No comments about Hotel, Restaurant, Bar, Club Design.

3 comments about PreFab Now.

1. A Luscious book - with inspirational photos, in both quality and selection. A valuable book for educating those new to this trend in building, so they can abandon old ideas of prefab and look at the hot creative and even green possibilities.



2. PreFab Now
   
   For me, this was a pleasure to look through. The variety of homes covered in the book are extensive; and the photography captured the Pre-Fab installations beautifully. I plan on building a Pre-Fab in the future and I found this book to be a great source of inspiration and visual information.



3. PreFabNow, $26.37 Amazon.com, is a two hundred page square-format book from author James Grayson Trulove. His recent hardbacks include 25 Apartments and Lofts Under 2500 Square Feet, New Sustainable Homes, and The Modern Townhouse. This volume highlights prime examples of striking prefabricated homes on the market today - and examines facets such as cost, durability, and sustainability. The book also includes drawings, plans, renderings, and sumptuous full-page color photography from various architects and photographers.
   
   Resolution: 4 Architecture envisioned the Mountain Retreat that occupies 18 of the first 30 pages appearing after the Contents and Foreword. This 1,800-square-foot home was assembled in a factory before being erected on-site in the Catskills. Once the prefabricated bars were raised, exterior sheathing of cedar board and cementitious panels were applied; a deck for entertaining was also added. My favorite element on this house is the butterfly roof with clerestory windows.
   
   English countryside homes like Cedar House - designed by Hudson Architects - are enviable. This 3,450-square-foot home (utilizing off-site construction) was erected in just one week. Timber-panel floors, roofing, and walls allowed for easy installation; 15,000 untreated cedar shingles complete the exterior. Because the roof structure was lightweight, roof beams were not required - therefore the residence has soaring ceilings and vast open spaces. My favorite feature on this structure is the cantilevered corner window in aluminum-frame.
   
   Flexibility and portability are found in the Portable House from Office of Mobile Design. This California dwelling has ample living and sleeping spaces divided by a kitchen and bath. Once the 12-by-60-foot steel frame is trucked to its site and set on a foundation, the exterior is fitted with metal siding and translucent polycarbonate panels that serve as windows. My favorite detail here is the bamboo flooring, since bamboo is a sustainable hardwood.
   
   Another home designed by Resolution: 4 Architecture is in rural Virginia. The Country Retreat is a 2,600-square-foot house with communal areas on the lower level and private areas on the upper level. Once its prefabricated bars were raised, exteriors of horizontal cedar siding and cement-board accents were applied; a ground-level stone courtyard conceals a swimming pool. My favorite attribute of this retreat is the view from the dining/living area onto the aforementioned courtyard.
   
   Besides the Mountain Retreat, my favorite residence in PreFabNow, is the Red Cabin designed by Alchemy Architects. Perched in the Minnesota woods, a 750-square-foot house with two bedrooms and a galley kitchen evokes the image of a tugboat stranded atop a hill. Configured from two pre-built modules, the home appears spacious due to ground level and rooftop decks. Clad in rough-sawn siding, the house is painted firehouse red to mimic nearby cabins.
   
   Next I'll discuss the X 1 which is part of the X-Line from Hive Modular. This 2,300-square-foot modular home - also located in Minnesota - has 15 foot ceilings in the dining, kitchen, living, master and second bedroom, and study area. Its exterior is covered with maintenance-free fiber-cement and metal siding, and the windows are all black-clad aluminum. I'd say the architects at Hive Modular are fans of the artist Mondrian, based on this prototype.
   
   Of the houses featured here, I especially like the Mod3 Riverview. This green home was designed by Studio 804 of Lawrence, Kansas. All its ceiling, floor and wall cavities are filled with recycled cellulose instead of fiberglass insulation. The exterior is home grown Douglas fir used to reduce fuel consumption associated with shipping materials from overseas. Floor to ceiling windows utilized here also insure ample natural light, reducing the need for artificial light.
   
   While I can't imagine living in a Mobile Dwelling Unit - designed by Lot-Ek - it does possess a certain post-Millennial charm. This unit is built from recycled shipping containers. Its interior and sub-volumes are fabricated from fixtures, plywood, and plastic-coated plywood. When all the sub-volumes are extended, the square footage of the dwelling increases by ten percent. Overall, I'd say this is an excellent coffee table book for anyone that's contemplating buying a prefab home.

5 comments about Shigeru Ban.

1. The fact that this book comes with real explanation and plans of the proyects is why it was chosen above all others... arquitects don't read pictures, they read plans...



2. the work of this interessant japanese architect, it's a demonstration of a continuated and progressive developmente of an architecture beautifull and deep.



