5 comments about The Not So Big House Collection (Susanka).

1. This series is really targeted at people in a position to buy their own lot and build a custom home. But there is a lot more to take away from the books if you are not in that situation.
   
   In the days of mcmansions everywhere, reading the books reminds us that we are really good a wasting space. Now with the cost of energy rising rapidly, a smaller house to heat and cool is a financially good idea.
   
   This books remind us that there are things like built in cabinets, chests and book cases in places like bedrooms that can maximize the utilization of space. These things don't require building a new house, just thinking about a room differently then it is currently being used. These book help spark that creativity.



2. If you are designing your own home or checking that your new home design is what you really want, then it is important to read the Not So Big House. You may not agree with everything that Susanka says and certainly there are areas where more detail would have been useful. However we assessed our new house after reading the book and made several fundamental changes. The companion book, Creating the Not So Big House, is a nice add-on if you buy the Collection, but unless your house is similar to the design examples covered in the contents, it doesn't have the impact of the original book.



3. Although a few people panned this book we found them somewhat useful.
   Good picts to give us ideas for our future retirement house.
   Although she talks about a green/passive solar house, the pictures detail don't quite bring in what you'd expect to make it a great renewable energy home.
   we liked the books as guide on how to think of ways to work on a decent price and size to live in.
   2000=2500 sqft is the max we want. didn't think about staggering the ceiling height great idea.
   since we wanted an open floor plan we plan to use tips from here to design up our texas house.



4. Susanka's series demonstrates that bigger is NOT better. Her focus on livable details to enhance the home environment are valuable to anyone who's considering remodeling.
   
   Grandiose over-development of some homes in our older neighborhood encouraged me to consider another solution.
   
   I recommend this collection.



5. Sarah Susanka has managed to give us an understanding of why so many modern homes do not "feel right". Forcing us to think about how we really live on a daily basis she looks at what we need to feel really comfortable and how best to achieve it. This is not a one solution fits all but the thinking persons guide to pesonal solutions. Her ideas are based on a lifetime of dealing with different people and their wants and needs even looking at some time in England as a child. Forcing us to change the commercial idea of "bang for bucks" into lifestyle comfort, she has made me look at what I really need in my home.
   If only we could find mass produced houses that really suit the masses.

5 comments about Building With Cob: A Step-by-step Guide.

1. If you are truly interested in using cob and building environmentaly friendly homes, then this book is for you. It is very descriptave in it's wording and the pictures in it help as well. This book is a must have if you plan to use or build with cob!



2. Lavishly illustrated, this is a well-organized, clearly written volume describing the processes necessary to build a range of structures using earth and straw (and a number of other natural materials). The drawings and photographs really help support the text, providing a rich introduction into the world of cob and natural building. An exceptional book for anyone thinking about getting involved with cob building.



3. Those of you who have read "The Hand-Sculpted House" by Ianto Evans will like this book. It is an excellent guide to building with cob. I felt that every aspect of building a house was covered in enough detail that you could start building with cob if you were even a little bit handy. Although building a house is covered well, it includes building fireplaces and cob ovens, too.
   
   I paid forty five dollars for my copy at the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair and see now that I could have saved fifteen dollars. Still, if you are looking for just one book to cover many aspects of using cob then you won't go wrong with this book.



4. En este volumen aparece todo lo que se necesita saber sobre una construcción Cob, lo que hecho a faltar aquí como en la mayoría de libros de construcción natural es el cálculo de estructuras para el tejado, y su correcto dimensionado.
   
   Un libro fascinante con multitud de detalles y esquemas



5. Even after reading this book pretty carefully, and even looking it up in the dictionary, I never got a good definition of the word 'COB.' None the less, what he's talking about would be called adobe in this country. That is, you take subsoil with a reasonably high clay content, mix it with sand, straw and perhaps a few other things, and you get a remarkably strong building material.
   
