No comments about Work in Progress: Herzog & de Meuron's Miami Art Museum.

No comments about Daylight Design of Buildings.

No comments about Multi-National City: Architectural Itineraries.

No comments about New Prefab Architecture.

1 comments about Cathedrals and Castles: Building in the Middle Ages.

1. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the middle ages and/or architecture, it provides the reader with good background information on the construction process and its history. Numerous first hand accounts are presented, along with a great number of color illustrations to guide the reader and liven the work up, usually a couple per page. It also includes a long reference section in the back of different primary documents for further study. The only downside is that it is only an introductory guide, so it does not delve too specifically into the construction process. It does, however, provide a great backdrop for further learning, and was very entertaining the whole way through.

1 comments about The Anatomy of Architecture: Ontology and Metaphor in Batammaliba Architectural Expression.

1. This by far the best research I have read on the subject of architecture. Suzanne Blier takes a holistic and scholarly approach. The writing is clear with excellent references that have proven very helpful. The photography and illustrations are informative. Anyone with a serious interest in West African art, sociology, language, religion and architecture in general should read this book.

No comments about Superb Shops.

No comments about Will They Ever Finish Bruckner Boulevard?.

2 comments about Victorian Dream Homes.

1. I purchased this book with much excitement and enthusiasm only to find at least 75% of the floor plans have already been published. Not only have they already been published, but many of them in the first book with the same title. I wouldn't recommend purchasing this book unless you've never purchased a house plan book of Victorian homes.



2. This is not for you if you want Victorian homes with Victorian floor plans. It might be for you if you want modern homes (e.g. with "kitchen islands", attached multi-car garages, and 'open floor plans for the new century') that are designed (some more than others) to look Victorian-esque on the outside.

   Maybe if they called it "Neo-Victorian Modern Dream Homes", people who want that would buy it and give it 4 or 5 stars.

5 comments about Building and Designing Decks.

1. I've just completed my first deck project, and it would not have been a success without this book. Not excessivly wordy, but to the point on every aspect of construction. Given patience, common sense, the right tools, and this book, you have everything you need to build a great deck. Other books give you some standard methods of construction, which are helpful as a reference, but this allows you to create something more than standard.



2. After successfully completing a bookcase I decided I'd tackle a bigger project - a 500 sq. ft. second-story multi-level cantilevered deck. It took me a long time by myself, but I did it and every single thing I needed to know was in this book. Design issues, code requirements, foundation work, hardware, and clearly illustrated instructions for each procedure. I spent about a month reading this book, walking the space, and sketching designs. I frequently referenced the book during the construction and always found solutions I needed. The guy delivering the French doors commented that my "contractor" was doing a very professional job!

   As a side note, the author presents a variety of railing designs but prefers a "porch-style" railing. This was MUCH more time consuming than I expected, but is my single favorite feature of my deck.

   The gallery of deck photos was good, though many of the exotic design elements could not be built with the information in this book alone. In my opinion you can't look at too many design photos while preparing your own, and I did browse a number of other books and magazines for this purpose. But for the technical details, this book was my bible.




3. I will be building my first deck in the near future and have purchased several "how to" books on the subject. This book is far and away superior. For starters, it has construction PHOTOS where most books have only drawings. It's so much easier grasp the techniques when looking at a photo. Also, when reading the other books, I always seemed to have many unanswered questions. This book answered them all. Don't make my mistake - buy this book first. It's the only one you'll need.



4. This book proved invaluable when my wife and I built our second-story deck five years ago. The design tips on layout and construction techniques turned what could have been just an ordinary rectangular deck into (if I may say so) a work of art. Although we are both engineers, it was still very useful to see the photos and diagrams describing exactly how each step should be completed, and also how to add the little touches that noticeably increase the professionalism of the finished job.



5. Used this book several years ago on my first and only deck. It was recommended by someone at work, and since has made the rounds with all the people at work building decks, with positive reviews. I still get complements on my deck, in no small part due to this book. Highly recommended.