4 comments about Birdfeeders, Shelters and Baths (The Weekend Workshop Collection).

1. In three short pages of Introduction, the author (Edward Baldwin) highlights some Essential Info for all of us home-based bird lovers: what the birds really need and how to provide it as well & efficiently as possible--and not only with home-made feeders & shelters. In those few pages there is a rich summary of insights on birds' daily needs; how we can help them in their lives; as well as how to lure them into our vicinity--and our viewing range--with various sources of food and shelter.
   
   Then: on the book goes to show us various forms of feeding & sheltering stations that are quite make-able by a careful adult with some kind of "craft-making" skill. I, for example, had only sewing and fabric-construction types of skills to bring to the Roosting Box I made (see pg. 87). But, the skills were transferable to the wooden pieces that had to be cut and assembled (parallel functions to what one does w/cloth for a slip-cover, for example).
   
   A number of projects and their plans are set up to use the simplest of household objects (plastic and glass jars or bottles once empty of foodstuffs, and even an 8 oz. milk carton). So, carpentry is not necessary in all of the projects. Some of the feeders look "do-able" by small children's hands with scissors and glue -- all with the encouragement & supervision an adult might lend.
   
   The photos and illustrations of feeders/shelters and their parts as they get assembled are nice and clear. If you don't often take to carpentry and other forms of hand-crafting of items, it might be good to read through the instructions and examine drawings & photos a couple of times before the day you plan to start the actual "making" steps. You might also make a list of items you will want to purchase or borrow while pre-reading & getting prepared. That way, anything confusing can be cleared up ahead of time and you can be truly "ready" to start-in on schedule.
   
   The book was thoughtfully organized for me as a bird-loving "enthusiast" with only basic manual skills and basic tools at home. It helped me produce something well-built for our backyard birds. There were tasks new to me, but the small size of the end-product and the fact that I could do all the steps on one work-table kept it manageable.
   
   I'm planning to make a Squirrel-Feeder in a couple of months (to launch next autumn)--as a variation of one of the bottle-feeders in the book. I'd like to divert the squirrels' attention to Their Own feeder and away from the part of the yard where we keep birdfeeders (one of the ideas I picked up in the Intro). AND: I'm pleased w/the book; glad to have it at home and available "as needed."



2. The book has a lot of great ideas for birdfeeders and shelters. It on had once birdbath that you could construct but was simple to construct.



3. I bought this for my husband 2 years ago and he has made all the large feeders. He really enjoyed building them and I enjoy showing them off. I'm currently looking for another book with different designs but so far this is the best one.



4. An excellent book that illustrates how to make some very nice birdhouses that vary from the easy to the complex like the one on the cover. I'm building the one on the cover and am having a lot of fun! The best birdfeeder book I've seen so far.

5 comments about Fundamentals of Residential Construction.

1. bought this book for a building systems class (something i dont normally do) but my prof asks questions out of it every class. that said, this book has a lot of stuff in it that relates to construction, which is nice. although as a senior level architecture student i dont think this book is really needed. most of the stuff i know, as common sense, or is easily availabe on the internet and in other resources. overall though id say if you dont know alot about construction of residential buildings id try to find a used copy or get a copy from the library and copy the pages you need. deff not worth the 80 some dollars for it.



2. This is awfully similar to the book in the title. Even down to the same photos separating the chapters. I'd buy F of BC if I had to choose, since it has so much more material. There's nothing in here that cannot be found in the two other Rob Thallon books.



3. I bought this book sight unseen because I also have Rob Thallon's book "Graphic Guide to Frame Construction" and was pretty impressed with it. While "Fundamental of Residential Construction" is a very good book on all aspects of residential construction, there's isn't that much of an improvement on the typical voc-tech textbooks on construction (which are available for less) to make it worth the price.

   ...




4. Fundamentals of Residential Construction is a welcome update for my reference library. As a residential architect, it is refreshing not to have to wade through irrelevant commercial methodology. This edition is residential specific, but broad-based covering alternative building systems and the most current construction materials. I especially appreciate that it begins with chapters on the context for construction, and the construction and design communities, areas of discussion most often neglected. The well-balanced mix of diagrammatic and photographic details is very helpful. I highly recommend it for both the student and the professional.



5. Its simple, well-illustrated explanations make understanding and implementation easy. It covers every aspect of residential construction, including trowel trades, mechanical and structural systems, and landscaping! In a nutshell- this is a 'must-have' for anyone working in residential construction!

