2 comments about The Architecture Student's Handbook of Professional Practice.

1. "The Architecture Student's Handbook of Professional Practice" has 4 parts, including the profession, the firm, the project, as well as contracts and agreements.
   
   Each part is further divided into chapters and subchapters, including:
   
   Professional life, legal dimension of practice, and professional development
   
   Developing a practice, running a practice, marketing and public relations, client relations, human resources, financial management, risk management, and firm operation
   
   Project definition, project delivery, project management, quality management, and building codes and regulations
   
   Types of agreements and AIA contract documents
   
   It also has some useful appendixes: Resources for intern architects, allied professional organizations, state registration boards, schools of architecture, sample AIA contract documents, glossary and Index.
   
   Most of Americans will open a book, read an average of 18 pages, and then put it away and let it sit on the shelf. I guess most architecture students will look through the table of content of this book, and look up the portion when they need it, and then put it away.
   
   One suggestion I have for AIA is to publish an abridged edition and reduce the number of the pages to make it more usable, and focus on the issues that young architectural professionals have to deal with everyday or 80% of the time in real architectural practice.
   
   "The Architecture Student's Handbook of Professional Practice" has 720 pages. Overall, it is a useful resource for architecture students.
   
   Gang Chen, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Author of "Architectural Practice Simplified," "LEED GA Exam Guide," "Planting Design Illustrated," and other books on various LEED exams, architecture, and landscape architecture



2. This is required reading for many professional practice courses and is very useful beyond school. The content is a compilation of articles from experts and very well written with essential information readily available in each chapter. I would highly recommend getting the book at the beginning of any architectural studies as it is the best measure of the actual business of architectural design.

5 comments about Experiencing Architecture, 2nd Edition.

1. The book was in great condition and it arrived when I expected it to arrive. The book contains elements to architecture that you cannot find absolutely any where else. It talks about experiences and ways that structures can bring out human emotions and feelings that one cannot register by simply entering into a building. Though this book explains what happens when you are in a building that evokes emotion. Its great.



2. 7/09 Steen Eiler Rasmussen's "Experiencing Architecture" was my introduction to Architecture in the 1st semester of my 1st year (1964) in Architecture School. We were also assigned Robert Venturi's "Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture" during my 2nd sememster. While I do appreciate Venturi's work, I am still scratching my head over his maiden literary effort. Rasmussen's straight forward explanations and illustrations of form, space, volume and light sank into my eager but confused brain. It helped me understand what Architecture meant as an expression of civilization and culture. When I had the opportunity to teach an introduction to Architecture after I graduated, I was warned that Rasmussen's work required a college level mastery of English. If reading comprehension is a challenge, be forwarned.



3. This book was required reading for my introductory class on architecture. I was debating whether I should be an architect or not and this influenced me to pursue it. It is one of those rare theory books that I had fond memories of reading. Rasmussen, unlike most writers, is very even handed in his presentation and doesn't steer the reader into any particular style. He provides the reader with a clearer understanding of architecture and the role of architects in shaping the built environment.



4. Experiencing Architecture, 2nd Edition
   In spite of it's age the book is still like a bible for people interested in architecture and used a lot in education. The language is not too complicated, its not too technical and there are a lot of simple but good illustrations.



5. I like this book very much, while reading, you feel like being on the place that is described and feel the architectural sensation.

5 comments about The Green Studio Handbook: Environmental Strategies for Schematic Design.

1. I love this book. It doesn't go into too much detail about each design solution that it offers, but it gives you enough to pick the right strategies for your project and gives you a direction for further research. Each design solution presented even includes resources you can go to for this further research. I've used it at the beginning of almost every term project since I got it.



2. This is such a great resource. Clearly written and wonderful visuals for understanding all the intricacies of sustainable strategies.
   I highly recommend this book to anyone learning about passive solar; passive heating and cooling; sustainable building methods; geothermal; photovoltaics; and there are so many other great techniques in this book.
   This is the text book for my Green Design class.



