No comments about LAXTON'S BUILDING PRICE BOOK 2007, 179th Edition (Laxton's Price Book).

2 comments about City Center to Regional Mall: Architecture, the Automobile, and Retailing in Los Angeles, 1920-1950.

1. If you ever wanted to know about the history of Los Angeles and how it became a large metropolitian area, this is the book for you. Hundreds of pictures from the late 1800's to the 1950's makes this book a very resourceful tool.



2. The changes in retailing which have taken place in L.A. which are examined in this book have occured throughout the United States and are taking place throughout the world right noe. The population shift to the suburbs and shopping in regional malls.

   This has caused the value of retail space to decline in many area of America.

No comments about Centuries of Hands: An Architectural History of St. Francis of Assisi Church and Its Missions, Ranchos De Taos, New Mexico and the Historic American Buildings Surveys of.

5 comments about Bars, Pubs, Cafes: Designs for Social Style.

1. I own a pretty sucessful bar in Santa Barbara California and decided last year to give the restaurant biz a shot. I know I know, but I was drunk.

   Anyway, before I could back out, the lease was signed, big pieces were moving...I was pretty freaked.

   I decided to learn all I could about the biz. From Management, to Design I ordered a blizzard of books on those and other subjects.

   In the design genre I was very disappointed with this book. I (like some other reviewers here) found the interiors to look dated and generally "uncool". That is very much a matter of opinion, but really, the best teacher for me in design was to simply cruise around and put my head in a bunch of restaurants.

   I good book (just outside the design genre) that takes design into consideration (more from a functional standpoint) is a book called "Restaurants That Work: Case Studies of the Best in the Industry". I recommend that one highly.

   Good luck.

   Christian Hunter
   Owner - Sevilla Restaurant, Santa Barbara California




2. A usefull tool for all the people that are somehow involved in the restaurant bussiness.Lots of cool places around the world showing a huge amount of solutions and perpectives.



3. I would not recommend this book to anyone who is seriously looking into the finer points of restaurant design. Many of the chosen establishments have a very dated look to them, the photography is not up to par (so its not even good enough for the coffee table) and overall this book is a big snore. I am disappointed enough to return it, which I will be doing today. Definitely not worth the price. For a better read, try Restaurants That Work, by Martin E. Dorf.



4. I truly enjoyed the pictorial nature of this book. The descriptive text is also written in a visual style. I would have liked to read more about the concept inspirations and possibly some costs and expense of the designs. i have visited some of these wonderful spaces and would also liked to have addresses to visit more "Bars, Pubs and Cafes" during my travels.



5. As an architect who has considerable experience with designing Bars, Hotels, & similar hospitality spaces, I applaud Julie Taylor's overall creative vision. This publication's attention to detail, descriptive project narratives, and beautiful photography will satisfy the most critical designer; at the same time acting as a wonderful conversation piece for any casual reader. It's simply a beautiful book to look at! I reccommend this book as a great resource to architects & designers looking for inspiration; as well as anyone who appreciates interesting spaces, as opposed to the same old drabby places Americans have become accustomed to!

No comments about Modern Asian Living.

No comments about Benares: The Sacred Landscape of Varanasi.

No comments about Architecture, Power and National Identity.

2 comments about The World of Contemporary Architecture.

1. An absolute bargain for the price, 1000 pages and over 2000 color photos (and some drawings). What I like about this book is the very comprehensive coverage of contemporary architecture, not only the well-known, Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur for instance, but the (perhaps) unknown, Grand Valley Woman's Prison in Ontario or the phosphate plant in Nordgraben, Germany or the Scottsdale, Arizona East Couplet Street urban improvement.

   There are five basic chapters, Urban planning and transport, Cultural facilities, Leisure facilities, Public buildings and institutions and finally Homes, these five areas are divided into thirty-nine sections in all. Each building gets a spread with usually one big and two, three or four smaller photos and some have architect's drawings (unfortunately the books small size means most of these are too tiny) a detailed technical description and a couple of hundred words about the building. For some odd reason the book does not have a building or architect index.

   This would be an ideal book for a student thinking of becoming an architect because it shows the very wide range of building styles that require design solutions. For others, like me, it is a super record of some of the best recent architecture around the world.




2. If like me you love the glossies, then this ones for you.Power packed with over thousands of photos covering a broad range of contemporary architecture- commercial,public,parks,land art,housing etc,its a visual tour of world architecure, all covered in one book(over 1000 pages!).Although the book is only approximately A5 in size ,this in no way detracts from its value,particularly if you consider the price.Another great book(better in fact) in the same series is 'houses of the world'.

2 comments about Glass Houses: A History of Greenhouses, Orangeries and Conservatories.

1. As a young entrepreneur in the late 80's, I was directed to May Woods' book as a source for researching my newest endeavor - designing and fabricating conservatories for the North American market. A builder, by trade, I was looking for a new venue in the construction arena. Until reading Ms Woods' book, I was only interested in the structural aspect and marketability of these beautiful glass facilities. I was so impressed by the historical background, personal insight and the obvious love of conservatories presented by Ms. Woods through her print media, that I took steps to arrange a meeting with her during a planned trip to London. Through a fellow conservatory design, who was a personal friend of Ms Woods', I was able to meet with the authoress. Her background in the "inner workings" of conservatories and her experiences as a conservatory owner in London helped me discover the most important aspect of conservatory designing - the ambiance of conservatory living. "Glass Houses" is the first book I recommend to my clients when they have questions regarding their desire to own a conservatory and what to do with it once they have it. More than just pictures, structural drawings and technical garble, it can serve as a terrific research tool when you are considering conservatory ownership.



2. NEEDES MORE MATERIAL TO BE PUBLISED ON THE TECHIENCAL,STRUCTURE AND ENVIREMINTAL CONCEPT

5 comments about Restaurant 2000: Dining Design III.

1. This book is packed with great photos. It is worth the price just to see what is happening with regard to design in the industry.

   The downside is that, as one looking to open a start-up restaurant, the designs are way above what many new restaurants could afford to take on. The budget of any of the designs found in this book blows my start-up capital right out of the water!

   A bright spot, though, is that regardless of the cost of the designs found in the book, it provides the reader with a plethora of options that can be scaled down to fit just about any budget.




2. Excellent book on restaurant design! It helped me with my concept and I'm opening this year. Great book to be inspired by.



3. We are building two large restaurants and after having worked on the outside for months we needed something to ignite our passion about the inside. This book helped us get started and has given us a base to discuss with the interior designers. The possibilities are endless, I love to just sit and look at it.



4. This book in particular is great for design professionals and those who enjoy looking at new and innovative ideas in the field. From the view point of a design student, it is very informative in what projects such as these entail and some even disclose project budgets - comparisons and realistic judgments can be made from this information. This is a wonderful visual tool and representation for clients of this trade that more is not always best.



5. I am ordering this book for the second time...to give to my client for which we are designing a restaurant. The wonderful examples and photos gave us alot to discuss in our first design meeting. It clearly helped to put the project on the right track with great ideas. We were able to read our client thoughts by the pictures they picked out as favorites. thank you christy