No comments about Pamphlet Architecture 29: Untold Stories (Pamphlet Architecture).

5 comments about Frank Lloyd Wright: The Masterworks.

1. I've seen a lot of books on Wright over the years, and read a number of them, but for sheer enjoyment and the celebration of his work, this work is the best I've seen. It strikes the best balance between the photos and text, but the photos are truly magnificent and worth the price of the book by themselves. Much of the information, as another reviewer has commented, is available in other books on Wright, so there might not be that much new here for the Wright expert, but for those not steeped in Wright scholarship, this book is as good as any to learn about his architecture, philosophy, and life. Thirty-eight of Wright's most important buildings are covered, equally divided between his private and public buildings. Overall, probably the best single book out there on Wright to gain an understanding and appreciation of his work for the general reader.
   
   By the way, just today we toured Taliesen, in Phoenix, AZ. It's a great tour if you ever get to the area and are a fan of Wright's buildings. Perhaps that's why I was inspired to write the review. :-)



2. The pictures are marvelous and the content is more than the usual re-written information. i have really enjoyed this book.



3. No one book could capture the full range of Frank Lloyd Wright's brilliance and versatility, but this one comes close! If you're a fan of the man who was arguably the 20th century's greatest architect, this book is a must-have. It covers his design philosophy, and shows how that philosophy was manifested, from Wright's preliminary sketches to great photos of the finished structures. A visual treat and an invaluable reference work.



4. Coffee table book, lovely photos; if you love the vision of FLW you'll enjoy this book



5. This is a good book for someone who is intersted in FLW and wants to see most of his Masterworks. However, I wouldn't call much of anything he did after the late 1940's a Masterwork but never the less the book gives a nice overview of his entire career. The guy lived to be 92! Lots of just gorgeous photos. Not many floor plans and the ones included are too small to read. Lots of original colored renderings, sections, elevations & some floor plans. The ratio of text to pictures is 20:80. The book goes quick.

2 comments about How to Start and Operate Your Own Design Firm, Second Edition: A Guide for Interior Designers and Architects.

1. Any interior designer or architect who has dreamed of operating a design firm needs the second updated edition of this classic which covers all the basics of establishing such a business, from developing a plan and financing an office to setting fees, locating clients and marketing design services. Both general and design firm-specific tips are blended together making this an invaluable guide for any collection catering to businesspeople or designers alike.



2. Very good book if your looking to get started on your own. Everything you need to know. Nothing is left out!!!

3 comments about Specifying Interiors: A Guide to Construction and FF&E for Residential and Commercial Interiors Projects.

1. 
   Pretty Good information. However, the book would have been much better if the photos they used were more current.



2. The book looked new even though it was used. I was glad to know that the rating of the book actually did match the final product!



3. I am studying for the NCIDQ exam and I found this book very insightful. It is a great review of information I learned in school and in my experiences in the field. The book covers a wide range of information and is very concise!

5 comments about Basic Colored Pencil Techniques (Basic Techniques).

1. This book, by a pioneer in Color pencil painting is the standard work on this subject for both beginners and advanced artists...a good reference book as well.....Most of the other books are repetitions of this work only.



2. I bought this book with several others, and if I didnt have a comparison I would probably rate it better. The images are washed out, cartoony, and poorly drawn. The author doesnt seem to like using colors at full value, rather he/she prefers to have all the pictures in soft colors.



3. I was immediately struck that the author uses Prismacolor Professional Colored Pencils, my own brand of choice. This made it easy to practice her techniques using the same colors as stated by each image. I learned the best way to layer color - basic tonal layering, heavy pressure layering, two layer approach, spot layering (basic, bold, blended), plus doing the single layer approach. Other techniques covered are the lifting of color, covering large areas, using various colored paper for special effects and so much more that it would take another paragraph to fully describe the multitude of methods the author covers in this book. This book has steered me on the path to produce interesting works of art with colored pencils, where before I managed to use my college art classes to some degree, but not in the quality I really wanted to see my work develop. This is a good book for beginners and intermediates, maybe even good review/reference for the advanced artist. I am so pleased with this book over other colored pencil technique books that I am sure that the others will get dusty from lack of use, while this one will become a true tool to help me with my future artistic endeavors.