3. The book does a decent job of listing many of the green approaches to building. However, I found it lacking more of the details that would have made it more useful from my perspective. I am not an architect. Maybe those details are less necessary for someone with that background. As a future owner of what I hope to be a green home, this is a decent book. However, "Your Green Home" by Alex Wilson is probably a better introduction to the field.



4. I love this book, it is very detailed and easy to read. It is organized very well and is really helpful. It covers a lot of the basics of sustainable design. I do wish that it went more in-depth with a few things, but it is more of an overview type book.



5. This is a great book for anyone interested in designing sustainable buildings. There are 7 sections - envelope, lighting, heating, cooling, energy production, water and waste and case studies- with different strategies in each. The sections are very clear and explain what each strategy is, how it's achieved, the problems and design considerations for each. Also there are lots of diagrams, charts and real-world examples. I would highly recommend this book it is very easy to read and it makes what may seem like complicated sustainable systems, easy to implement into your own designs.

5 comments about THE ARCHITECTURE OF LIGHT: Architectural Lighting Design Concepts and Techniques.

1. After learning about lighting for interior design, I knew there was more information to fill the gaps. Sage Russell did just that with a clear writing format and easy steps to follow for successful lighting design.



2. This book is a must-have if you are in any way involved with lighting. The author writes as if he's speaking to you which makes for an enjoyable read. I have read the book several times and as my own knowledge grows I continue to absorb new and useful information which I missed on previous reads. It also makes for a handy reference when you are questioning a lighting layout. I would have given this book 10 stars if there wasn't a limit!



3. As a teacher of Environmental Control Systems, for architecture students (which includes both Illumination and Acoustics, my main field of interest) I needed a text capable of providing a design approach, coupled broadly to the technical aspects of the discipline. Sage Russell's book clearly accomplishes this masterfully, and has gained a following among the Studio Design professors as well. The materials are stimulating and the writing is entertaining. I can truly recommend it in this context.



4. I am building a new LARGE home and wanted to get information to figure out the lighting scheme. This book was actually interesting and enjoyable to read. I have already read dozens of different books to be prepared for the homebuilding process (I will be my own general contractor) and have found this to be one of the most useful with real information and not just buzzwords.
   
   That being said, if the author or publisher is reading this, you MUST do a thorough proofreading before the next printing because there are MANY typos in the book (I would seriously fire whoever was in charge of proofreading!)
   
   I am very happy I bought this book since I really had no background in lighting and this provided a good basis.



5. Rich with colorful images, this is a five star lighting text that offers a creative logic to lighting design. I have successfully used this book as the introduction to lighting in a pre-architecture and interior design course at the sophomore level. My course used many of the available PowerPoint presentation slides, instructor's notes, and assignments provided by the author. Because of the practical approach taken by the text, I was able to match weekly assignments to each weekly lecture and students built a course portfolio of lighting exercises that will be useful in additional studio work. When technical information is so easily accessible online, I particularly appreciate the author's balanced perspective that honors the aesthetics of architectural lighting and helps students become intrigued with its magic.

3 comments about The Function of Form.

1. This is one of Moussavi's "The Function of ..." books, which are great books for students. I would personally recommend the "Ornament" installment. This book explains many (many) different structural solutions that mostly include arches and vaults and the almost infinite variations of them. Still a good book, maybe even a better book for engineers looking to get a broad overview than architects, but still a good book to have.



2. Where was this book when I was in architecture school? I have to say this is one the most comprehensive books ever written about structures that "generate" form... It's way of illustrating concepts with graphics and drawings are the way ALL architecture books should be written. Correct me if you think otherwise but Farshid Moussavi could become the Louis Kahn of contemporaneity...



