No comments about Atlas of Office Interiors.

4 comments about Glass Construction Manual (Construction Manuals (englisch)).

1. Excellent book, very thorough: from history of glass, through technical and mechanical characteristics, to most contemporary applications, and all illustrated with well chosen examples and details.



2. This is a complete compendium of engineering information for the most typical use of glass--as a window. Everything needed to analyze a building's energy budget--at least for the German climate--is presented and well explained, as is daylighting. Atria and double leaf facades are discussed at the end to summarize the principles. There is also a comprehensive section on the mechanical properties of glass: resistance to wind loads, how to attach it, etc.
   Only downside is the quality of the translation (I assume), which results in an occasional unusual sentence: "As no energy can be lost from the total system, the balance of the incident energy must be able to be resolved mathematically."
   Nothing that impairs understanding though.



3. This is one of the better books that I have seen on the topic of curtain wall design. It is full of very accurate amd well explained techincal information as well labeled details. The project section is a comprehensive study of some of the most complex curtain walls built. This section is full of detail drawings and color images of the built details. This is a MUST HAVE book for anyone working on complex wall systems, or anyone interested in the state of the art in curtain wall design.



4. This is one of the better books that I have seen on the topic of curtain wall design. It is full of very accurate amd well explained techincal information as well labeled details. The project section is a comprehensive study of some of the most complex curtain walls built. This section is full of detail drawings and color images of the built details. This is a MUST HAVE book for anyone working on complex wall systems, or anyone interested in the state of the art in curtain wall design.

1 comments about Vernacular Architecture (Material Culture).

1. This book works very well as an introduction to vernacular architecture. It does, indeed, offer a leisurely stroll through the scholarship on vernacular architecture by demonstrating ways to read buildings in relation to American history. The approach works very well as a way to train one's eye to look at buildings, and the focus provides good ways to connect the various elements of design to wider issues about social history and cultural change -- and continuity. It's also a beautiful book to read. I especially like the way that the photographs are integrated into the text. This type of layout takes a great deal of planning, and the illustrations really support and embellish the writing. There are numerous comparisons to show how American buildings are related to various styles in England, Ireland, Turkey, Bangladesh, and various and sundry places around the world. These comparisions are designed more to illuminate an understanding of American architectural forms and to show origins of various styles rather than to provide an in-depth understanding of global history. The overall method, however, can be applied to learning about buildings in any-place.

4 comments about Greene & Greene.

1. The book has a great selection of Greene & Greene houses and design elements. Unfortunately, the image quality is poor. The lighting is often poor to begin with, and the attempt to correct for it in post production was not done properly in many cases, the result of which is a posterized effect and a loss of overall depth, contrast, and sharpness. The color balance is off leaving most of the rich, reddish mahogany and other woods looking green and flat. It's possible that all of this is the fault of the book's Printer, in which case I feel sorry for the photographer. Been there......



2. I own several other books about the Greene brothers but this one is my favorite. I am a woodworker that makes a lot of furniture. And this book provides lots of photos regarding the furniture. In fact, at the end, there is a section of close-up photos dedicated to the details. These are photos of the chairs, sconces, stained glass and lights.
   
   There is very little discussion of the Greene brothers' career--this book is almost all photos. And almost all of the photos are from unique perspectives. Very few of the perspectives are repeated in my other books on the Greene brothers.



3. Marvin Rand is an accomplished photographer with a special affinity for capturing the essence of architectural details. His eye is keen, his technical skill in manipulating the camera is obvious, and his ability to go beyond the surface makes this portfolio a very fine exploration of the mysteries and profound accomplishments of the brothers Greene!
   
   Having the luxury of visiting many of the homes photographed here offers the opportunity to evaluate more acutely. After a fine introduction by Daniel Gregory who, like Rand, prefers to concentrate on interesting details rather than over-chewed history, the remainder of the book is a collection of lavishly colored plates of the houses created by Greene and Greene, showing the importance of the California climate in the way the houses were laid out architecturally, the concept of the bungalow style, and the craftsmanship which lent its name to a movement. But the real treasures are Rand's scrupulously lighted and composed images of details of the Greene and Greene genius. These include doors, and windows, lamps and furniture, intricate and simple designs from the blossoms of Art Nouveau, and the endlessly fascinating influence of the Orient in finding the quiet and tranquility of the through-designed/composed dwellings.
   
   This is more a book of photographs than the books written by the Greene and Greene scholars and as such serves as an adjunct to the literature rather than just another volume about California's favorite architects. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, December 05



4. This is a gorgeous book on a most worthy subject. Greene and Greene's architecture is so unique and beautiful and it has never been photographed so well, the pictures just jump off the page, they are so vivid and they make the subject really pop. I have not always been an admiror of Greene and Greene's work, I realize that it is not everyones taste, but when captured this way I just can't see how anyone could not admire it. The seeming symplicity of the architecture belies an incredible amount of craftmanship and talent that it took to create these homes. I enjoyed the pictures of the grandest of the homes Greene and Greene produced, but it was really the small bugalows that I most enjoyed viewing, the attention to detail is amazing. If you have any interest in architecture and most certainly if you are someone who likes this particular style of architecture then I highly recommend this book, there are several books on Greene and Greene but this is the best in my opinion, but don't take my word for it look at the other books and chose for yourself, several are quite good, but as I have stated this one, in my opinion is the best...for what it's worth.

No comments about Old-House Dictionary: An Illustrated Guide to American Domestic Architecture (1600-1940) (1600-1940).

4 comments about Great Houses Of Texas.

1. Beautifully photographed with interesting history on the diversity of Texas homes, this book details the unique blend of European sophistication and "homegrown" design that combined to create a truly unique architecture. This book makes a wonderful gift for any favorite Texan.