3. Excellent book,interesting, useful not only for architectors but for anybody. good print quality.



4. Shigeru Ban is famous for his innovative use of building materials, structural rigor and pureness. This book captures all these quintessential attributes of this ingenious architect.
   
   The editor did a great job of organizing Ban's projects according to the building materials (i.e., paper, wood, bamboo, prefab, and skin). Multiple projects in each chapter form a coherent and articulated presentation of how Ban took advantage of the uniquessness of certain material and incorporated it into his architectural philosophy and aesthetics.
   
   The text is technical oriented which often includes the characteristics of the materials and the issues concerning structural engineering. At the end of most chapters, you can find detailed technical information and test statistics of the building materials used in the featured projects. Moreover, at the beginning of the book, Ban also contributed an article on the whole building process of building his classic work: Japanese Pavillion, which is very informative and instructive.
   
   Another noteworthy strength of this book is that it reveals the connectness of Ban's different projects and shows how the architect developed and built his own architectural style programmatically (e.g., How he developed, refined, and matured the paper architecture, the furniture house idea, the ivy structure, and the universal floor plan through several dozens of projects).
   
   Put together, this is a well-organized, thoughtful, and informative book about Ban's contribution to the international architectural community. Bravo!



5. The book itself is almost the perfect monograph. Each project is described concisely, and it has all the drawings and photos to orient the reader to the site, the program and the idea. The drawings and photos range from the finest detail to the biggest gestures, and doesn't isolate the projects like they're pristine objects. The photos often emphasize the construction or assembly of the work, though the finished photos and model shots are expressive and informative too. The pages with experimental and test calculations are well-organized and relate back to specific projects and details, using graphs, tables and pictures or drawings of the elements or details in question. For a non-engineer, it's all rather clear and convincing. I've never seen ideas and processes presented so rationally and convincingly. Nothing here seems superfluous and Ban reveals his process and interests completely to the reader.
   
   Of course, the projects themselves are fantastic. John Hedjuk's influence is all over the work, and I dare say that Ban's actualized projects are now richer, have reached greater depth and are more expressive and informative than his mentor's. On one level, you could imagine that Ban's preoccupation with wood products, "green" construction and sustainable design started as a bad pun that served as the basis of his student thesis. ("Paper Architecture." Ha-ha.) But the rigor and depth that he brings to each project break through any temptation to show self-conscious irony or superficiality. At the end of the day, he's an architect's architect who controls proportion and light, defines space and considers human scale in all his work. He makes Calatrava look like "just" an engineer. And his works aren't just formal exercises with nine square grids and such. His ideas and works begin to touch on politics without seeming pretentious or partisan with his refugeee shelters and other more recent work (although those private houses do present a counterpoint to the socially-oriented work in more ways than one).
   
   Anyway, great book, great work. I'm totally convinced of Ban's skills and talent.

4 comments about Western Ranch Houses by Cliff May.

1. This book has several traits that make it unique among residential architecture books: 1. it was written by the architect it covers 2. it is a reprint of book that was written during the heyday of the homes featured. No Cliff May owner should be without this book. Looking through the pages will give you an amazing amount of insight into the design of your own home. But others may also find this book very useful. While most of the home designs assume lots much larger than commonly available to homebuilders today. With that said, the ideas will still send you in new directions of home design.



2. This book has a more design and decoration approach than its predecessor, Sunset Western Ranch Houses, which focused mostly on history of this house style. Honestly, I was expecting to see a more house-plan ideas oriented book than simply a picture book with some talking on it. This might be a useful book for those who are just looking to give their house (already a ranch-style) a more traditional look, or for those who simply like this subject. I'll give this a three-star rating because, sometime in the near future, when I get my ranch house built, it could be more interesting to me. I'll keep the book on my shelf.



3. We live in a small neighborhood of Cliff May homes. Many have been remodeled, inside and out, but you can't change the bones of a May home. Unfortunately, we have had to make many improvements to ours as the May homes don't always translate well into the 21st century. X shaped framing makes finding a stud nearly impossible, and the numerous floor to ceiling windows are drafty and lack tempered glass and are extremely expensive to replace, so many of us replace with "normal" windows, walling up many altogether. This also deals with the lack of wall space for furniture or artwork, pictures, etc.



4. I adore his homes, and this book gives you the complete layout, including the floorplan---something I love in architecture books. If you can't visit the homes in person, this is the next best thing.

2 comments about Jerusalem's Temple Mount: From Solomon to the Golden Dome.