3 comments about New York 2000: Architecture and Urbanism from the Bicentennial to the Millennium (New York).

1. NewYork as I know and love it.This is an exceptional book,it explains why the city is like it is.Every outstanding architecture is well described and it is readable by everyone.



2. At 1300 pages this is quite comprehensive and exhaustively researched. NYC has had a real resurgence in skyscraper building in the last ten years or so and many good buildings have been built..like the Time Warner Bldg. the Bloomberg Tower, and the New York Times building..and so far it looks like the world trade center site is going to have some specacular buildings, frankly im still not sure about the Freedom Tower(please find a new name, lord)design but it's so much better than that untenable Libeskind designed, frankly I love the Norman Foster design but whatever, but I digress...as for this book it's fantastic and if you love NYC you will have to have this in you collection, really a complete, thorough book on current architecture in NYC, buy this book you wont be disappointed.



3. I bought this book as a gift for my boss who loves both NYC and architecture. He loved it! I looked through it before giving it to him and agree it is a great book. It's $100 in the book stores, so it is a good buy on Amazon for $63.00. Great for anyone who loves NYC.

5 comments about Great Cathedrals.

1. Schutz's photographic tour in "Great Cathedrals" is one of the most superb "coffee table" books on the market. The volume is massive in size and tips the scales at a number of pounds, but one glance is all it takes to be hooked. This is professional photography with results that only a seasoned photographer can produce, and then reproduced in the highest quality with splendid detail and high gloss, heavy weight paper. Browsing through these monumental pictures that pay homage to the monumental cathedrals, we forget all about the technical details of how the great Gothic structures were built and simply enjoy the fantastic beauty and immense impact the medieval architects planned all along. There are surprisingly few of these types of books in the American market (a plethora of them exist in France, England, and Germany), but Schutz's book fills the bill, and makes a splendid addition to the genre. From what I can see from the other posted reviews, it seems there is 100% agreement on the beauty of this book.



2. I got this book as an Xmas gift for my Dad who is a self confessed cathedral "junkie". He loved it and spent most of Xmas day and boxing day with his head buried in it.
   
   He is a photographer and he commented on the great quality of the images, so I'm assuming that they must be good as he's really fussy about that sort of thing.



3. Awesome and great selection. Text provides enough information about the buildings. One of my favourite books.



4. This book has been around for at least 3 decades; I'm 43 and remember looking over an earlier edition with awe and reverence in the town library when I was a teenager.
   
   The current edition has some nice updates, including added coverage of the great eastern European cathedrals, such as St. Vitus in Prague. The photography is splendid, and gives a feel of the look and scale of each building, as well as for the smaller details like sculpture and stained glass that makes each great cathedral a triumph of Western civilization.
   
   If you are looking for a book that covers the major cathedrals of Europe in a thorough, satisfying way via photographs and a text providing the history of each building, a discussion of its style, and so forth, search no more. This is EASILY the best book out there that provides what you want.



5. Magnificent photography, both general views and close-ups of architectural details and stained glass. The book covers France, Germany, England, Spain and Italy. UIt contains a useful glossary of architectural terms and floor-plans of each cathedral. The "Crazy Vaults" of Lincoln Cathedral are not to be missed! I wanted this book to study cathedral design in general, and it more than met my expectations.

3 comments about The Art of Rockefeller Center.

1. Rockefeller Center is one of the great Art Deco set pieces. It was conceived and built at the depths of the Great Depression, at the height of Art Deco and it's importance to the nation at the time is impossible to quantify. The art of the complex is arguably the most important assemblage of Art Deco artwork in the world. This book is a fantastic tribute to Rockefeller Center and all the artists and craftsman that built it. The text is highly informative, without feeling like an academic dissertation and the images are very well presented, though frankly there could have been more. I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in Rockefeller Center or Art Deco.



2. The publishers, in a neat marketing move, issued this book in two editions. The 320 page version and a much smaller pocket-sized paperback that was invaluable when I visited the Center in 2006. Without it I don't think it would have been possible to find all the exterior treasures on the twenty-two acre site or read Roussel's text about them.
   
   This Art book is a vastly expanded comprehensive look at all the exterior and interior public art contained in the fourteen buildings and spaces. It originated with Christine Roussel when her company was commissioned by the Rockefeller Center to restore all the artwork and the excellent contemporary color photos (after any restoration) are by Christine or her designer daughter Dianne. What I particularly like about the book are the historic photos of artists creating the works that you can see today. There are so many of these that I assume the Rockefeller's saw the PR potential of Fine Art in progress and arranged for as much of this as possible to be photographed.
   