   I was involved with a friend that wanted to modify his adobe houst by taking out a window and converting it into a door. The adobe in his house was well aged, about a hundred years. Pulling the window out was easy. Then we got to removing the adobe. We intended to just pick up the bricks and move them aside. They wouldn't move. Pry them with a long iron rod, they wouldn't move. Hit them with a pick and it hardly made a dent. Eventually he got the bricks out of the way using a jackhammer.
   
   This book is on building houses out of earth. It's written in England where there are an estimated half million cob houses. And it talks about the way things are done over there. Not too different than here, except for the building codes. But, of coure, the building codes in this country are quite different in detail of how they are in England. I don't have any idea how many there are in the US. It is certainly no longer a common building method here. My guess is that building within a city limit will be difficult.
   
   All in all, this is probably the best book I've seen on the subject.

3 comments about A Manual of Construction Documentation.

1. It's one thing to tell someone what needs to be on a working drawing, but it's another thing to show them how to put one together. This book does just that. It describes a step-by-step procedure for developing a working drawing. While it's focus is on drawings for building construction, it can easily be adapted to parts fabrication as well. The clarity and simplicity of the presentation make this book a "must read" for anyone just entering the consulting design industry. It is also extremely low priced. I will say that the drawings are not completely cross-referenced and notated, as would be necessary for a complete set of documents. Still, the drawing examples do present clear set of procedures for preparing working drawings which everyone in the business should master. I highly recommend this book.



2. I have been teaching construction documents to interior designers at Parsons School of Design for the past three years. The Wiggins Book is one of the two prime texts included in my course bibliography. The sheet by sheet instruction are very clear and show the process of putting together a set of drawings. I don't always follow the same standards as Wiggins, but it's the best that's out there. As previously commented, not recommended for residential or specialty interiors projects. Very good reference for general commercial construction documents.



3. I was looking for an introductory book to explain how to prepare construction drawings, and the title seemed like it might do the job. However, this book is ENTIRELY dedicated to commercial buildings and the target seems to be intermediate users. There is very little useful information for residential Projects or Beginners.

   The book was done well however, and I wish the author would make a similar book for residential work and revise the title or taglines these books.

3 comments about Early Medieval Architecture (Oxford History of Art).

1. The text arrived in good shape, and was just as described. What kept this from being a 5-star review was the sluggishness of the delivery, some 3 1/2 weeks after being ordered.



2. Mr. Stalley has written an excellent piece of work by combining the architecture in the early middle ages with its historical context. The content is entertaining and informative. It starts by describing the origin of the basilicas, their evolution along time and the influence that the medieval society (either royal, secular, or religious) had on both, design and construction, of these outstanding long lasting works.



3. Published last year, this is one of the initial volumes to appear in the extremely good, new "Oxford History of Art" series, which almost outdoes even the recent "Everyman Art Library", which it resembles. Both series are an attempt to make available up-to-the-moment overviews of selected areas of the history of building, sculpture, painting, and photography. Whereas the Everyman series seems to be open-ended, Oxford have divided their survey of world art into categories by area and/or subject, although only a handful of titles have appeared to date.

   Both series are superbly well printed and illustrated; each includes maps, charts, timelines, and bibliographies. What Thames and Hudson's "World of Art" series did well for several decades, these two series are now achieving in a more strictly periodizing form, with greater emphasis on method and, in the case of Oxford, on Theory.

   In both the Oxford and Everyman series, the most fascinating volumes are those which treat subjects broken down or combined in unusual ways. Thus, Alison Cole's "Art of the Italian Renaissance Courts" (l995) seeks to compare Naples, Urbino, Milan, Ferrara, and Mantua--- bringing relative clarity to a topic that most surveys tend to gloss over. Similarly, Loren Partridge's Everyman "The Renaissance in Rome" (1996) treats the Quattrocento and Cinquecento in the Eternal City, chapter by chapter, in terms of urban planning, churches, palaces, altarpieces, chapel decorations, and halls of state--- all in a single volume.

