5 comments about Architecture Pop Up Book.

1. I usually buy electronic toys (laptop, pda, desktop, so on). Recently I found by Internet a pop up book, I was really curious about this. I bougth this book - Architecture Pop Up Book - It is the best way to know about ancient history, the 3D buildings are desing with details and the explanations are very friendly and interesting. Now I will save money to buy my next pop up book. I recomend this book to share with the family.



2. We needed a book for a talk with school children about architecture. It was a hit with the children and adults.



3. I bought this book for my 15-year-old nephew, who wants to be an architect. He really loved this book. I thought he might think the pop-up aspect was too juvenile, but he didn't. He found it entertaining, educational, very interesting and fun. I want one for myself now.



4. Beautiful book that makes a nice present. In additon to the nice and elaborate pop ups, it contains quite a bit of text; so while it's not really a book for young children, it appeals to both the child and adult in each of us.



5. 
   The more of these Pop-Up books I see; the more I'm impressed. I now own several and have written several reviews on them.
   In a nutshell, this book is very impressive. First of all,just to tackle such a complicated subject requires a great deal of thought and determination.In most Pop-Up books, the author is at complete freedom to create the subject,its shape,and in whatever manner he chooses;but in the case of famous Architectural structures,he does not have such freedom. In other words,the author can't just take a pop-up technique or method and then create a form using it.With these famous Architectural masterpieces;he must do it the other way around.He must come up with the method to create the form.
   As you go through the book ,you will see he employs different methods for differenrt structures.A good example of this is with "Notre Dame De Paris".He places the twin towers in a pull-out sleeve that is opened separately ,then attached to the front of the cathedral.Then you join velcro tabs to complete semicircular area behind the altas.This results in a spectacular pop-up.
   That could well have been the centerpiece of the book;but hold on!
   When he comes to represent a skyscraper,he chooses the Chrysler Building in New York. When you open the page,it pops up and unfolds before you.Then, you raise the upper floors which extend like a telescope. To
   comlete the building,you pull out the 'hidden' stainless steel spire ,and finally unfold the mast on the top. Now ,standing before you in all its majesty is a 21" high replica of the Chrysler Building.
   All together, the book has 25 pop-up replicas of some of history's most famous and impressive Architectural masterpieces. Of course; some are larger and more complicated than others; but all are impressive.
   The book doesn't just give us the pop-ups ;each structure is provided with the history and details of the building.
   The color,artwork,paper,printing are as good ,as I've ever seen, for this type of book. There is one shortcoming though. That is with the cover.The hinges of the cover are much too flimsy; and mine has ,with very little,but careful use; already split open. What a shame to have to "patch-up" such an otherwise fine book.

5 comments about Ceramic Houses and Earth Architecture: How to Build Your Own.

1. If you are interested in learning more about the beautiful structure pictured on the cover of this book, don't bother buying this book. The book provides no additional photos and only two pages of text that covers this structure at a high level - and no similar structures are covered either. Obviously these two pages were tacked on in one of the recent editions. I feel cheated.
   
   Buy the much better "Earthbag Building: The Tools, Tricks and Techniques (Natural Building Series)" by Hunter and Kiffmeyer instead.



2. It's important to understand that what is truly new and fresh can't be responsibly reduced to a cookbook. Building a house is a major undertaking, and different parts of the earth have different climates, different needs, and different earth underfoot to build from.
   
   Khalili inspires his readers to think more openly, he urges experimentation while sharing what is known. His buildings are gorgeous, with an openness and simplicity that inspires us to question the standard boxes most of us live in.
   
   Also inspirational is his obvious deep humanity; his love for both building AND people has enabled him to leave the usual paths and use the best qualities of the old, while infusing it with modern understanding to create wonderful new, achievable designs. I am awed. I've read this book twice, I'm building the models he recommends so I can more fully understand the structures of arch and domes, and hope to take his workshop next summer.
   
   This is life affirming as well as life-changing.



3. This is a great book. I haven't read it page for page yet, but in it goes with my favourites. It concentrates on Khalili's monolithic fired ceramic houses and has a lot of detail. It leaves no stones unturned if you want a building of this type.
   
   Sadly, the book was published before Khalili invented Superadobe or Earth Bag building. For a good book on Earthbag, I recommend "Earthbag Building: The Tools, Tricks and Techniques"
   by Kaki Hunter. Another book - which is more general is "Alternative Construction; Contemporary Natural Building Methods" by Lynne Elisabeth and Cassandra Adams.