4. I read the reviews on all the colored pencil technique books on Amazon and chose this one. I taught myself watercolor and had been doing some colored pencil illustrations, but needed some help! This book shows all the tricks and tips I could ever need and the steps are usually broken up into understandable stages of a drawing - but not always. I would have liked to see more of the tools at work in the instructional photos. Sometimes just "use an eraser for this effect" doesn't make sense without the eraser right there, doing it. I am actually creating my art using Corel Paint with the colored pencils and this book is a terrific help!



5. I would recommend this book for beginners and intermediates as well. Easy to follow and the techniques I learned are priceless.

2 comments about Pierre Koenig: 1925-2005: Living with Steel (Taschen Basic Genre Series).

1. Pierre Koenig was one of the finest architects of the mid-20th Century. His 1960 Stahl House (well illustrated here) has been seen by millions of people in movies, television and especially, television ads. It's the glass enclosed living room/pavilion with a swimming pool in the foreground and all of Los Angeles as a background. This small Taschen book, part of a rather large series, talks about his career and buildings and is well worth the purchase price of $9.99. If your're a fan of the Arts and Architecture Case Study houses, as I am, you will love this little book.



2. Good, short and reasonably priced overview of a Southern California architect who would have been largely unknown if not for Julius Shulman's great nightime picture.

5 comments about Art of Natural Building.

1. Build your green home using one of the many different styles presented in this book. Make your home a truly healthy one.



2. A great introduction into Natural Building. It portrays different styles of natural building; Straw Bale, cob, Adobe, cordwood, earth bags, compressed earth bags, stone, timber, wattle and daub, earthbag and paper crete. There is also a section on earthships. The book also talks about designing a healthy Natural House. A great book that anyone interested in building Green would like.



3. This is a very interesting book. It's mostly not about natural building, but rather a book about alternative wall building. Of the four major parts of a house - foundation, floors, walls, roof - this is an awful lot of information about walls, and very little else. Foundations covered in a few cursory pages, almost nothing on roofs, and nothing on floors at all, except for ground level earthen floors.

   There is less world-saving going on than meets the eye. Almost all the bad stuff whether large amounts of timber, or reviled composites is in the roofs, floors, and foundations. When it comes to having wildflowers as part of the roof, they even embrace some pretty nasty membrane products.

   There is also a fair amount of self-delusion going on. In the section on timber frames the author mentions the savings to be had by timber framed walls vs. stud walls, but makes no mention of the unsustainable old growth used in timber frames. Nor does he mention that the infill to timber frames is either the same studwalls he claimed to avoid using, or highly toxic SIPs. in total most timber buildings are built twice once for the frame, and enough infill material to again carry all structural loads. The same comments can be made about straw bale, cordwood and so forth, often as much wood is used avoiding studs as using them.

   Natural building is completely unlikely to make an ounce of green difference in the West. It mainly won't be used, and where it is, it will just be another trophy home "look". Still it's all great stuff for dreamers, and the odd few who will actually build their own little earthship.

   Because of all the authors contributing, the standard of information is highly inconsistent, but in the main good. Do we really need to read after 200 pages a section on timber framing that starts from theoretical constructs like what is architecture and engineering, and works on to maters even more obscure? Nonetheless, there is solid information throughout the book.




4. This book gives you a very good taste of all the natural alternative building techniques, and also where to find out more information on them. This is an excellent book for you to start researching all the different alternative building techniques or if your already well read on the subject it may introduce you to some new techniques or be a good refresher on the subject.



5. This is a great place to start your research if you are interested in natural building. Web sites, resorce books and organizations are listed at the end of each chapter. This book started my career in natural home building.