1. This 2007 book about the Temple Mount/al-Sharif in Jerusalem/Quds is a very worthy update of archeological research regarding this site holy to the three religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Yes, numerous other books have been written about this site, and one wonders: "Can another book REALY add anything NEW to this subject? After all, isn't all of this Mount stuff over 1,500 years old? What is its relevance today?" Nonetheless: "YES," is the clear answer in promoting this book. What is refreshing about this book is that the author does present a rather straight-forward "This is what I think" about some topic, but he also CLEARLY and OBJECTIVELY presents alternative views about some disputed aspect of the Mount. The author looks at the current claims by Muslims that Solomon's Temple never existed (in their attempt to deny Jewish claim to Jerusalem), and discusses the changing boundaries of the Etheral City. He loudly laments the excavations undertaken by the Muslims without oversight by the Israeli Antiquities Authority. Despite the author's pro-Jewish biases, which he clearly details, he appears to be fair and objective in listing alternative views and theories as to why and how the various temples were built. Having read the other major books regarding the Dome and the Mount, I still find this book to be very informative and FRESH in bringing together "many," yes, "many," issues/details/subjects/themes that I did not find in previous books by Dore Gold, Gorenberg, Grabar, Busse, and Nitmeyer. This book brings them all together. Interestingly, the author presents a different, but fresh (did I say "fresh" before?), and useful perspective in reviewing the history of the Dome/Mount: instead of starting with trying to determine the religious and political origins of the Mount, he starts off with "today: 2006" history and works backwards into the historical origins. This is refreshing: solid scholarly research today, followed by analysis of some of the mythical origins of the Mount. One new, interesting topic that the author asks is: "WHY does the Dome exist? WHY was it built?" Many assume it had something to do with the Prophet Mohammad ascending into Heaven to rap with Allah, but none of the many Arabic inscriptions throughout the Dome mention Mohammad's "Night Journey": so what then is the PURPOSE of the Dome? (Get this book.) I could list 10-15 informative "subjects" here, but, just trust me: if I ever wanted just one book about the Dome of the Rock and the Temple Mount, this is it (but do research the others, too). A lot of political history, a lot of religious Torah relevance, a lot of superb analysis about the holiest mound of dirt.



2. This was the most excellent and comprehensive look at the temple mount that I have ever read. I used it for a research paper on the temple mount and it was by far the most helpful and interesting book. It is very well written and includes beautiful pictures. It is fairly unbiased and really gets into the details of every issue and facet of history it covers. Would make a great coffee table book as well as research book. I am so glad I own this book and I will lend it out and read it myself many many times. If you have ANY interest in the Temple Mount I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Bungalow Colors: Exteriors.

1. Learn about the trends of home colors throughout history, and find tips for returning your bungalow to a shade from the period in which it was built.



2. It is a well thought out and researched book, beginning with a significant amount of history about Bungalows and their Craftsman cousins. From a historical perspective it is definitely worth the read, and contains many source images of homes from this era highlighting the different color choices and how they changed over time. I learned that dark window sash paint was prevalent until the 1920's, when it shifted to white (paving the way for ubiquitous white vinyl!).
   
   It then goes into the process of picking colors, including very helpful suggestions to work with various roof colors, period and real world examples, as well as specific details such as porches, steps and eaves. The book also has a short technical section on colors, very helpful to educate husbands in how to articulate thoughts about colors.
   
   My only real peeves with the book is the lack of references past 1930, and the lack of any Spanish styles, save the cover of the book. My house is (obvious by my peeves) a 1938 Spanish style bungalow. Even without a plethora of period examples for my specific need it helped me decide where I wanted to go with my house, and how to draw focus without detracting from the whole.



3. I was skeptical about this book after reading other reviews. However, I was very pleasantly surprised how useful two particular sections of this book were for me. The "Developing Your Own Color Scheme" section takes you through decisions for each part of your exterior. Not only is there the body of the house to decide a color for, but there are the trim and accent colors, the window sash, the roofing materials, and the foundation. In order for a color scheme to work and show off your bungalow's best features, all of these elements need to work together. The other section I liked is "Before And After," which shows how actual homes were improved by emphasizing or de-emphasizing certain elements of their exteriors. I even chose my own colors from one of the alternate color schemes the author suggests. Warning -- the color swatches printed in the book look nothing like the real Sherwin-Williams colors of the same name. If you see a color you like, take the book with you and find a similar color at the paint store.



4. As a Craftsman bungalow owner, I was eager to turn to this book for some direction in returning my home's exterior to its period. While there is a good attempt to address some of the questions of color, many of the photos are so poor (harshly contrasting sunlight, faded or inaccurate colors, etc.) that the "actual" examples are very disappointing. Further, the best photographed examples are from large A&C homes, not Craftsman, and not "bungalows," as the title implies. However, the color examples provided in the book (in "chip" form, rather than from photos) were helpful. In all, I got something from this book, but not as much as I'd hoped.



5. This is a wll researched book. I wanted to use it to help me pick colors for my house. The book features sherwin williams, not the paint I used. It did give my ideas on how to paint the trim in an original way, but did not really help me pick out distinct colors. Most of the colors used in their makeovers were light. I wanted to see more darker colors for the house body.