   There are more than a hundred pieces of art from forty artists presented in color and the very comprehensive text puts their work in context and in case you are wondering there is a full explanation about the destruction of Diego Rivera's fresco: Man at the Crossroads, which was to be in a prominent place on the main lobby wall of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Lee Lawrie contributed most to the Center with fourteen pieces and his Wisdom (Rockefeller Plaza) and Atlas (International Building) are now world famous. There are seven interesting historical photos about the making and positioning of Atlas in the book. Missing, I thought (and maybe as an Appendix) were a few photos showing the various stages of construction of the Center, it take nine years after all and a page or two, with photos, of the various roof gardens.
   
   Rousell's book celebrates the public art of these remarkable New York buildings which are now registered as a National Historic Landmark. The book's production is first class (though unfortunately not sumptuous) with the photos in 175dpi on reasonable art paper. There is a slight editorial annoyance with a back page listing of the artists and technical details of their work, these really should have been presented on the relevant pages so the reader could avoid having to keep flipping back and forth to find out a bit of information.
   
   The perfect complement to this book is Daniel Okrent's Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center telling in great detail how the Rockefeller Center was built.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.



3. Built in the middle of the depression, Rockefeller Center became a part of and a symbol of America. The buildings of Rockefeller Center were not designed as the steel and glass monoliths of today. Art from some of the best artists of the day was incorporated into virtually all aspects of the building. The most famous is the statue of Prometheus delivering fire to the mortals of the earth amidst the waters of the Plaza. But there is much much more. There are the bas-relief stone carvings on the facade, there are murals, statues, even specially designed patterns for the carpets.
   
   This book is the first comprehensive study of the art in the center. It is a large format, beautifully printed edition of the art as it is now, and in many cases historical photographs of the artists as it was being produced in the 1930's.
   
   Ms. Roussel is the Archivist of Rockefeller center. To produce the book she had unprecedented access to the records and files of the center.

4 comments about Houses of the Berkshires, 1870-1930 (The Architecture of Leisure).

1. A beautiful book, beautifully written, about a memorable part of American history, architectural and otherwise.



2. Acanthus is the gold standard publisher of books of this kind and their latest book does not disappoint. Mr. White does a supurb job of selecting wonderful images of these amazing estates and his research is scholarly and highly informative. If you appreciate beautifully crafted books on Gilded Age residential architecture, then I can't imagine you not loving this book. I have never had the pleasure of visiting the Bershires, so I guess this will have to be the next best thing to experiencing in person.



3. Mr. Millen brings up some criticisms that are valid but are misplaced. This is not an ENTIRELY fresh view of the Berkshires but local authors Gilder and Jackson bring to light much fresh architectural and social history. Also, they have found a number of previously unpublished photographs that delight, such as the early view of Naumkeag that appears inside and on the back cover. Ms. Owen's work was groundbreaking, but this work supercedes it, particularly in the great production values for which this publisher is famous.
   Most curious about Mr. Millen's criticism is his desire to see the houses in mid-century ruin. There is romance in ruin, but this exquisite book's goal was to show these great estates in their glory days. Perhaps he should approach the publisher to produce his very own "Berkshires in Ruins" volume. That might indeed be a charming tome and one I would consider buying.
   I highly recommend this book as an intelligent and distinctive coverage of the great houses of Lenox and Stockbridge and environs.



4. I found this to be a well researched and mostly through book covering a wide selection of architectural examples from the Berkshires. It has a good mix of numerous previously published historical photos (the Lenox Library put out a photography book of note, too) but also many photos I have not seen before. While many of the properties are still standing today few of the photographs used are current, which is a shame, and fewer still are from the middle of the last century.
   
   The title is more sterile in comparison to the almost Bible-like reference on the Berkshire estates, Carole Owens' "Berkshires Cottages: A Vanishing Era" from 1984. The Owens title came out when architecturally the "Inland Newport" was just starting to awaken from years of abuse and neglect of many of these delightful white elephants of the Gilded Age. Now this title, "Houses of the Berkshires", is being released when the area couldn't be any more desirable and vibrant with almost none of the remaining and covered Berkshires `cottages' in any state of disrepair. A large exception is the in-restoration Rotch & Tilden designed Ventfort Hall. It would be nice, as a means to better appreciate these homes, to also share in such a book as this the state to which many of these homes sank before they rebounded to the condition they are in today.
   