3. THE FUNCTION OF FORM is a 'must' for any serious college-level arts collection. It proposes a new theory of form based on repetition and differentiation, offering a way for function in built forms to be conceptualized as a transversal process. Architecture and arts libraries will find this a technical, comprehensive analysis of the parts of forms that interact and reciprocate, going beyond text to pack pages with finished designs offset by pages of diagrams and explanations.

5 comments about Analysing Architecture.

1. The book arrived in good conditions just international mail take too long to arrive in my country. I was expecting it to arrive in an Amazon cardboard box with bubble plastic within, and instead it came only wrapped in a bubble plastic envelope, perhaps due to Brazil customs. But no damage in my paperback book.



2. In clear, precise diagrams and thoughtful text, author Simon Unwin offers an engaging methodology for the study of architecture and aesthetic systems. Time-tested buildings from classical temples to traditional Japanese homes and early modernist masterpieces, are explored in this wide ranging, but focused study. Unwin demonstrates that while architectural styles change over time, the underlying principles that organize quality designs remain remarkably consistent.
   
   This book is a must for all architectural students interested in acquiring the visual skills needed to understand a wide variety of design methodologies. My only criticism is that proportion and scale were not given enough attention, but there are many other books that cover this important topic separately.
   
   Intelligently considered, and clearly presented, `Analysing Architecture' is a refreshing counterpoint to the sort of pretentious, self-serving rubbish that Eisenman, Libeskind, Hadid, et al try to pass off as design.



3. I used this text for a architecture class I was enrolled in. The figure/ground drawings are useful.



4. This book establishes a systematic method in analyzing architecture. It explains how architectural elements are combined together to form designs that could relate an appropriate sense of 'place' specific to the programme as well as the environment surrounding it. The book is well illustrated with diagrams and examples. An extremely useful introductory guide for those who want to learn more about the basics of architecture.



5. Beginning with the root definition of architecture as its "conceptual organization, its intellectual structures"., the author makes clear its function as "identification of place", goes on to identify the basic elements and concepts, examines the use of natural features of the landscape, analyzes primitive place types, geometry in architecture, space and structure, and other key concepts.
   From the campsites of primitive man to the sophisticated structures of the late twentieth century, architecture as an essential function of human activity is explained clearly, and illustrated with the author's own excellent drawings. Highly recommended as a well-organized and readable introduction.

   (The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)

5 comments about Why Buildings Stand Up: The Strength of Architecture.

1. This is a book for everyone - even junior high kids will benefit from it. Salvadori's explanations of why we build as we do are basic and informative. High rises, bridges, roofs - all are presented.



2. The contents of the book are interesting; alas, and probably because it was written over 30 years ago, the author has stuck to the exclusive use of the now outdated Imperial units, making the book almost useless for readers educated outside Burma, Liberia and the US of A.
   
   Which is a pity.



3. I love this book, along with its companion "Why Buildings Fall Down". For the lay person, this is informative and entertaining; it makes structural engineering very attractive. I have a much higher appreciation for the science that goes into making any building and the people who execute this science on a daily basis - go engineers!



4. If you have ever wondered how the why the Eiffel Tower stays up or why skyscrapers don't fall then this book will help to answer your questions.
   
   The book deals with a technical subject in an understandable fashion. For instance in the chapter on skyscrapers or high rises, you get a bit of history about the development of these tall buildings, information on how the foundation is excavated and reinforced, and then of course you get a picture of how they are built so they don't fall.
   
   Chapter one gives you a ten page down and dirty overview of structures so you have the basic understanding to follow the rest of the book. Chapters include the Pyramids, loads (weight), materials, beams and columns, houses, skyscrapers, the Eiffel Tower, bridges, (with a special chapter on the Brooklyn Bridge), form resistent structures, cathedrals, domes, churches, tents and baloons, hanging domes/dishes and then of course a wrap up.
   
   If architecture fascinates you, but you have no desire to be an architect, this book is a good basic reference that has fascinating facts when it comes to answering the question: Why Buildings Stand Up.