5 comments about The New Modern House.

1. It's fun to look at nice houses on the cutting edge of design and this book contains plenty of those. The downside is that you don't get to see each house in much detail and the book contains a number of concept houses that are just mock-ups and haven't been built.



2. I was somewhat disappointed as a current homeowner and builder of a new contemporary home, I (like many people) was trying to get ideas. This is more of a text book for architecture students, showing them the far reaches of art. Very little ideas could be had as far as conceptually and practicly speaking...



3. Me encanto este bendito libro ! Ya que se lo compre a mi pana full RICKY !! SI CHICAS RICKY !!
   
   
   2 meses mas tarde..... BEST SELLING BOOK OF THE YEAR !!
   
   JE JE .. kkkkkkkkk



4. Mr. Jones really needs to give his photographer a bonus because his images really make this book, not that the text is not well thought and out and researched. Most of these homes are just spectucular, I love the use of glass, steel, and rich woods, it's so clean and elegant. You really come away with a new appreciation of current architectural styles as you puruse this wonderful book. Frankly, I could not live in many of these homes, but all of them radiate beauty and inovation. Highly recommended, if for no other reason than to get some ideas for your own home, uh, but you better have some stock in Apple.



5. Contemporary and very different modern designs by top designers and firms are the profile of Will Jones' The New Modern House, which packs in color photos of all kinds of structures, from seaside homes to complex, multifaceted layouts for flat landscapes. Accompanying discussions survey architectural intentions and design options, but it's the photos which capture attention.

5 comments about Underground Homes.

1. This may be a little book in pages,but it is definitely worth it. There are step by step procedures to follow for building an underground / earth berm home.It covers the pitfalls of inappropriate drainage and also Earth-roof designs. There are new techniques now for Earth-roof designs that would be well deserved reading. With energy costs so exorbitant one would think this type of building would stage a comeback.



2. The layman who wants an easy introduction to planning and building an earth-sheltered home typically has plenty of construction guides to choose from, but UNDERGROUND HOMES differs from most in offering all the basics, from site choice and waterproofing and insulation choices to handling problems unique to subterranean homes, such as determining the local water table and handling heating and cooling systems for different climates. The basics are all covered in easy language and diagrams.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



3. Interested.

   Trying to be as fair as possible. The book is interesting to say the least. I would use it as a guide if I were building /and I, my wife and I might just do that. We have just retired and our retirement home will be either underground or a log cabin. her and my choice respectively, so both of us are looking into the possibilities. I will use your book as a reference. I have obtained a copy from a friend and will see how the progression goes from there. I will stay in touch.




4. This book is fairly old (1978; revised in 1980), and slim (only 107 pages of text). But there aren't too many books that cover underground homes, and this is a fair overview.

   If you're just starting to think about building a house, and want to consider the underground or earth-sheltered option, this book makes a decent starting point. You'll need to search out other materials if the idea strikes your fancy, though.

   Chapter titles:
   ---------------
   Introduction
   Lot or Land
   Structure

   Waterproofing
   Insulation
   Interior
   Natural Light
   Heating and Cooling Systems
   Exterior
   Standard Roofs: A Compromise Solution
   Building Sequence
   Conclusion
   Reference Material
   Index




5. Mr. Wampler's "Underground Homes" offers a good introduction to the drawing up and building of an underground home and I give it a pretty good rating, though from a carpenter's viewpoint I would like to have seen a few more detailed elevation drawings within the book to allow the reader to expand with one's own floor plan and draw up a full plan for at least a small underground home without buying a full set of blueprints, though it's necessary to have prints for full scale buildings, some homeowners may choose to add on an underground room or storm room also, and here is the perfect opportunity to offer some basic accepted methods of construction on elevations into plan form. He does cover the various problems which are unique to underground building and one should not approach this type of construction without due information and particular preparation.But, there are no actual home plans in this book.Chapters on waterproofing, insulation, lighting,heating and cooling, and more, will get the reader to thinking about all the options and wonderful security offered in an underground or earth-sheltered home.

1 comments about Universal Design for the Home: Great Looking, Great Living Design for All Ages, Abilities, and Circumstances.

1. This book is a fabulous resource for anyone building or remodeling a home. It demonstrates, both in words and photographs, why universal design is a great idea for anyone, not just people with physical limitations. Who wouldn't want to live in one of the houses pictured in this book? Wider doorways and halls, more efficient and better designed appliances, no threshold to trip over when entering your house--these are all great ideas for all of us. Use this book for yourself, give it to your architect or builder, you will not be sorry.

No comments about Spanish Houses: Rustic Mediterranean Style.