No comments about Earthworks And Beyond: Comtemparary Art In the Landscape.

1 comments about Tuscan Escapes: Inspirational Homes in Tuscany and Umbria.

1. taste of that i WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AT MY HOME... If you love Italy you should have that one.

1 comments about More One-Story Homes: 475 Superb Home Plans from 810 to 5,400 Square Feet.

1. I found this book useful for narrowing down my choices in what I do and don't want in my new house. Ultimately, we will probably have our house custom-designed by a local architect, so we just used this book to get ideas. It has a wide variety of single story home plans, so after we got a feel for what we DID and DID NOT want based on these plans, we went to a few home plan websites to perform more detailed searches and narrow it down further.

   I really didn't care for the organization of the book. The categories seemed a little too broad, and the plans didn't seem to be organized with much thought (not in ascending order by square footage like some other books we have looked at.)

3 comments about Tips & Traps for Hiring a Contractor (Tips & Traps).

1. Lots of detail and mostly easy to read, but some important terminology and practices are not explained that a 1st timer would not know.



2. I'm so glad I got a chance to read this informative book before starting the renovation of our home!
   
   The author is clearly an expert in this field and goes into detail in every aspect of the process, with the bottom line of making the consumer a savvy, discerning shopper. The author covers all angles of the contracting process, from making the plans and specifications, to hiring a contractor, to what forms are needed to be filled out. I learned about how to spot a shady contractor; how to get things in writing - especially specific time frames; how to make sure the contractor has a physical address and telephone number, and much, much, more.
   
   The eye-opener of this book was the lien waiver. Unbeknownst to me, if a disagreement occurs with a contractor, and I do not pay, they can place a lien on the property! The lien waiver releases the property from the threat of a lien. The author has a sample copy of what a lien waiver looks like.
   
   This book is a must for any homeowner thinking of remodeling/renovating their home! I recommend it highly.



3. Avoid falling prey to unscrupulous contractors with a guide authored by a 30-year contracting veteran and the author of many other titles on the topic. Tips & Traps For Hiring A Contractor: Expert Advice On Hiring A Contractor Without Getting Taken covers all the basics, from the initial screening of home-improvement professionals to eliminating the bad ones before signing anything, negotiating effectively, understanding contracts and agreements, and even understanding design, planning and maintenance options. An excellent guide to handling contractors, no matter what the job.

No comments about Complete Home Plumbing (Complete...).

No comments about Bloomsbury Rooms: Modernism, Subculture, and Domesticity.

1 comments about Medieval Architecture in Western Europe: From A.D. 300 to 1500 Includes CD.

1. As a student in Professor Calkin's Medieval Architecture course at Cornell, I have found this book to be an invaluable resource. Professor Calkins has intimate knowledge of all of the buildings described, and the majority of the photos presented are his own. The book takes you from pre-Christian Rome, to the Pyrenees in Catalunya, and through the French countryside as you explore every corner and hidden space of the great and lesser-known churches of Western Europe. A must for anyone who loves architecture, student or not.

4 comments about The New American House 2: Innovations in Residential Design and Construction: 30 Case Studies (New American Architecture).

1. This book is a fantastic reference for those interested in architecture or who just like to look at amazing houses. if you like this book, look into the rest of the series. Over all, a great book.



2. I love this book. Contemporary architecture is often misunderstood and misrepresented by focusing on the extreme or most useless of structures. In this book Ojeda takes us into some of the most beautiful, yet utilitarian, contemporary homes from the Arizona desert to Manhattan. He explains the design choices made and more importantly why they were made for the different designs. Included in the book are numerous beautiful photos of the different projects and architectural sketches of the projects.

   This book would be a wonderful 'idea book' for an architect, or someone like me who is looking for ideas to give to an architect in preparation for building a new house. It is also a simply beautiful book to look at and learn from, both in design concepts specifically, and in building materials as well. I highly endorse this book as one of the best illustrated generalist books available on contemporary architecture. The ideas you will get for your own home alone are worth the cost.




3. While not an architect or builder, I am browsing various ideas and methods. This is a great book for getting all the flavors from concrete prefab and rammed-earth to wood-frame with copper exteriors. In one case, a pre-fabbed house is given a timeline picture page showing the construction progress to finish. The pictures are nearly perfect, both encompassing and detailed with briefs that are pretty informative for their length. It's the information that you want with little else. Materials, construction methods and in most cases, cost. Excellent diagrams and cross-sections too. Worth it for someone who wants to build but isn't sure about the materials and methods they want to use, as well as sighting some good ideas.