4. awesome resource and "how-to" book for those interested in this earth friendly type of architecture



5. The author is obviously a person of great vision and enormous generosity of spirit. The book is very good, and I hope that a rating of three stars isn't some insult where no insult is deserved. I was very disappointed because I expected a serious discussion of superadobe techniques, which I regard as possibly more practical than the ceramic constructions. The book has only seven pages treating superadobe. Those are pasted as an afterthought, right at the end. They don't constitute a detailed and serious discussion. As much information can be found on the calearth.org web site. So, I felt that the advertisements of the book were a little misleading.

   The book itself is an education on classical earth construction and the improvement produced by firing it. As a person unfamiliar with architecture and construction, I had hoped to find something like a cookbook. Just tell me how to build a nice house easily, and I'd be happy to do it. Part of the education is to realize that things aren't quite so simple. Many issues arise, and, at the time of its writing, not all of them are well understood or totally settled. In particular, the details of firing a house into its ceramic status is not only explained in a partial way, but clearly more work is required to get a full understanding. The author could successfully fire houses himself, but the process was not reduced, at this writing, to entirely simple formulas for the use of lay persons. In that sense, each person working from the book would need to take on some considerable personal responsibility. It might not all work correctly. Consequently, I don't consider this book to be an especially good guide for a novice or amateur builder. That doesn't mean it isn't worth reading. However, I wouldn't read it, put up my own dome adobe house, and then sit down for tea underneath my own dome. The thing would probably fall in.

No comments about Office Space Planning: Designs for Tomorrow's Workplace.

No comments about Grand Designs Handbook: The Blueprint for Building Your Dream Home.

5 comments about Hudson Valley Ruins: Forgotten Landmarks of an American Landscape.

1. Those who value the Hudson Valley's unique history and beauty must use this book to fight for restoration, preservation and conservation of the human landscape of our precious River!



2. If you have a love of the Hudson River Valley and you wonder what happened to structures you've heard about, but can't find, then you'll enjoy this book. I was also fascinated to learn of buildings I never knew existed and what is being done to save some derelict buildings still standing that are near collapse. This is a very well researched book too. I'd call this a savory read if old structures or the Hudson River shoreline is of interest to you.



3. Ruins (mainly abandoned buildings): eyesores or "romantic embodiments of a historical past"? The authors, in this superbly written and magnificently illustrated book, argue passionately for the latter, and have chosen 85 sites found in the Hudson Valley between Albany and Yonkers to prove their point. Old mansions, mills, manufacturing plants, railroad stations, even Sing Sing prison are described in historical detail and lovingly photographed; scores of black and white photos and a center section of nearly 20 color prints accompany the text. And it's the text that really makes this a stand-out book in the field of local history: the historical sketches for most of the sites are thorough and elaborate in scope. In tracing these ruins of the Hudson Valley, which are many and varied, the authors also trace the history of "ruin appreciation" itself, from early artistic projections to modern debates over urban renewal vs. preservation. This is local history at its best.



4. This book is chock full of information about abandonded places(obviously within the Hudson Valley Region). I honestly wish there were some more detailed photographs of some of these places, but i imagine i might be able to find them on the internet somewhere.Dont get me wrtong There are alot of photographs of the locations and places, and a color plate section in the center but they are like brief narriations of places that could be shown in so much more detail. I can honestly recommend this book to anyone interested in urban decay, preservation of old places, or interested in those abandonded places from times past. Urban Explorers might also find this book of some use as well.



5. This book is well-researched and well-written. A must-have piece of work for anyone interested in or involved in preservation.

No comments about Energy-Efficiency Upgrades: Principles, Details, Examples (Detail Practice).

1 comments about Contemporary Urban Planning (8th Edition).

1. This book gives a broad spectrum of what to expect in the planning field, but there are a few flaws. One is that the book is not written for the technocratic planner, it is written for the beginner or someone who is not going to make planning their career. But this book will give the beginner a broad basis to start from and for this I do suggest the beginner to read this before they choose planning as a career.

4 comments about Structure as Architecture: A Source Book for Architects and Structural Engineers.

1. If architecture is viewed as ideas of establishing different relationships between people and space, then structure is the first step to achieve these relationship in reality. How do we appropriately use different structure elements in reality, what kind of architectural effects will them create? These questions are answered in Andrew W.Charleson's book 'Structure as architecture'. The book is divided into chapters such as function/exterior/interior of buildings,structural detailing, light and structures and so on, which are discussed from both theoretical and practical approach. With enormous amount of first hand photo illustrations, the book also gives a comprehensive visual case studies to the reader. It is enjoyable to read and I recommend this stunning book to all architectural, building science students as well as architects and engineers in practice.