5. The condition of the book was like new.
   I learned a great deel about the engineering and
   construction of man-made structures. It includes
   the everyday structures as well as internationally
   known structures.

5 comments about Why Buildings Fall Down: How Structures Fail.

1. This companion volume to Why Buildings Stand Up is enlightening - the cause of a building's failure is not always a simple one. With the country's infrastructure suffering, particularly bridges, the information in this book may make you nervous. Unfortunately, it was published before 9/11/2001, so there is only a slight reference to the World Trade Center in both books.



2. I picked up this book before a transpacific flight to keep myself occupied. As a structural engineering student, I thought it would be an interesting read. The hand-drawn illustrations are rather unique although there are one or two case studies that required a little more time to understand the design under question. The major examples such as Galloping Gertie and the Kansas City walkway collapse are covered as well as some other examples that I had never heard about, even in class. It's an easy read as it is geared towards the general public, so for those with a structural engineering background it may be a little lacking (my dad who is also a structural engineer questioned the book's explanation for the collapse of the Cypress Viaduct during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake), but overall it provides a slightly different perspective to studying structures. In school, we are taught how to design buildings so that they can withstand various hazards, but we are rarely ever taught why and how buildings fail. A good introduction to structural engineering #and failure) for the average person.



3. "Why Buildings Fall Down" is a very entertaining book about Architecture and Engineering regardless of what professional field you are in. I read this book because I had bought the sequel "Why Buildings Stand Up" and I was curious about the difference in material. I was surprised to find that the information in "WBFD" is actually drastically different because instead of basically giving information on the correct ways to engineer a building, "Why Buildings Fall Down" actually talks about what you shouldn't do (which is an entirely different perspective).
   
   One of the best aspects about this book is that it goes into great detail about the forces of nature in particular that have a large affect on your building and how they can result in failure, which from my experience is something that a lot of books don't have to offer. Natural forces occurring on a building gets very interesting as it goes far enough into detail to give you beginner formulas that are used by Engineers and Designers when calculating wind loads when your dealing with a building of drastic heights.
   
   The reason I recommend this book to anyone, not just people in the Architectural and Design field, is that it really gives you a well produced set of information about what goes into the process of design and how its considered more of an Art rather than just Engineering. I wouldn't be surprised that after reading this book, you'll start looking at every building you walk by and actually be able to understand why Architecture is, in my opinion of course, the greatest of all Arts.
   
   With that said, it does lack a little bit of information regarding Residential style Architecture, since it's primarily dealing with structural characteristics of Commercial buildings. But either way, great read for anyone and IDEAL for any Artist.



4. Meticulously and simply written, beautifully illustrated. Fascinating cases from antiquity to the present. You get a real feel for the field of large structures, their conception, design, building, maintenance, and the associated personalities.
   
   I would encourage the authors to do a similar book on the World Trade Center collapses, including WTC7. Since they are associated with a company that was involved in WTC litigation, they might be in a good position to do such a review book.
   
   And they might evaluate some of the associated factors, such as extreme high temperatures in the wreckage, possible iron microspheres in the dust, .....
   
   I found this book in the bibligraphy of a report entitled "What Did and Did not Cause Collapse of WTC Twin Towers in New York" by Zdenek P. Bazant. Bazant is a very heavy academic hitter in the field of structure analysis and behavior. His article is very technical, laying out the establishment collapse scenario, which has been contradicted by the people that want a new investigation, e.g. [...], [...].
   
   The US Government National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) study did not pursue the actual collapse, it just studied fire, and possible structural distortion up to the moment of collapse. Bazant follows the collapse but not in a lay intelligible manner.
   
   Maybe the authors could do better.



5. This is one of the best books I've read on the engineering behind structural failures. The authors teach by example, exploring fallen apartment buildings, stadiums, bridges and other structure, and using each to illustrate an important engineering principle. The illustrations are also an invaluable aid to understanding the problems in each structure (particularly for readers who, like me, may find it difficult to follow verbiage on the orientation of strutts, the direction of braces, etc.).
   