   Before Stalley, the two Oxford volumes I had read were Jas Elsner's "Imperial Rome and Christian Triumph" and Craig Clunas's "Art in China". Both are by younger scholars and are massively imbued with new (politically correct) art history. Yet both books are filled with challenging and brilliant examples and new information. In fact, the China volume is written (like all of Clunas's work) from a perspective that is truly revolutionary in Chinese studies. At the end of the day, both Elsa and Clunas are so skilled, both as writers and historians, that even the jargon of the new art history is eclipsed by the sheer quality of the two works.

   Roger Stalley, Professor of the History of Art, at Trinity College, Dublin, writes clearly, penetratingly, and without jargon. "Early Medieval Architecture" is deftly constructed, and the author claims that his chapters may be read "in almost any order". This may indeed be the case (I read straight through and could scarcely put the book aside). It comes, of course, as no small recommendation that Stalley was a student of Peter Kidson's.

   What makes "Early Medieval Architecture" unique is the editorial decision to relegate the entire topic of "late" medieval building to a separate volume by Nicola Coldstream. Therefore, hardly a mention is made of "Gothic--- the question that Stalley addresses being: "What is Romanesque?" Like its subject the book is suitably austere, yet it is not without personality. The endnotes are unobtrusive, and there is a state- of-the-art Bibliographic Essay. All this is supplemented by some 150 varied and informative photographs and redrawn plans and building sections. There is virtually no attention to sculpture, as befits a scholar whose interests and sympathies are Cistercian; however, there is a sensitive underlying concern with the "language of architecture" itself, such that the book would give pleasure to any working architect.

   Stalley has given us ten chapters starting with "The Christian Basilica", where his subject overlaps slightly with that of the Elsner's book. Appropriately, the argument returns again and again to Rome. The next chapter is an exercise in setting forth the architecture of the Carolingian Renaissance, where light is shed in an area of architectural history that for the novice is more typically hedged with exceptions and speculation. A third chapter pursues the "iconography of architecture" in Rome, Milan, Ravenna, and Jerusalem, as well as lesser-known places.

   Chapter 4 is devoted to secular architecture and is somewhat revisionist in tone. The very fact that such an exercise is provided bodes well for the clarity of Stalley's enterprise, and there are numerous photographs throughout the book that succeed in demonstrating a relationship between ecclesiastical buildings and the architecture of feudalism.

   Chapters 5 and 6 treat, respectively, the patron-as-builder and the builder-as-engineer. In this, the architectural expertise of certain early patrons is stressed, while the engineering argument is soft peddled, in the sense that techniques of vaulting are not allowed to dominate a more all-embracing explanation of the general integrity of the building fabric. As the author reminds us, the story of vaulting has too often been permitted to get out of hand, leading the discussion of early medieval structure well beyond what is warranted by evidence and probably away from what must have been the original aims and concerns of early medieval builders themselves, whether "engineers" or not.

   Chapters 7 and 8 deal with the influences of pilgrimage and monasticism on early medieval building. Here a number of relevant statistics and medieval texts are cited that raise the discussion well above what is ordinarily expected to suffice the undergraduate reader. For example, the names of the seven major services or "offices" of Benedictine communal worship are set out and, where needed, explanation is offered. The discussion of the famous St. Gall plan is commendable in its detail, while the full-page photographic detail of the plan is printed in color to show the use of red ink on parchment. Included here is mention and illustration of the recently restored Cistercian abbey church at Fontenay, which as a caption points out, may reflect the destroyed mother house at Clairvaux.

   The final two chapters are a magisterial recapitulation of the "Language of Architecture", starting off "During the course of the eleventh century a new architectural language emerged in western Europe...", and of its subsequent diversity throughout Europe. In summary, this is an exciting book that matches some of the recent strides forward in early medieval social and political history and provides a superlative discussion of a topic that has rarely been so coherently presented and illustrated in a single volume.

