5 comments about Eero Saarinen.

1. Merkel's study of Eero Saarinen is authoritative while making some important normative points about the obligation of architects to honor their clients' objectives.
   
   She describes his studio's method:
   
   1. Definition of the "functional program" with considerable research
   2. "Expression of the program" in the concept
   3. Selection of appropriate "structure"
   4. "Design"
   
   The client was involved in each phase, participating in the research to define and prioritize requirements, reviewing architectural concepts for resolving their specific conflicts and approving structural approaches, materials and budgets prior to beginning detailed design.
   
   "His were unusual, ambitious, challenging buildings. The variety in the work, the "style for the job" philosophy, as it was called, was really the result of the way he worked and the fact he believed architectural form should derive from function in the broadest possible sense."
   
   
   He was singularly collaborative in his approach, using the resources of his clients, among them "the technical innovators of his period (General Motors, MIT, IBM, Bell Labs)" to automate design, adapt new materials, and refine his craft.
   
   "Eero could meet each client on his own terms. He respected his clients and what they wanted to do (something that many architects with their own objectives fail to do) because, though he believed architecture should aspire to be art, he saw it as one grounded in use."
   
   For more on the fundamental difference of his approach from that of such stylists as Frank Lloyd Wright.
   A Management Consultant @ Large: Best Practices in Architecture



2. Merkel's handsome volume is a pleasure to read and to view, as it contains great vintage photographs of Eero Sarinen's projects. The author's special contribution is her insightful contextualization of Saarinen's original and eclectic output through discussions of his background, working methodology, and the critical reactions his buildings elicited.



3. Merkel's book is one of those monographs that open so many doors onto the work of an artist or architect that you never view it in quite the same way again. Saarinen's buildings are analyzed in all their surprising variety, with an open acknowledgment of their differences, rather than an insistence on an individual style. The special emphasis placed on the critical responses to the projects when they were built is particularly enlightening and should serve as a model for the study of modern architectural history. The author, with a refreshing willingness to deal with negative material as well as positive, asks and answers the very interesting question of the reasons for the decline in Saarinen's reputation after his untimely death. This book is very valuable as a study of Saarinen and also for its insights into the development and fluctuations of movements in modern architecture.



4. Disclosure: I'm an architect who began the journey towards the profession by writing an undergraduate thesis on Saarinen in the late 1960s.
   Many of the things that were intriguing about his work then-the curious combination of 50s zen emptiness with passages of delicate, almost decorative, details-and the search for form which veers from neo-Miesian boxes to the curves and cylinders of MIT to the neo-vernacular stone of the Yale Colleges to the sinuous curves of the TWA and Dulles terminals-these explorations fascinate still and have much to teach us.
   Merkel's book takes all these strains, examines their roots and development in a clear and comprehensive way.
   Merkel has made a wonderful book, one that brings Saarinen's work back to life.
   The images are stunning and so full of information, a nice balance of design process and completed buildings.
   The text is full of fascinating information, much of it freshly researched-a compelling read.
   The book design is gorgeous, and I don't just mean the stunning visual design.
   Merkel has focused on design explorations and the strong built work of Saarinen without stalling us unduly in the less successful work.
   If you're interested in Saarinen's work, get this book!



5. This is an articulate and well researched review of an icon in architectural history. Merkel weaves his professional and personal journey in a manner which is pleasure to read.

3 comments about Katsura: Imperial Villa.

1. If you want some solicitude and repose, here is a book for you.
   This book is extremely well crafted to show the essence of Katsura.
   Status of Katsura in Japanese garden art production does not
   demand any further explanation. Katsura is to Japan, what Alhambra is to Andalusia!
   
   In it, I found that disciplinary simplicity can be profound and strong.
   Especially in a world where one is inundated with images and media.
   Katsura is an art that invites physical presence and spiritual
   meditation. In that sense, it's an irony and a paradox to recommend to
   experience Katsura thru a book...
   
   Katsura is an art of water & island body formation/ relationally
   positioning pavilions / sculpting stones/ borrowing landscapes/ laying
   stone/ perfecting the shoji screens and combing the thatched roofs
   naming the places and tea pavilions to arouse imagination/ etc, etc, etc.
   
   However, what makes it stand out is that each mode of art does not stand
   alone. It had synergetic effect by being relational to one and another.
   Combined together, the density of experience exponentially grow to
   challenge infinitum. Hence, here is an art that tells us, "the whole is
   eternally greater than the parts."
   
   The parts are orchestrated in such a way to arouse the art of seduction.
   Not in a flamboyant manner, but in a subtly simple manner. Photographic
   images in the book tell us the multi-faceted, yet almost tea-ceremonially
   calm, story of Katsura. The book will make you retreat from the bustling
   noisiness of daily life.
   
   Isozaki's nicely written essay propels the experience of Kasura to
   a thinking level. He has placed his viewpoint in contrast to the earlier
   writers such as Bruno Taut/ Sutemi Horiguchi/ Kenzo Tange. Tange's
   earlier writing was Mondrian-like, cropping Katsura to a abstract level.
   The essay by Isojaki sets the curatorial tone to the images. It's very
   expository, revealing indigenous and rustic elements.
   