   I only had two gripes: a glossary provided the only introduction to many basic concepts; and political/historical/personal context would have made for a livelier account. The glossary was a very helpful resource for understanding basic things like, what "load" is, and how it effects structures. It might have been better to also work those descriptions into the text as the concepts arose - this would have made it easier for me to assimilate them. Also, I enjoyed it when the authors gave context for many of the engineering decisions made - for instance, that a stadium rooftop was designed, in part, because flaws in the city sewer system prevented the efficient disposition of significant rainfall. However, more of this kind of context - particularly historical and personal facts that had bearing on design decisions - would have made each example into a better story, and improved the reading experience for me.
   
   Overall, a highly recommended book.

5 comments about Architectural Research Methods.

1. This is a GREAT resource for students in the design professions, even if their thesis is not a design thesis. It has great examples and explains how to utilize built works, not just written works in research. It is very helpful for undergraduate students with little to no research experience. A truly invaluable source of information for architecture/landscape architecture/urban design and planning/interior design students.



2. Este libro es de mucha ayuda para entender los metodos de investigacion, especialmente en el campo de la arquitectura. Ha sido de mucha ayuda para mi trabajo de investigacion.



3. 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



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



5. 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.

5 comments about The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses.

1. I have just finished this book in conjunction with a seminar I am taking on Sensory Design as I work towards my Master of Architecture degree. The book impressed me in several ways, but was most impactful in that it reinforces several ideas that I believe to be intuitively linked to architecture and architectural expression.
   
   Most importantly, Pallasmaa's discussions of ocularcentrism and its growing dominance in the architecture of the Western World sheds light on a growing (and potentially limiting) phenomenon - that architecture is executed with its visual sense as the focal point for design, rather than for the environmental experience that it can create. His essays explore the fundamental necessity for architecture to facilitate and trigger experiences that affect all of the senses.
   
   Pallasmaa's argument is layed out very coherently in two essays. The first discusses visual dominance as a potential limiting factor in contemporary design, while the second makes a case for each sense and its crucial importance in consideration to overall contemporary design.
   
   What we have here, in the end, is a highly theoretical text that firmly states Pallasmaa's arguements and validates them with discussions of artistic and archtiectural principles. Overall, the book makes a strong case for the necessity to design for all senses in architecture, and is a launching point for further discussion and critical introspective thinking.



2. The book is great. I bought it as a gift & my son loved it. The seller was very timely in shipping & the book was in perfect condition.



3. The book has excellent intentions and addresses a very important and neglected issue in architecture. The topic discusses the predominance of mind/visual based designs that end up being projects of artistic self expressions on the part of its sponsors. The author challenges
   this bias to make us aware that buildings also need to relate to us not only visually to also all of our human senses. The writing is clear and simple but still academic in flavor. While this is a much needed message I gave only 3 stars because of the following observation. I thought the overall concept was excellent but I did not think the application of the concept was very successful once I looked at the work of the architects being referenced. The author quotes many architects whose work he believes touches all of our senses and are therefore assumed to be less visual and cerebral. My reaction was these architects are doing non-cerebral but from an intellectual place. As a result while their buildings are richer and more interesting to our senses they are nevertheless still very conceptual and dissociative. In other words we still end up with designs that while promoting a fuller sensory experience are still very mental. For me that's the weakness with this book at least based on the specific architects referenced.



4. I enjoyed a lot reading this book. it is a traditional but essential book to have for any architecture lover.



5. I shouldn't really be so harsh because I was starting to forget about it has been so long. To be honest your service has been pretty good up till now but this time its a joke I been searching around the neighbourhood and no one has heard of it, I have email and ask if you know where it is and you said it was sent. I have paid for it so I should have it.
   
   Please I do understand this can happen occassionally, but please rectify this ASAP
   
   Thanks, otherwise this is a possitive review...