1 comments about Universal Design.

1. The most helpful aspects of this book is it's solutions for designing for disabled people in the workplace. Since the ADA was established in 1992, accomodating the needs of the disabled is now a requirement for all newly designed spaces. This book helps interior designers not only accomodate these needs, but tries to provide ideas for solving the design problem creatively. The end result is an aesthetically pleasing work environment rather than one where ADA accessibility has been treated as an afterthought.

No comments about New Concepts in Renovating.

1 comments about Labour, Work and Architecture.

1. An accurate title, for it is laborious work to extract the nuggets of wisdom from Frampton's dense prose. However, the result justifies the effort, for the Columbia professor has an intelligent opinion on almost every modern building and movement. This anthology of essays, written over the past 35 years, ranges from Russian Constructivism, through evaluations of Aalto, Kahn, and Le Corbusier, to reviews of the Berlin Philharmonie, the Leicester Engineering Building and the Ford Foundation Headquarters - which he excoriates as "A House of Ivy League Values."

5 comments about Trim Carpentry Techniques: Installing Doors, Windows, Base and Crown.

1. sorry to say but not well illustrated and not easy to follow look elsewhere for help in this area...I wish I could recommend options but other then Old House Journal(a monthly magazine) I could not recommend a good trim refrence. I will note a couple of my own tricks though. First remember that the most complicated trims are usually built in stages or layers. Second remember that good trim starts with good framing and straight bases (the object you are trying to frame ie: window door opening ect). Last but not least if your painting don't go nuts for the perfect joint. Caulking can save your day..that does not mean to be sloppy, measure twice, cut once, remember to factor the width of the blade waste; but then use a premium grade (GE Silicone II Extreme) caulk to join butt and corner pieces. Good luck ...



2. I was looking for a well layed out reference guide that I could learn a few tricks of the trade. This book seemed to spend way to much time setting the reader up for the first day on the job (back in the 70's and 80's mind you), then long-winded yet sparse information on actual methods of trim carpentry.
   
   If you are willing to read a book from cover to cover on this subject here's your ticket. But if your looking for concise writting, logical up-to-date illustrations, a book that you can easily reference in a pinch, you might want to steer clear.



3. Nice illustrations, step by step procedures are easy to follow if you do not like to read. Detailed materials and tooling information is somewhat provided. Good for a jobsite quick refrence guide.



4. Great book on trim carpentry techniques for pros or someone who wants to do a professional quality job. Written from the practical viewpoint of an experienced pro with high standards. A bit of overkill if you are in a hurry but I would recommend it before trimming several rooms yourself or even if you want to check your contractor's work.



5. Very good book for baseboard, crown, door and window moldings. It has tons of pictures and illustrations. On the top of the cover of the book it says: "For Pros/ By Pros". I would agree with this assesment; but it is easy enough for a handyman type with little molding experience like me to follow also. After looking through this book, I was tearing out old molding with abondon and the confidence that I could do a good job of getting nice new stuff back in.

2 comments about Quick Guide: Siding: Step-by-Step Installation Techniques (Quick Guide).

1. I bought this book thinking I would learn everything I needed to know for a vinyl siding project. The book has one chapter on vinyl siding and many other chapters devoted to other forms of siding. Each subject is just broadly skimmed over essentially making it next to useless of a book.
   My recommendation, spend your money elsewhere.



2. This book is helpful in getting the general idea across of what is needed to do a siding job. I would have liked a little better quality in illustrations and directions about cutting J-channel around windows, but overall it is a good general primer on siding.

1 comments about Basic Masonry (Sunset New Basic).

1. This is a good book for the homeowner who wants to know how to build a garden wall, pave an area, or lay cast concrete. Covers tool selection and uses, building techniques with brick, stone, blocks, adobe, and concrete. Excellent step-by-step instructions and illustrations show you how. Learn tricks of the trade, even how to make you own paving blocks. Also covers maintaining and reparing masonry.

1 comments about Building a Legacy: The Restoration of Frank Lloyd Wright's Oak Park Home and Studio.

1. "The seeds of Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural philosophy are found in his Home and Studio at Oak Park, Illinois. It was here--from 1889 to 1909--that Wright tested his theories, which would coalesce into his famed Prairie style. Always experimenting with materials, forms, colors and the shaping of space, Wright constantly remodeled the Home and Studio, adapting to the changing needs of his family and work. By the 1970s, after the Home and Studio had been remodeled still more and sold several times, the unique structure, fabrics, and materials that so defined Wright's establishment had all but disappeared.
   
   "Recognizing the importance of the Home and Studio, the city of Oak Park and the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust (then the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Foundation) set out to revitalize the community and preserve the historic building. Building a Legacy is a fascinating pictorial story of the incredible thirteen-year restoration effort.
   
   "With conversational text, informative sidebars, and historic and present-day photographs and drawings, the book commemorates the dedicated efforts of community volunteers and paid workers. Covering the grassroots efforts to raise money, the detailed plan for the restoration, and the painstaking efforts necessary to complete the project, Building a Legacy documents this successful achievement of saving an intimate creation of one of the world's greatest architects."--Borders

1 comments about In Search of a Living Architecture.

1. this book is fantastic! i am currently a 5th year architecture student...i wish i had come across this book by first year. it is plainly written, precise, easily comprehensible. in a school where the archi(babble) is almost as important as the design, this book gives a person like myself hope for the future of architecture, design, and construction. albert frey (whose mentor was le corbusier) is one of the lesser known great architects of the 20th century. his work has so much to offer. simplicity at its best! a must own!!!!!!!!

No comments about Life in the English Country Cottage.

1 comments about Robert A. M. Stern Buildings.

1. The book highlights some of RAMSA's great works from Rotterdam to California with big glossy images and attractive typography. This one is a real winner.