   The book also provides the hidden dimension of buildings. By providing
   field-measured drawings, readers will be able to analyze quintessential
   element of plans and sections of traditional buildings. Five past
   writings of world-class architects and critics are also part of
   publication.



2. I have been to Katsura several times, and have several books on Katsura villa, and this new book is the best.
   This is how architectural books should be produced and photographed so other architects and people interested in architecture can actually learn and use the book not only as a beautiful catalog but as a tool.
   
   The beautiful photographs are architecturally photograhed in 1 point perspective except for details, gardens, and exterior. This is helpful as you can deduct the proportion and scale of the rooms. Most of the drawings have measurements, and are very well drawn.
   
   The introduction and text by Isozaki is excellent for understanding Katsura and Japanese architectural idealogy. Additionally, there are several past texts by Tange, Taut, Gropius, and etc. to get different perspectives.
   
   Katsura, along with several temples and villas have been meticulously maintained for the last 400 years.



3. The best way to know the traditional architecture of Japan. Very good pictures, technical drawings and very interesting articles explaining the Katsura Villa.

No comments about Ultimate Restaurant Design.

1 comments about Architecture: Residential Drafting and Design.

1. This item is also a workbook that is useless without the textbook it coralates with.

1 comments about Design Details for Health: Making the Most of Interior Design's Healing Potential (Wiley Series in Healthcare and Senior Living Design).

1. I am a professional Health Care interior designer who is always looking for resources to enhance my knowledge base for creating healing enviornments in the health care market. A few years ago I attended, along with about 300 other designers, a presentation by a nationally known health care designer. At the end of the 1.5 hr. lecture, there were six of us left. The focus of the talk was entirely philosophical: there were no gems of knowledge or tools we could take back to our design practices to make our projects better. Ms. Leibrock certainly doesn't have to worry about anyone leaving her presentation. The book has been delegated to my reference shelf and I am sure will become dog-earred.

   The specific types of healing environments included in the book range from birthing centers to long-term care facilities and all that is in-between. The philosophical issues are presented and then followed by research findings and case studies which support those concepts. Then the GEMS! Lists and lists and lists of hands-on guidelines which are distilled from the vast experience and research of the author.

1 comments about Luxury Houses Country (Luxury Houses).

1. With room to spread out; often a view of the ocean, valley, mountain or lake; fewer restrictions on things like building codes, the opportunity to develop fantastic houses away from city life has long been popular. At one end of the scale is a crowded campground or small house in a crowded area. At the other end are the houses shown here.
   
   In this book the author has selected twenty-two houses that I believe any of us would call luxurious. From a 16,000 square foot house in upstate New York overlooking a valley to homes with a view of the sea in Hawaii, Italy and other places, the homes here are fantastic. Each house is profusely illustrated with color pictures.
   
   This book is produced by teNeues. The teNeues books are truly beautiful. The company is headquartered in Germany and they bring a sense of quality to their books that is not common. The books are printed on heavy paper using very high quality printing techniques. While this is essentially a coffee table picture book, or perhaps an idea book for the house you are planning, it is beautifully done, almost a work of art.

5 comments about Small Spaces: Stylish Ideas for Making More of Less in the Home.

1. This book is so ingenious that it inspired me to change careers, and make a few changes around the house myself.



2. The title should be "build built-in furniture to get rid of your space problems."
   
   I think the ideas are worth considering: sure, if you have chairs for desks and vanities that slide right in, you can save a lot of space. Yes, build little drawers out of the stair case, and nifty pull out cabinets everywhere. Certainly having less furniture and more built -ins is the best way to reduce clutter. Yes, build underground "closets" in your floorboards and crawl space.
   
   However, for most young people and for renters, the solutions are not practical because of lack of investment capital or long term plan for a space. Hiring carpenters to construct these designs would be of prohibitive cost for most, except for the wealthy.
   
   I see from this book that Schindler and Neutra and all the modernists got lots of their ideas from the Japanese built-in solution.



3. I ranked this next to the bottom of 7 "decorating small spaces" books I bought. This author is a contradiction in terms: a minimalist who loves complexity! If you like Asian, bare-bones, neutral-hued decor & have construction skills, you may like the extensively detailed drawings of intricate building projects (i.e, a nine-part modular table-seating-storage unit with more uses than anyone would possibly give it) & the helpful photos. But you'll still be irked that sq. footage is never given. If you're like me (American condo owner), you'll find this book, written for and featuring Japanese homeowners, not adaptable to your needs in any way.



4. As someone whose prospective first house is likely to be small--and even smaller inside--I've been looking around for useful ideas that will help me choose a home into which my Stuff will fit. (That's not just stuff; that's George Carlin-type STUFF, and it requires serious storage.) We're not just talking a smaller McMansion, but homes where the master bedroom is, on average, 10'x9' with badly placed doorways.

