No comments about Simplified Building Design for Wind and Earthquake Forces (Parker/Ambrose Series of Simplified Design Guides).

5 comments about Weekend Houses.

1. This is the perfect book for curling up with on a Saturday afternoon! Gorgeous pictures, interesting text and a wide variety of house styles makes this one of the better home design books I've seen. I highly recommend it.



2. I love this book. The photography is beautifully done and it makes you realize what you are missing if you don't have a weekend retreat. It's a great coffee table book, as it's wonderful to pick it up for a few minutes, look at the lovely houses and read about the owners. A very cheerful elegant book, makes me think of summer even on the wettest days.



3. This book is an inspiring source of ideas. Loved it!



4. The last reviewer had it wrong! This isn't a just-for-the-rich type book at all. Quite the opposite. There are lots of examples in it of weekend places that are fun but not grand, as well as ones that are palatial and wonderful in that way, too. There's a prefab cabin and several very artistic-looking shacks.

   The author says in the introduction that style is "pleasingly democratic." So is this book, which is a real winner, complete with gorgeous photographs and lots of ideas for homeowners. The sailboat-house and sleeping porch, to name just two great structures in here, are really inspiring.




5. "The real beauty of these houses lies in the casual, relaxed vacation lifestyle they inspire..." Casual and relaxed...? Vacation lifestyle...?
   
   I ordered this book, expecting it to relax me with images of quiet weekend getaways, tucked snugly among a grove of trees or a cottage on a windswept beach, as the cover and title "Weekend Houses" would suggest.
   
   Instead, it is a collective of million-dollar-plus manses, smugly over-decorated and far more complex than most homes. It screams at you with excruciating 'style' and manufactured charm. I'd be afraid to even arrive in jeans, much less put my feet up.
   
   Here's a challenge--try and find just one that wasn't built or renovated by a metro-turbo doctor, lawyer or television executive. (Of course, lengthy bios are included of each owner--do we care?)...
   
   It's gorgeous photography and the settings are admittedly beautiful, but unfortunately these "Weekend Houses" read exactly like most of their settings--stilted and inaccessible.

No comments about Cool Hotels London (Cool Hotels).

No comments about Intervention Architecture: Building for Change.

1 comments about Fools' Paradise: Remembering the Thousand Islands.

1. The Thousand Islands. The very name inspires visions of beauty and unbridled wealth.
   Shortly after the end of the Civil War, America's rich and famous discovered the fabulous islands of the upper St. Lawrence, and over the next fifty years made them into America's premier resort area. The best and brightest architects were engaged. They designed structures which fit each individual island so well they seemed to almost grow from the granite. Castles the like of which few kings or queens could afford, elaborate summer residences, and grand hotels abounded, as did restaurants and yacht clubs.
   It was possible to step aboard a train in New York Friday evening, and arrive at the river in time for breakfast the next morning - often while aboard the launch on the way to the "cottage". Not only could one enjoy the pristine beauty of the islands in total privacy, a rich social life was also possible. The family simply boarded the yacht and traveled to the evening's soiree in style. Rarely did a weekend pass without one or two gala parties, and in fact people-watching became almost as popular as the golf, polo, tennis, boat races and fishing.
   In this fine work, Paul Malo succeeds in conveying impressions of the way life was among America's royalty. Although the device used, a dialogue between the author and one of the last of the old time residents of the area, feels contrived at times, in choosing it Malo manages to deliver a tremendous number of facts and figures without allowing the recitation to become dull.
   In addition to the interview style, Malo adds photos and memories from his own youth on the river circa 1945. By then, many of the fabulous homes had been boarded up, and others no longer existed. These nostalgic images will haunt you. What a shame to lose these wonderful places. Overall, the author's after-the-fact memories add a very nice counterpoint to those of the interviewee - a woman who lived on the fringes of Thousand Island society at the turn of the century - and who describes a time when the resort was at it's peak of popularity.
   Although this is a trade paperback. It has been produced with care and given a durable full-color cover with flyleafs to be used as placemarkers. There are a few proofreading shortfalls, but otherwise it's an excellent addition to any library and an especially valuable tool for persons writing fiction set in the area.
   Art Tirrell, author of The Secret Ever Keeps ISBN 978-1-60164-004-8, coming April 07.

