each section and included the following: style, inspiration, favorite element, biggest challenge, biggest embarrassment, biggest challenge, proudest DIY, biggest indulgence, best advice, fream sources. FUN to read.
   
   Each apartment also included resources which is always great if you see something you want.
   
   Real people real stuff.
   
   Next,

5 comments about Building Construction Illustrated.

1. This book explains most everything about the stucture of a building. From the foundation to the roof. It also touches on basic mechanical and electricial systems. Plus, the book reviews site location and layout. The isometric drawings provide a high level of clarity. This book is a good refrence on home building, as well as explaining commercial construction fundamentals. I would highly recommend this book for anyone in the Contruction Industry. Construction students would also benifit from owning this book. I have my Degree in Building Construction. Man, do I wish I had this book when I was taking classes. It would have cleared up most of my questions. Buy it, you'll be glad you have it.



2. All of Francis D. K. Ching's books are valuable to architecture students. For drafting on the board or CAD, I refer to this, and other Dr. Ching books often. Other Dr. Ching Books I highly recommend are, Architecture: Form, Space, and Order; An Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture.



3. I bought this book for college and it saved me half the money. Shipping was also very fast and im very happy with my purchase.



4. Excellent book recommended by my professor @ school.
   Covers just about everything structural!
   Exlent details , will be a reference for me forever.



5. I am so, so impressed with this book. Extremely well drawn pictures ooze out of each page. Measurements are given for nearly every architectural feature, except keyholes (approx. 24H) Metric and US measurements are provided. This is a real time saver for 3D artists concentrating on architectural modelling and rendering. This is definitely one of my favourite books. Also covered are construction considerations - materials, sunlight and heat, earthquakes, wind, weight loading, etc. Makes for a fascinating read and visually stimulating one.

5 comments about Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build.

1. ...if you plan to build a treehouse yourself. If not this one, than any other from same author.
   It's that simple.



2. This is the latest installment in a long string of wonderful books from David and Jeanie Stiles. Inside you won't find glossy, double page spreads of extravagant treehouses ... this is not a coffee table book. Rather, it is a how-to book, and the best one available for those that want to build their own whimsical play structure. Inside you will find excellent line drawings and readable explanations of intelligent, creative, and well though-out designs.
   
   David starts with the basics: tools. From there you follow a complete and logical progression to completed treehouse. In between you'll get solid building advice. David has built his designs. He knows how to make life easier for you by using common materials and minimizing cuts. The building advice is spot on throughout.
   
   The huge, huge, huge problem with this book is the 20 or so options David gives you for connecting lumber to tree. They are almost all bad. Never girdle a growing limb with rope or cable. Never use nails. This leaves you with only lag bolting. To be sure, there are other ways. But the only safe and tree-friendly way presented in this book (and any of his other works) is to use lags.
   
   This is the by far the best book to give to a young builder and is probably a treasure to any 8 or 9 year old lucky enough to have a copy. It will get their mind working. The crazy schemes they come up with will amaze you.
   
   The ideas inside this book are great. Fun, imaginative, unique. If you know a young boy (or girl) with a tree, get him this book. And when it comes time to actually build their creation, call an arborist and he'll set you straight about properly attaching it to a tree.



3. Tree house building is complex.
   This book will help you decide.
   Ideas are informative; but skills are needed.



4. I built the Treeless Treehouse on page 81. During the project, I found the instructions lacking, and sometimes incorrect. Dimensions critical to building were many times left out. There might have been a bright side to this, as I now know my trigonometry, which was critical to getting lengths right. I also found that the recommended decking was heavy and hard to work with. They recommended 2X6 in order to reduce the number of floor joists. A bad trade-off in my opinion, as these are heavier and harder to work with than a 1X6. They recommended installing the railing posts inside the deck as opposed to the outside. A bad recommendation in my opinion, as it necessitated cutting patterns out of 2X6 which is hard to do. In fact, they recommend using a jig saw for this. I used a skill saw and a hand saw. I don't think a jig saw would cut it. I recommend looking elsewhere for a do-it-yourself book.



5. Help me out greatly. I am below novice in construction knowledge. The book explained, diagramed, and visualized lots of great methods and ideas for building treehouses. I find myself going back to it again and again for efficient methods of accomplishing the task at hand.

5 comments about Architecture: Form, Space, & Order.

1. This is an invaluable reference for architecture students and professionals alike. Ching's illustrations are amazing and the depth of information presented is incredible. I highly recommend this book.



2. it was realy interesting and the cd which i got was quit good i realy exited 100



3. Its very informative, but feels very tedious to read. Very very good illustrations which aid in learning to draft and understand spacial concepts.



4. I read this book in Chinese when I started to learn architecture many yaers ago, and I bought the English version later when I came to the US. I love it, it is one of the best architectural books that you can have.



5. The book came in good shape. It just took a long time for it to arrive (2 weeks).

2 comments about Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis: Opportunistic Architecture.

1. If you are a fan of LTL's work, this monograph covers the vast majority of their work to date. Every project is presented by both good photography and/or the hybridized graphics LTL has become know for; as well as explinations as to how and why each was developed. While this is the typical format for an architectural monograph, it's not the main reason I am giving this book a high review. Ten pages toward the end of this book are dedicated to explaining, in detail, the 5 Tactics for an Opportunistic Architecture the firm uses as the basis for their work. These tactics provide for a much deeper explination into all of LTL's projects, and are published as a kind of "work in progress". Seeing an architect put their ideas out in print the same way a programmer publishes open source software is both refreshing, and inspiring.



2. Lewis Tsurumaki Lewis continue to go from strength to strength as they progress from unbuilt theory and competition entries to built work. I envied them in school, and I appreciate them now I'm working as an Architect. This monograph is a perfect follow up to the Pamphlet Architecture "Situation Normal". Some of the work is re-presented here but 90% of it is fresh and new. If you ever wanted to see a beautifully clean (even restrained) approach to presenting a project through renderings and fantastic perspectives - this is the book for you.