2. Although Architecture and Engineering are really only different sides of the same coin, they are often treated in completely different ways. Certainly they are normally approached from different directions. Charleson's book addresses this lack of continuity, and reduces structural diagrams down to a simple level (good for architecture students) as well as opening up the ideas of light and air and structure to thoseof a more engineering bent... And from all accounts he's a pretty inspirational lecturer as well, with the students fizzing away with excitement.
   
   End result: if you are a student of Architecture or Engineering, then rush out and buy this book. Invaluable source of knowledge - guaranteed to help you through those exams...



3. As per name, this book provides an excellent reference to building structures that expresses its architectural ideas. The book is well written and provides examples from around the world! ^_^



4. I am a student studying architecture, and have found this book to be a very useful reference.
   
   The first time I used it, I was looking for specific examples of "expressive" architecture. In the index, I found a long list of qualities such as "grounded", "light", "dynamic" etc. with references to pages illustrating specific projects whose structure has those qualities. The clear, full colour photos really help you get the feel of the buildings.
   
   I don't know of any other book that I could have looked to for that purpose. Of course, the content is useful for numerous other reasons as well.

5 comments about Palm Springs Modern: Houses in the California Desert.

1. Nice book on architecture in the desert.
   It showcases my favorite city perfectly.



2. What I love about Palm Springs Modern is the variety of architects and styles featured. There are great photographs, including houses by John Lautner, Richard Neutra, Craig Ellwood, and Albert Frey among others. A particularly pleasant surprise is the section on the Maslon house by Neutra which was foolishly demolished a few years ago. Love this book!



3. Palm Springs Modern provides a superb photo tour of a handful of landmark homes that defined the 'modern' style in the 1950s and '60s. Because wealthy businessmen and celebrities could afford edgier architecture, the authors focus on these homes -- with a welcome chapter on the talented William Cody in between. If you want a scholarly treatise on modernism in architecture, buy another book. If you want a tantalizing sample of some of the best work, PSM is fine. By the time modernism made its way into mass production homes, it lost much of its inventiveness and aesthetic. Those familiar with the Palm Springs area will notice that the Alexanders' ubiquitous 'butterfly' rooflines have become almost cliche, while the Loewy house and most of the PSM subjects remain exotic.

   Do you need to own PSM before buying or designing a home for the California desert? Clearly the answer is NO. But if you want a virtual tour of some of the most inspired homes of the genre, PSM belongs on your coffee table. And yes, if you live in the Midwest or Northeast you would do yourself a service by putting this away in a closet somewhere during the winter.




4. A classic. If you've never been to Palm Springs, you'll be catching the next flight after leafing thru this fine book. Gorgeous photos of simply incredible buildings. Palm Springs has a quality and character unlike any other "resort" town. The fabulous architecture of the mid-century building boom and a renewed appreciation of the designs of that period has revitalized (again) the Palm Springs area. If you can't visit Palm Springs personally, then pour a martini, sit back and enjoy this book. It's almost like being there!



5. Palm Springs Modern illustrates (in photos) a collection of homes by designers who tested design concepts in the harsh desert environment that complimented, and indeed enhanced the outcome. Those of us who seek inspiration and documentation of the modernist period will find this volumn satisfying. It is not a scholarly book, nor is the text particularly deep in theory of architectural modernism. And it doesn't matter that some of the homeowners were celebrities. What really matters is that there are so many fine examples of modernist architecture and in such close proximity.

3 comments about Natural Landscaping: Designing with Native Plant Communities.

1. Natural Landscaping is an essential resource for anyone interested in landscaping with native plants. The importance of learning to use native plants is so important as we face continuing droughts in various parts of the country, including here in Williamsburg, VA. The book is so full of information that I find myself going back to it often. Many thanks to the authors for this fine volume.



2. Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Natural Landscaping: Designing With Native Plant Communities by licensed architect and landscaping authority John Diekelmann and natural plan restoration expert Robert Schuster is a fascinating, "user friendly" instructional guide on basic landscaping principles, as well as cogent, authoritative advice on how to restore wetlands and introduce native plant species for wetlands, grasslands, forests, and more. Black-and-white photographs as well as an inset section of color plates wonderfully illustrate this meticulous, fact-filled, professional quality, highly recommended "how-to" guide for anyone aspiring to enhance or restore native plant communities.



3. I have the 1982 edition of this book - I stumbled across it and have been amazed ever since that such a book was written in 1982 before this approach to gardening/landscaping was popular.
   It is tailored to the midwest, but the technical solidity and sound design concepts should apply anywhere.