5 comments about Frank O. Gehry: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

1. Regarding Frank Gehry's Acceptance Speech, Pritzker 1989: he says: " Our problems as architects increase in complexity as time goes on. We have difficulty with the art of city building. We are finding ways of working together, artists and architects, architects and architects, clients and architects. The dream is that each brick, each window, each wall, each road, each tree will be placed lovingly by craftsmen, client, architect, and people to create beautiful cities. Adding the extra time and the money at the beginning is essential."
   and again he says: " Architecture must solve complex problems. We must understand and use technology, we must create buildings which are safe and dry, respectful of context and neighbors, and face all the myriad of issues of social responsibility, and even please the client."

   i doubt he could solve those coplex problem




2. I first heard of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao on National Public Radio. NPR offered a commentary on the Museum on its opening day. I was utterly fascinated. I started my college years as an architect, but later changed my major. No regrets about my decision, but I still have a passion for buildings and bridges.

   Since the day of the NPR commentary, I have been seeking photos of the Bilbao museum. The best photos I found are within the pages of Gehry's THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO. I think the illustrations are absolutely wonderful! The text explains why the Museum was built in Bilbao - the most important feature of the text.

   A couple of years later on another NPR program, I learned of the many changes that occurred in Bilbao as a result of the Museum. Bilbao has world class restaurants that rival New York and Paris. Interesting... that a creative design of a single building can have such a profound effect on a local economy.




3. I rather enjoyed this offering. Because I was such a great fan of his, I bought the book anyway despite the reviews written by other readers that it didn't contain much insight. In fact, this book was rather insightful. It was realised after the involvement of the author with the maestro himself over a period of 7 years. It's amazing to read about Gehry's inspiration from his favourite items, the 'fish' & the 'snake', & how it gradually evolves into something else completely different. The book explores his previous realised & unrealised projects, & their corelations with the Bilbao Museum. After exploring his subconscious & conscious minds thru random sketches mostly done in the plane or in hotel room, he would have his colleague, Chan built the models which they would constantly refine. I also learnt here that Gehry isn't a great fan of both computer & drawing plan. The blessing by Gehry of the usage of the computer program, Catia is a God sent because the other Principal understood that without its usage, it would be almost impossible to finish the project on time, on budget, or at all. The part about why he chose titanium instead of copper despite that it costs more is interesting to read. Here, we also learnt that Gehry is a team player & he credits other people's contribution to his project. One of them is Krens, the Guggenheim Foundation Director who assisted Gehry in forming spaces to display arts. He's the person who urged Gehry to trust his intuition to come out with huge spaces & yet, sculptural in nature. In other words, Gehry is fortunate to work with professionals who remain objective in their judgements & never steer him away from his vision. This book oozes with beautiful pictures, taken from all angles imaginable, in different lighting, & even pictures of the Museum under construction. There's also Appendix at the rear of the book mentioning all you need to know about this iconalistic project of our time. Highly recommended.



4. ... understand how one could build such an ugly building. I confess, I only saw the building when they started the process. Students and architects will appreciate the book because such a design process is not common and justifies these hundreds of pages and pictures.



5. this is a great book for students and professionals alike. It takes an indepth look at the design process and how such an abstract building is created in the real world.

No comments about The Lemonade Stand: Exploring the Unfamiliar by Building Large-Scale Models.

No comments about Contemporary Living Handbook.

3 comments about Originals: Lindal Cedar Homes.

1. I saw this book and got it for the pictures and the blueprints. I love looking at house plans because my goal is to design and build a home in the future so the more ideas I get, the more likely I am to create my "dream". Or I'll get confused. Either way, I love home design books. However this is also an advertisement for Lindal Cedar Homes so I'm sure they are highlighting their best work and not putting in their prices for a reason: I bet the homes are fairly expensive. Regardless I loved the multitude of color photographs and drawings. Perhaps I'll consider the company once I'm settled down to build a house.



2. Lindal Cedar Homes ORINGINALS not only has drop dead gorgeous homes in full color pictures, this "coffee table" book shares valueable information about the necessary steps required to have your dream home built. Information from the very beginning, the design process, to the end, along with beginning budgets and having your home grow with you.

   Everyone that has picked this book up from my coffee table "ooo's and ah's" at the beauty of incorporating a breath taking veiw of mountains and landscape in to the living space of these homes.

   In fact, I was to mail my sister my copy of this book, but just couldn't part with it. Therefore, I decided to see if my favorite book store (Amazon.com) had it. Of course, they did, therefore, I'm having them send her a book of her own as a gift.

   Elizabeth Hoyt




3. Originals by Lindal Cedar Homes is a truly wonderful book and is the perfect read for anyone considering bying a cedar home, looking for ideas on building a beautifully architectured home, or just wanting to have fun with the idea of owning their own home someday. The houses featured in the book are amazing, gigantic homes that anyone would love to dream about owning. After all, the planning process is half the fun!

No comments about Norman Foster and the British Museum (Architecture).