2. Great Houses of Texas would be appreciated by anyone with an interest in great architecture as exhibited in this book. Many of the houses included are well known, but some are hardly known at all. O'Neill Ford's house for the Steves family should have been included, in San Antonio. Its omission is my only disappointment in the book. The text is adequate though not extensive and the photographs, alone, are worth the price of the book. I know of only one other book on this subject, and that was written years ago, so such a book is long past due! Lee Govatos



3. Though some readers may quibble over the title of this book, it is clear that the book is focussed on the greatest houses still occupied in Texas. This is a subtle but important distinction. The houses shown are not dead great houses, of which there are many in Texas and many of which are greatly admired; Germany instead has focussed on private homes occupied by individuals. With that in mind, it is a fascinating read.



4. There are many things to admire about this book, the images are well presented, the text is informative and overall I liked it, but WHO selected these houses. The book should have been titled, some great and not so great houses in Texas. How could you write a book about Great Houses in Texas and not include the Sealy House in Galveston, the only McKim Mead and White house in the South, or the most famous house in the state, the Bishops Palace in Galveston, or not include Bayou Bend!!! or the McFaddin Mansion in Beaumont, a house that is considered by architecture scholars to be the best example in Colonial Beaux Art in America..it's just incredulous. Many of the houses selected were great, such as the mansion at Kings Ranch which graces the cover and leads you to believe all the houses in the book will be to this standard and they unforunitely are not...the Crespi House in dallas by Maurice Fatio is great as well as is the Bass House in Ft. Worth, as well as the Pease House in Austin, but many just leave you thinking..WHAT!..Im from Texas and am very familar with the grand houses in the state, so I shocked to see some of the most famous houses in the state not present in this book. This is not a bad book, I give it four stars, but it could have been great..too bad whomever selected the houses for this book, was not as thorough as they should have been, nice book, but a disappointment to those of us familiar with the truely great houses of this singular state.

3 comments about The Harvard Five in New Canaan: Midcentury Modern Houses by Marcel Breuer, Landis Gores, John Johansen, Philip Johnson, Eliot Noyes, and Others.

1. I enjoyed this book and return to it often. The beautiful photos offer one a glimpse into the way it was (and should still be) along with excellent descriptions and floor plans of many of the houses. The only thing I would have loved to have is more current pictures of the best kept houses, along with more biographical information on some of the lesser known architects in the book, such as Christ-Janer, whose houses truly piqued my interest and left me wanting more. I took this book with me to New Canaan and it was very helpful in my meanderings through the town. If you live in the NYC area or plan to visit, I wholeheartedly encourage you to buy this book, take a day to drive to New Canaan, drive around the town, and take a tour of Philip Johnson's Glass House (buy tickets in advance).



2. William Earls reveals an interesting fact in his introduction: that a small group of brilliant young architects uniquely designed houses for themselves and others in this conservative small town in the post-war years. The book details thirty-seven modern houses though it has to be said that nine were demolished. Each house starts on a spread with photos, floor plan and a brief description.
   
   This should have been an interesting editorial concept but I thought it had all the signs of a quickie production not helped by a rather bland design. The distribution of pages to each house varies quite a lot (most likely depending on what images were available). Philip Johnson's Glass House estate gets sixteen pages, Frank Lloyd Wright's Rayford House gets six pages but Marcel Breuer's demolished Mills house gets a spread with one photo. The book's title refers to the Harvard Five and they have the most houses but twelve architects are actually featured.
   
   Many of these houses are standing and occupied but there is no contemporary reference to them. The author rightly says that private homes are not open to the public but surely it would have been worthwhile to contact the owners and ask them what they thought of the house and were there any technical problems in living in a 'modern' house that is now some decades old. Some owners would probably have agreed to allow a photo of their house so the reader can see its contemporary look.
   
   Because the screen size is only 133dpi so many of the photos are grey and also much of the cropping does not bring out the best in these buildings. I wish more thought had gone into the design. Some photos have nearly unreadable text on them, captions are sometimes white out of a photo while others are placed (correctly) underneath the image.
   
   Certainly this is an interesting idea for a book but I don't think it really comes off.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.



3. New Canaan was a household name according to a 1953 issue of House and Garden magazine: it referred to five architects who designed houses for themselves and their clients in New Canaan, Connecticut. An introductory essay provides the history, recounting how the town became the figurehead of a new modern movement in housing experimentation: chapters which follow analyze the structures and works of Marcel Breuer, Landis Gores, John Johansen, Philip Johnson and Eliot Noyes. Black and white interior and exterior photos abound.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

No comments about 25 Apartments and Lofts Under 1000 Square Feet.

1 comments about Security Planning and Design: A Guide for Architects and Building Design Professionals (Security).

1. This is a comprehensive book, complete with graphics that pretty much starts off as Building Security 101 and gets more intricate throughout the book. This is s good guidebook for any decision makers who need a reference manual.

4 comments about The Poetics of Gardens.

1. This is a book full of the breath of life. Like the great gardens described, it can be appreciated in many ways. At once a collection and a pilgrimage, combining East and West, always with a touch of humor, it makes you feel the joy of being alive!



2. This book impressed me with the amount of information on garden design, styles and history it has. No, it is not a coffee table book with pretty pictures, but a serious study on the history of garden design. The pictures in it are black-and-white, as well as all diagrams and plans. It is an excellent reference book for students of landscape design and garden lovers alike!!!



3. It's really about experiencing and analyzing the spacial environment. Well written & illustrated. I've used it as a supplemental text in a history of L.A. course, & students have found it really valuable. I've just plain enjoyed it.



4. Good examples of different aspects of the landscape. Explains different types of gardens well. It was an assigned book for a class, which made me not want to read it, but I'm glad that I did. Well written with good diagrams.