No comments about Architects Draw: Freehand Fundamentals (Architecture Briefs).

5 comments about Stone Houses: Traditional Homes of Pennsylvania's Bucks County and Brandywine Valley.

1. I am probably a little biased, because I bought this book because my inlaws house is featured in it. However, it's a lovely addition to a collection for someone interested in historic (and scenic) older houses in this area.



2. This is a very pretty book and very well photographed. The choice of houses, however, left something to be desired and the writeups on the houses themselves were thin and more akin to a puffy decorator magazine than any kind of detailed study. The book also had utterly no floorplan sketches for any of the homes, which is really almost mandatory for an architecture book. Some of the houses selected were not of any particular merit nor were they even old. Most of the write-ups on the various houses had almost nothing to say about the architectural detail and history nor any kind of regional or sub-regional analysis. Some photos were selected obviously because they were "pretty" but had utterly nothing to do with Pennsylvania -- the New England chest on the back cover is a good example. It's a nice book to flip through but don't expect great depth.



3. I found it nice but inadequate, since actually useful information was small part of the lot, from an architectural point of view.



4. I have always thought the stone used on houses in the Philadelphia area was beautiful; it's warm and elegant. This book has crisp images and well researched, interesting text on these wonderful homes. If you have any interest in this subject then I highly recommend this book, you won't be disappointed.



5. This book contains a wonderful pictorial view of stone houses, better than I've ever seen. It includes all forms of construction and gives very informative descriptions of each style. The history related here is invaluable to the reader, as it takes you back in time. The pictures are full color and very articulately done. I found the colors presented in the homes helpful to me in restoring our stone house, built in the 1830's. This book is more than a "coffee table" book, it's a history lesson.

2 comments about Winfield House.

1. 
   0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
   1.0 out of 5 stars Luxury and Politics, 29 May 2008
   By Collector "Collector" - See All My Reviews
   
   There is nothing inherently wrong with coffee table books on mansions and their decorative arts. In this case, however, there are extenuating circumstances. The husband of the author is the present U. S. Ambassador to Great Britain and the couple is living at Winfield House while willingly supporting the Bush administration and representing its policies to the world -- from this plum of an ambassadorial assignment. Given this historically failed administration (perhaps the worst in the history of the U.S.) which has perpetrated worldwide a massive degree of death, misery, and injustice (not to mention possible deception, corruption, and war crimes), a certain moral deafness accrues to the publication of this luxury book by the Ambassador and his wife. If their goal was to make a personal meritorious contribution to the world from their position of governmental privilege, I suggest an orphanage in Iraq or a donation to any Veterans Administration Hospital in the U.S. Given the political realities that surround the creation and publication of this book, it demonstrates the moral limits of the adulation of luxury and aesthetics. Mr. and Mrs. Tuttle are well intentioned I am sure. But their significant expenditure of time and money to create this book demonstrates their extreme removal from truly recognizing the larger human condition beyond the confines of their borrowed residence and life-style, received in payment for their powerful support of the Bush policies. From this point of view, and from this point in history, the creation of this book strikes me as morally unconscious and callow. Many people may disagree with me, but this is how I see it. As to the book, it is very well produced with good plates and color and text on the history of the house. The photographs are on the stiff side, and show the mixtures of period styles and mundane American contemporary that was the hallmark of the Los Angeles decorators, Ted Graber and William Haines, who worked on the house in the latter part of last century. The Tuttles have also added works of Modern and contemporary American art, which are always of high quality though not always of exceptional quality. The effect of their additions of works of art is in keeping with the conventional taste of upscale decorating today. Good examples, some attractive decorative arrangements of works of art within decor, but nothing unusually inspired or revealing, in terms of selection or juxtaposition.
   
   Please note this is a review that considers attributes of this book in many aspects. It should be retained, and not banned as an opinion.