   David B. Stewart, Tokyo Institute of Technology

No comments about Jeffrey Bilhuber: Defining Luxury: The Qualities of Life at Home.

5 comments about Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession.

1. While this book has a few good pointers and general guides to the profession, it is very outdated and focuses on the way architecture and professionals "used to be." The author explicitly reminds readers that those who aspire to be architects should let nothing get in their way and that being an architect enables one to become "immortal" through "his" work. This model is no longer relevant in a work environment where more than ever, architects must be better listeners, civil servants and good designers. It exacerbates the worst parts of studio culture, glorifying them, and telling readers to "enjoy the psychological pains" of architecture school.



2. I recently finished my undergrad in business management, and have decided to return to school to earn an MArch. degree. This book has helped me in making this decision, as well as in knowing what to expect. If it does make you change your mind, then architecture is most likely not the career for you. If it's worth doing, it probably won't be easy. That said, it is not always as time consuming as people tend to think. My fiance is working on her bachelor's in architecture. While she is often very busy, there are times that she has a lighter load than I did in business school. It depends on the prof. and the project.



3. In this book Roger Lewis outlines the most important considerations in pursuing a career as an architect. I have always loved architecture, and have read extensively on the subject at the level of an interested amateur. When I was preparing for college in the 1980s, I wanted to pursue a five year professional architecture degree, but was dissuaded when I received a full scholarship in biology. That was an unfortunate decision in the long run, although I have been doing well professionally until recently, when my career field went into steep decline. I never forgot my interest in the subject, and while considering a mid-career occupation change, I have carefully considered returning to school and attempting to be admitted to a 3-4 year M.Arch. program.
   
   I am very glad that I read this book (and several others) prior to embarking on a career in architecture. The book is very honest about the rigors of school and the relative lack of money to be obtained in the field, unless you are uncharacteristically brilliant in design (and in selling your services). People like Michael Graves are definitely the exception to the rule. I appreciated Lewis' candor, and honestly the book has made me reappraise my desire to pursue this particular career transition. He repeatedly emphasizes that you should become an architect because of a love of architecture. I also have to be practical in considering that between three or four very expensive years of school and at least three years as an underpaid intern, it is at least seven years to becoming a licensed architect for me, and at this stage of my career that is difficult. Not impossible, but very difficult.
   
   I have not decided what professional avenues to pursue yet, but I will always appreciate the practical nature of this book in educating me about an architectural career. This is the most important book a prospective architect can read prior to committing to the arduous path leading to licensure.



4. I read this book when I was a senior in high school applying to colleges. It was helpful. I applied to architecture school and got into one of the best programs in the country. I graduated and got my dream job. When I was visiting my parents over Christmas I found this book on my shelf and read it again. This time I had an entirely different view after having gone to school and having worked for three different firms. This time it really hit the gut. I gave my notice at the firm and I'm going to pursue a different career for the next year. I'm not sure if I'm burned out on architecture and need to leave so that I can miss it and come back, or if I really don't want to be an architect. I have to say, the pay is bad. Really bad. That's what got to me. Expect to be paid HALF of what you're worth. That applies to the lowest intern all the way to the top partner. You just don't get paid what you're worth. Then again, it is a really incredible profession. It's a tough choice. So my advice is to buy this book and read it every couple years to make sure you really want to do this. Life is too damn short to do something you don't love with all your heart.