   The book is more brief then I'd prefer on some homes, but often those noted residences have been far better covered in books devoted to the architect or the family. Case in point, Elm Court was best detailed in the 1991 book "The Vanderbilts and the Gilded Age: Architectural Aspirations, 1879-1901" and High Lawn in the 2003 title, "The Architecture of Delano & Aldrich". Although the latter seems to be a place forever cloaked in mystery matching its beautiful fa?ade and vast feudal landholdings.
   
   Published by Acanthus Press who republished the brilliant architect Harrie Thomas Lindeberg's 1940 original "Domestic Architecture" as well as an assortment of reflective regional focused titles with areas of wealth and architectural significance. Among those titles is the delightful "The Main Line: Country Houses of Philadelphia's Storied Suburb, 1870-1930". This book is recommendable for those who enjoy grand domestic architecture mated with true landscaping skill which should be preserved and harkens back to a time when having money did result in good taste - at least for the Berkshires.

1 comments about Architectural Regionalism: Collected Writings on Place, Identity, Modernity, and Tradition.

1. The intent of this volume was to construct a coherent history of the idea of regionalism from its many many supporting texts and ideas. It is an important collection of writing that covers the entire 20th Century intellectual history of Regionalism in Architecture and includes such authors as: Lewis Mumford, Le Corbusier, David Williams, Mary Colter, Pietro Belluschi, Christopher Alexander, Wendell Berry, Kenneth Frampton, Sigfried Giedion, Harwell Hamilton Harris, Richard Ingersoll, Benton MacKaye, John Gaw Meem, Richard Neutra, Paul Ricouer, Alan Colquhoun, Juhani Pallasmaa, among others (44 in all). Further, it considers Regionalism in an international context, particularly the developing world through the writings of Suha Ozkan (Middle East), Balkrishna Doshi (India), and Kenza Boussora (Algeria). In it are provided contextual introductions to each text and an introduction that attempts to place the discourse, as a whole in reasonable framework. The topics include: Regionalist theory, Referential Regionalism (1920s & 30s), Regional Modernism (1930s-1960s), Regional Planning, Bioregionalism, Critical Regionalism, and a set of essays that update and extend the discourse into the future via performativity theory, sustainability, and the socially-critical work of the Rural Studio.

5 comments about Creating the New American Townhouse.

1. Creating the New American Town House only reaffirms my longstanding appreciation of the work of Alexander Gorlin, known for his high-end residential designs, but equally deserving of accolades for his innovative design of synagogues, churches, affordable housing and educational projects. Check out his own website www.gorlinarchitects.com and you will see why he is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and a regular in magazines like Architectural Record, Architectural Digest and Interior Design.
   
   Oh right, the book! Not only is every photograph stunning. Boldly elegant but never ostentatious, these projects are without exception the work of design studios (with as few as two employees) who care more about well-realized details than money or fame. Gorlin's concise project descriptions illuminate precisely those aspects of the projects that might otherwise escape the reader's notice, a phenomenal accomplishment that in some way surpasses his earlier book, The New American Town House. The first book, now difficult to find, opens with an erudite and comprehensive history of the Town House from Vitruvius to Hejduk!
   
   Less is more? Nothing less than a triumph! Go forth A.G.!



2. Yes, some of this book's projects may not technically meet the traditional criteria for the town house; but as Gorlin himself describes one of Stanley Saitowitz's projects, it "extends beyond general restrictions for the type". The book is more a record of how gifted architects have in the last five years reimagined and utilized the typology in new contexts and in striking new ways. Indeed you will be disappointed if you are looking for "typical" projects, but who wants typical when you can have genius!!
   
   There is a diverse array of projects, including multi-family and affordable housing the like of which are to be found almost nowhere in the United States. While many of these architects are highly respected names whom the average reader herself might not be able to hire, Gorlin makes a crucial statement about the architect/client relationship in his "Advice from the Architect" introduction: "Apart from talent, personal chemistry is essential". The work also demonstrates that the architects in the book have earned their reputations by pushing the envelope, by CREATING one-of-a-kind responses to their clients and their urban contexts.