2. Mrs. Maria Tuttle provided readers with a very special insight into the Winfield House. Having attended many receptions in the home, this book will always hold a special place in my heart. Mrs. Tuttle did an outstanding job of giving readers a personal view of life at the mansion. The photographs are breathtaking along with being quite beautiful. I especially like the pull-out pages to give readers a panoramic view of some of the most favorite rooms. There are over 175 photographs of the many intricate and artistic details of the home. Elegant table settings for various events show just how much the Ambassador's home is used throughout the year. Browsing through each page gives the reader a wonderful experience of actually being in the home. Most guests who come to Winfield House for various receptions never get to go upstairs and often wonder if the private quarters upstairs are just as splendid as the public rooms downstairs. This book will let readers go behind the scenes and explore the private rooms of the home. Also loved the photographs of the outside of the home and the wonderful gardens in various seasons. Loved seeing photos of the Queen at Winfield House in her younger days. The book is a must have. Thank you, Maria, for a very excellent job.

No comments about Envisioning Architecture: An Analysis of Drawing.

1 comments about Ultimate Hotel Design.

1. This book offers a serious, well-informed, insider view of the hotels currently at the avant-garde of interior designing. Many of the properties illustrated represent "la creme de la creme" of the hotel industry in the past decade; and least to say are well worth staying at.
   
   I would particularly recommend this fascinating book to the experienced traveler who takes pride in indulging him or herself in an ambience of exclusiveness and inspiration. A must have!

4 comments about Small Houses: Contemporary Residential Architecture.

1. A good book with some nice case studies. Not a bad addition to my reference library. I'm giving it 3 stars only because a good 1/4 of the featured homes are not that great and seemed out of place in this book.



2. This book has some good material to get the creative juices going. It is a nice collection of interesting designs that give a pretty good sampling of what innovative contemporary residences can look like. I would have liked to see more technical information and details.



3. These are houses for very rich people who never have to worry about the resale value of their house. The first chapter was very interesting, a brief review of housing history. I enjoyed seeing the workman's cottage with the unheard-of luxury of a plumbed bath - set flush to the kitchen floor and kept covered when not in use. I wonder how many people forgot and fell into it the middle of the night?
   
   This book will be of no help at all if your interest in building a small house is motivated by economy or a desire to minimize the adverse environment impact of the construction. That said, there are a few really good ideas and some astonishingly lovely houses. The Irish "boat house" would be a great place to watch a storm come in, with its glass wall. But I'm not sure why it needs a kitchen and a bath. And the chalet/cabin with a whole-wall "shutter" to cover its large glass picture window is clever. I liked the straw mats hanging as a sunshade off the broad eaves of the clay house in West Africa - it made the house look as if it belonged there, and made the space between the wall and the shade into more useful space.
   
   But the tiny tiny cube house on top of the elevator shaft was just plain weird.
   
   Kind of fun, not very practical.



4. The introductory chapter, a brief history of architect-designed small houses (large expensive houses usually get this treatment), was the best part for me, as the author is very knowledgeable. Here he describes the groundskeepers' homes on large estates, and the later workers' cottages built by large companies, that started this category. The rest, however, is the standard thou-shalt-covet-thy-neighbor's-house pictures of very recent, attention-grabbing, expensive, glass-crazy fashion statements.

No comments about Bedrock City (Place Space).

No comments about Architectural Structures.

1 comments about In Detail: High-Density Housing: Concepts, Planning, Construction (In Detail (englisch)).

1. The book contains some great projects that concern examples of high-density housing. The texts are short and to the points, accompanied by good photographs and drawings (plans/details).
   As for the book itself, the paper-wrapped cover can damage quickly and the book could use some more projects considering it's price tag. Still, This edition (as with the entire In Detail series) is very much recommended for architecture students and architects looking for good books that show interesting projects in drawing and detail.

2 comments about Planning and Installing Solar Thermal Systems: A Guide for Installers, Architects and Engineers (Planning and Installing).

1. I bought this book immediately after was published. It's a great reference book and very good introduction to solar heating systems. What I liked the most is how the book is set up. It gives you brief overview what the solar energy is, hot it works, and it explains difference between solar panels, what efficiency and solar fraction of solar panels is. And not only that... it tells you about system components, how to design residential systems, large scale systems and way more. As a technical manager for large thermal solar company I always recommend this book to my new team mates.



2. If you are a designer or installer of Solar Hot Water and Heating-
   Buy this book. I know its expensive, but it is worth it!
   Nothing I have seen from the US is even close.
   
   One small draw back is that you will have to convert from metric.