4. The second covering houses and one of several in a series that highlight and describe the potential of American domestic architecture. It illustrates the possibilities and alternatives to the popular Martha Stewart/Bob Villa suburban style that has taken away so much recognition from American architects. Stunning photographs and simple detail drawings illustrate several different homes; each with it's own character.

   If you are a do-it-yourself type or looking to hire an architect, this is a great place to start. This book will illustrate how a much a professionally designed house stands out from the Home Depot remodel or typical "custom" suburban home designed by a contractor.

   If you are an architect, this is a great reference for residential projects illustrating rigorous use of materials and simplicity of concept, without the heavy "archispeak". It is also a great primer for potential clients, exposing them to the possibilities of design.

1 comments about New Museums: Contemporary Museum Architecture Around the World (Universe Architecture Series).

1. 31 museums in this small size survey at only 6.5 x 8.25 inches (16.5 x 21 cm) are depicted only by photos, but good ones. Following the introductory part on 12 pages, each of 31 buildings is headed by a description filling up a title page with text followed by 5 pages with only photos. This is an album-like book without any technical edge. It is similar to the book "New Museums" (ISBN: 0714844985), but only a half of its size and... splendor. Like all from the Universe Architecture series, it is compact and well published.
   CONTENTS:
   6 Introduction
   18 Contemporary Art Museum; St. Louis, Missouri; Allied Works Architecture
   24 Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts; St. Louis, Missouri; Tadao Ando
   30 Kiasma, Museum of Contemporary Art; Helsinki, Finland; Steven Holl Architects
   36 Contemporary Arts Center (CAC); Cincinnati, Ohio; Zaha Hadid
   42 Jewish Museum; Berlin, Germany; Daniel Libeskind
   48 American Folk Art Museum; New York, New York; Tod Williams Billie Tsien and Associates
   54 Museum of Modern Art, Queens; Long Island City, Queens, New York; Michael Maltzan and Cooper, Robertson & Partners
   60 Museum of Modern Art; New York, New York; Yoshio Taniguchi
   66 Kunsthaus Graz; Graz, Austria; Spacelab Cook-Fournier
   72 Museum of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation; Vienna, Austria; Ortner and Ortner
   78 Kunsthaus Bregenz; Bregenz, Austria; Peter Zumthor
   84 Tate Modern; London, England; Herzog & de Meuron
   90 Dia:Beacon; Beacon, New York; Robert lrwin and OpenOffice Art + Architecture Collaborative
   96 0-Museum; Iida, Nagano, Japan; SANAA
   102 Kalkriese Archaeological Museum Park; Kalkriese, Germany; Gigon & Guyer
   108 Paper Art Museum; Shizuoka, Japan; Shigeru Ban
   114 Art Pavilion "De Verbeelding"; Zeewolde, Netherlands; René van Zuuk Architects
   120 Makino Museum of Plants and People; Shikoku Island, Japan; Hiroshi Naito
   126 Echigo-Matsunoyama Museum of Natural Science; Matsunoyama, Japan; Takaharu + Yui Tezuka Architects
   132 De Young Museum; San Francisco, California; Herzog & de Meuron
   136 Vulcania: Parc Europeen du Volcanisme; Saint-Ours les Roches, Auvergne, France; Hans Hollein
   142 Mesquite Heritage Museum and Art Center; Mesquite, Nevada; AssemblageSTUDlO
   148 Luyeyuan Sculpture Museum; Sichuan Province, China; Jiakun Liu
   154 Stone Museum; Nasu, Japan; Kengo Kuma & Associates
   160 asher Sculpture Center; Dallas, Texas; Renzo Piano Building Workshop
   166 Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; Fort Worth, Texas; Tadao Ando
   174 Nevada Museum of Art; Reno, Nevada; William Bruder
   180 Bellevue Arts Museum; Bellevue, Washington; Steven Holl Architects
   186 Moderna Museet; Stockholm, Sweden; Rafael Moneo
   192 Museu Serralves; Oporto, Portugal; Alvaro Siza
   200 Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College; Saratoga Springs, New York; Antoine Predock
   206 Notes
   207 Photography Credits
   208 Resources

No comments about Casas Encantadas (Archivo del Misterio Iker Jime).