4 comments about Basic Flower Painting Techniques in Watercolor (Basic Techniques Series).

1. This floral painting book is excellent. Instead of a one-technique collection from a singular artist, this compilation from several fine watercolorists provides a treasure chest of techniques. From basic watercolor daisies to crinkled masa paper pansies, this book gives clear demonstrations and inspiration. There were simple projects that were provided quick success, and more challenging techniques that required some practice.
   
   Some prior basic watercolor experience is necessary. The instructions assume basic level skills such as charging, negative painting, glazing and use of liquid masking. Successful composition suggestions are covered, as well.



2. After purchasing many watercolor books on flowers and realizing they just didn't fit my needs, I was hesitant to purchase another one. But after seing Basic Flower Painting, I succumbed and am thrilled with the instructions and the step by step demos that are the most helpful of all. The price is so reasonable for what is provided in the content, and the colors are as vibrant as in a much more expensive book. I couldn't ask for anything more. I recommend it to any level artist whether beginner or advanced. There's something for everyone in it.



3. Caveat: this title may attract the novice, but "Basic" shouldn't be confused with "Beginning." If you are have a limited palette and are not yet conversant with terms like "charging color," "thirsty brush," and "modeling," the demonstrations may be frustrating.

   That being said, the book is a joyful compendium of fine work by accomplished artists. Many examples are featured in the _Splash_ series. Demonstrations are varied, detailed, and challenging (although the section on special effects with cotton swabs is a bit long).

   As a reference or idea-generator, the book is excellent. The editor has thoughtfully included sketches for constructing single blossoms, composite flowers, stems, leaves, weeds, and wild grasses. For the adventurous, she also includes articles on techniques with crumpled paper, compositions, acetate, acrylic, and airbrush.

   I would recommend this book highly for an advanced beginner who is interested in exploring florals in more depth, or for the more accomplished artist who seeks a comprehensive overview of the subject.




4. If you really want to learn about flower painting, This is one book you simply cannot do without ! This book REALLY teaches you the basics step-by-step. It is beautifully illustrated and will give you the necessary knowledge in learning how to paint flowers with the help of different artists. There are very few books on flower painting that will give you this much demonstration, tips & techniques plus beautifully painted flowers that are painted so realistically that you can almost smell them.

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 Architectural Research Methods.

1. This is a great book that fills a gap in architectural education. it tries to cover a wide range of issues. The effort is appreciated and to a great extend successful



2. This is a good overall text for anyone working in or towards a graduate degree in architecture or landscape architecture.



3. As a graduate student taking my first official course in research methods, I was disappointed. The language and structure of this book could have been made a lot easier to follow. I would have appreciated, for example, more frequent subheadings and listing of points. Because of the lack of, the book is difficult to skim or pick and choose sections to read; expect to read thoroughly. Some of the examples in the book were questionable -especially the chapter on experimental and quasi-experimental research. The frequent diagrams were also lacking in clarity. I think that the text could have been half as long and still conveyed the same amount of information. Redundancy aside, I did (with much caffeinated effort) gain a broad understanding of several research strategies and tactics. The book is not a comprehensive guidebook for conducting research based on particular research methods; it is merely a broad introduction or clarification of various strategies. However, it frequently suggests comprehensive texts for further reading if you are so inclined.



4. I found this book to be excellent: comprehensive and approachable, eclectic and interdisciplinary. It should save any student, researcher or instructor much time and can serve as a text book and/or a comprehensive reference manual. It also adds to the body of knowledge by freshly demonstrating the application of the research methods of many other disciplines in the specific context of architecture (including many cases and examples), all within a nice, logical, unifying philosophical framework.



5. The text is relevent for those interested in "Evidence based architectural design". It is excellent for both a beginning researcher in acadamia or an experienced practitioner involved with architecture research. It provides a broad research background as well as specific application to architecture. It is well organized and usable as an office reference or classroom text. It is written with jargon and graphics familiar to architects.