   Azby Brown's book was an education in understanding the options even a small or oddly shaped space can afford. Though most of the actual implementations discussed would certainly work better in a Japanese home than in a '50s era raised ranch, the *ideas* are the thing. And these ideas are outstanding. Every inch of space is used to beautiful effect. Every opportunity is considered.

   Especially choose this book if you're planning to remodel, as expert contractors and cabinetmakers will benefit from these pages; nevertheless, _Small Spaces_ is for anyone who still thinks that light neutrals and pint-sized furnishings are the only way to manage.




5. Azby Brown lives in Japan, and has written a number of books about Japanese design, or carpentry, from the perspective of a close observer.

   This book deals with design and product approaches to living in small spaces without clutter. The premise is that the smaller a space is, the more it needs to appear empty if living in it is to be fully comfortable and satisfying. This isn't a book on how to load more gear into more "storage solutions", though some unusual solutions like underfloor storage are elaborated.

   Granted a lot of this stuff is not going to be transferable to American houses, and some of the details, like miraculously small appliances are not even well illustrated (most ilustration are very good). But then there is a huge market for books covering professionally created 25 000 square foot spaces in Carmel by the Sea, or whatever, and I am not likely to fully implement ideas from those books either. Frankly adapting the spirit of this book is much more likely

2 comments about Small Lofts (Evergreen Series).

1. Good book for dreaming and for ideas to adapt to your home. Since these are small lofts instead of cavernous spaces, you can get some great ideas for small space living, whether in a loft, an apartment or condo, or a small house. A treat for the eyes, too.



2. I am remodeling my small loft, and this book has photos of many cool ideas. A lot of them are expensive and many more would never pass code in most U.S. cities, but the concepts helped me visualize how different materials, colors, and techniques might look in my space. I wish it had more floor plans and information about costs.

2 comments about Grow Your Own House: Simone Velez and Bamboo Architecture.

1. A deceiving, gimmicky title that doesn't measure up to the book's contents.
   
   Lots of color pictures of absolutely huge bamboo community structures (NOT houses!) that basically all look the same. There's hardly any variety - just huge bamboo roofs suspended on bamboo stilts designed by the book's author.
   
   I bought the book because it mentions "House" in the title but it hardly has any "houses" in it... maybe photo's of 3 bamboo houses in total.
   
   The book is written in German text with an English translation printed alongside... so half of each text page is taken up with the German text.
   
   The book shows a few pictures of bamboo joints made by filling the ends with concrete and embedded bolts secured to metal joints. It doesn't tell you where to buy those joints because they are custom made.
   
   That was the most useful information found in the book from my perspective.
   
   So... I'm still looking for a book about bamboo houses!



2. There are many fantastic images of bamboo design and architecture, which is being taken to the next level by Velez and others. With population growth and environmental crises what they are, bamboo may emerge as a key building material worldwide. Velez's mushroom dome for the Hannover Expo 2000 was a gorgeous massive structure in bamboo that established bamboo use in large-scale architectural projects.

   However magnificent it is, the pavilion-as-statement suffers from its own pagoda poetry. The main block to widespread adoption of bamboo is its low-tech image, in both the developing and developed worlds. This low-tech, low-status image is why Colombians continue to build inferior concrete buildings, even after such structures are decimated by earthquakes (while leaving the bamboo buildings standing). The pagoda image reinforces associations with the past and low-tech traditional construction.

   To move bamboo forward as a workaday modern building material, it needs to be used in a more ordinary International Style residential or office high-rise that successfully embodies the myth of hi-tech modernity. Wrapped in a glass and metal skin, this bamboo wolf-in-sheep's clothing would bare its fangs when asking Buckminster Fuller's (and Velez's) key question: "Gentlemen, what do your buildings weigh?." Unfortunately, "modernism" is a filthy word for Velez. Mexico's Luis Barragan created a new architecture by successfully fusing colloquial Mexican style with International Style - it will be interesting to see if Velez or one of his students can do something similar for high-tech bamboo construction.

   The book is surprisingly thin on detailed treatment of Velez's own work. Would like to have seen more on the Luis Salazar residence, because its smaller scale and middle-class prestige make it more relevant to implementing the bamboo manifesto than the showy ZERI pavilion.

   Whole double-page spreads are dedicated to suggestive connections between the bamboo forms and the work of other architects. But the book is relatively thin on diagrams on the types of bamboo joints, integration of bamboo with CAD, data on load bearing (compared with reinforced concrete for example) and other information outlining more precisely how to bring bamboo into the arsenal of modern construction.

   That said, it is the best recent book to state the bamboo mainfesto of strength, versatility and modular nature of bamboo. If you have any interest in environmentally sound design, this is THE coffeetable book to have, but

   ...why wasn't it printed on bamboo paper?

2 comments about Made of Light: The Art of Light and Architecture.

1. Esse livro contém enfoque próprio sobre a possibilidade do espaço arquitetônico tornar-se complexo através da plástica da luz. E ainda chama a atenção para a necessidade de pensar o edifício e da cidade no ambiente noturno



2. This must be one of the most insightful and beautiful books on light ever written. It should inspire every lighting designer . . . and architect