3. First of all let me say that Mr. Gorlin has compiled and selected very beautiful projects for his book. The book itself is very well constructed and the detailed photographs provide insight to how these exquisite homes were designed and constructed.
   The only question I have regarding some of the projects featured in this book is that they don't seem to fall under the typology of what a "townhouse" is. Perhaps its my lack of knowledge, but I believed a townhouse differed from a city house in that a townhouse shared a parallel wall with adjacent buildings and is usually built vertically due to narrow city lots. Although most projects featured here fall under this form, some such as the Reyna Town House by Dean Nota Architect and the Vertical Townhouse by Lorcan O'Herlihy among others bear the name "town house", but seem to be just houses in an urban context. These houses are built on lots, but because they share no common wall with their neighbors they seem to fall under the typology of suburban houses with their boundary indicating fences. Don't get me wrong, the projects featured here are all very beautiful whether they are new constructions or renovations, but some seem to be out of character of what I thought a townhouse is. Nonetheless, aside from the dispute in nomenclature, this book features some of the best examples of fine architecture in city living.
   
   www.hjlbookreview.com



4. If you are looking for new and typical American townhouses, you'd be disappointed by the beautiful and modern houses custom-designed by sophisticated architects in the book. But it's still a creditworthy design collection of individual luxury townhouses.



5. Sometimes too much of a good thing, one beautiful photo after another, leaves you feeling bloated with... having seen alot of beautiful photos. The only relief the book offers is in the frequent mediocrity of so many of the projects.

4 comments about Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of Architecture.

1. The book was published more than 10 years ago and it's making its own history by the exclusive way of combining profound theoretical essays and design works together seamlessly. I have to say it works pretty well. Having seen Steven Holl's works and the office expanded, this book and the design deserve more attention than other cheap building constituted with meaningless idea and shallow skins.



2. Excellent essays but the typesetting makes it a difficult read (the font is extremely small.)



3. Anything, of course, is about the sensorial. It's our world. It's your world. What do you feel in it? What do I feel when I'm there, in a space? And this meditation -- regardless of what that space might be -- is really about everything, from architecturally conceived environments, to the nature of truly "natural" space. There is the potential in all, to contemplate the spirit of the space and the character of your presence in it. You are there, you are "in there". And you feel the warmth, the chill, the stillness, the breeze; you experience the scent drifting; you see light, shafts of movement; you hear something of reverberation in the containment of "where you are". Taste might play, balance might offer a sensed component to experience. But it's all about the meditation of what this means, how it can be considered - and how it can be reflected in active design, or in the nature of contemplating this phenom. Either it's meaning full -- and you consider it; or it's not the stuff of absorbed introspection and you simply design for it. Do it. Experience it. One way. Or an other. Surely, both have merit. As does reading this grouping of essays and ideas.



4. Architects and students who are bored to death by OMA, MVRDV, Hadid, and the rest of the New Postmodernists will find consolation -- and inspiration -- in this book.
   
   "Questions of Perception" was originally printed in July 1994, as a special issue of the architectural journal A+U. Back issues have been sold out for some time, and until recently, buying a used copy of the book would have set you back a couple hundred dollars. I'm very glad to see that the publishers of A+U decided to reprint these important essays.
   
   Rather than serving as a polemical manifesto, or another boring iteration of reactionary academic theory, the authors discuss the experience of architecture on a basic psychophysiological level. Unlike the work of many of today's starchitects, this book will never seem dated, because it is focused on human constants -- the way that our minds and bodies respond to space, light, texture, color, and other architectural fundamentals. It is not a manual of style, or a collection of glossy photos for you to copy in your next project. It requires active thought. It requires an attention span. You have to absorb the meaning of the writings, not just look at computer renderings with copy+pasted supermodel silhouettes. It has nothing to do with urbanism, globalism, terrorism, or any of the other "isms" that hopeless, clueless, talentless academics increasingly try to link to the building and construction industry. Instead, it's a quiet reflection on the ways that buildings (and natural environments) shape our daily experiences. Even though 13 years have passed since these essays were written, they are still highly relevant for any designer who wants to infuse their work with quality and honesty.
   
   As far as I can tell, the book's design is identical to the 1994 version, with the exception of the cover artwork. I must admit that $50 is a bit pricey for a book that is so plainly printed and bound. Regardless, it's better than paying a couple hundred dollars for a used copy of the original. And, all things considered, it's only a few dollars more than something like S,M,L,XL. So if you're tired of pretentious, pedantic academese, and you're ready to read something with permanence and substance, do yourself a favor and buy "Questions of Perception" instead.

No comments about New Asian Home,The.