5. I have now been in the work force for 6 years having mostly worked in, now defunct, internet shops. Now I have a sterile job as a financial analyst working for a HUGE company. After being afraid to pursue my dreams again (after an earlier attempt in my mid-20's withered away...), I am seriously looking to get my masters in architecture although I have a liberal arts degree. I first read Cesar Pelli's "Observations" which inspired me. So I was afraid to get into this book knowing that many reviews here and in newsgroups claim it's harsh or may change your mind about architecture. Actually, it has strengthened my desire to pursue architecture. I won't be making as much money as I do now in my somewhat laid-back job, but there are other considerations far more important to me than working just for money. People who do not wish to be challenged to their fullest or work harder than they ever have worked before should not pursue such careers medicine, law, computer science, etc - architecture is no exception. I already knew architects are rarely rich, work very hard, go through a very tough education, and work in a very competitive environment. None of that came as a shock from reading this. Basically, I can conclude from this book that the field should only be pursued if one LOVES architecture despite all the difficulties. One can dislike medicine or law and not be as discouraged since the money can provide some comfort, but teh same is not true of architecture. Even if this book does talk many out of pursuing architecture, it's better that it tells it like it is. I'd rather know the good and the bad before making a decision. By the way, this book is not nearly as negative as some here have pointed out.

5 comments about Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration For Harmony With Nature (Schiffer Design Book).

1. The fantastic photos go on and on. The architectural plan and section views are very helpful. This book has all the information you need to come up with a good plan and list of needs/desires. You'll need to convert to metric and also research specific climate concerns, like temperature and regionally appropriate plants - everything listed in the book is for Europe.



2. Lovely inspirational book, good pictures, diagrams and technical info. An excellent planning guide for natural swimming ponds and pools



3. THIS BOOK IS REALLY GOOD BUT IT DOES NOT GO INTO A LOT OF DETAIL IF YOU ARE ACTUALLY WANTING DIRECTION.



4. Great book for all aspects of creating a variety of green/natural pools. Beautiful pictures and good illustrations and copy to help in decision making.



5. Simply put this book is a MUST READ for anyone intersted in any aspect of Sustainable and Ecological Design. It should be read right along with Permaculture by Mollison, the Passive Solar Handbook by Mazria, Rainwater Harvesting by Lancaster, and ecocities to Living Machines by Todd. Even if you aren't specifically interested in making a swimming pool (which you will be after reading it) the insights into the workings of hydro-ecologies and how to design natural systems are invaluable!
   
   If you aren't interested in the whole range of sustainability but just this particular topic of pool design then this book is STILL A MUST READ. If you're an ecologist who wants to make a pool, or a pool designer who wants to do something ecological this book provides an excellent layman's understanding of ecological design, with good technical and artistic advice for how to do it, and good technical and artistic advice for swimming pool construction.
   
   I would still advise you to also purchase the book Poolscaping as a companion to this one.
   
   This is an all around excellent book buy it now.

1 comments about History of Architectural Theory.

1. Though outdated in significant ways -- with the entire second half essentially eclipsed by Harry Mallgrave's stunningly comprehensive history of modern architectural theory (Cambridge, 2005) -- this is still worth owning and reading for the material from Vitruvius to Perrault.
   
   The enormous bibliography is, due to its cumbersome organization, rather daunting and not nearly as useful as it should be.
   
   Maddening as it is, it is still an essential volume for anyone even remotely interested in the rationale behind the stylistic appearances of our built environment.

1 comments about Textiles for Residential & Commercial Interiors.

1. There is oodles of info in it, however, it is the absolute driest book I've ever had to read. I actually love the majority of my textbooks. As a design student, I expect a book to have nice color photos, beautiful layout and an organization that is more appealing. This book needs help! How about a graphic design professional to work the layout and photos, maybe pay a little extra for some color pages (it looks like it was printed on a copy machine as is) and maybe someone to edit the copy so it is more palatable and less tiring. When I know I need to catch some zzzzz's, I just open this book and try to read a few paragraphs.

5 comments about 740 Park: The Story of the World's Richest Apartment Building.

1. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to live in the most beautiful apartment building in NYC, read this book, it's fascinating. *****



2. It's a great book to read if you are interested in the History of New York that most people don't know about. I could not put it down and after reading it I actually went to the building to see what it looked like.



3. I'm on pg 184, and vow to get to the end, but I don't expect it to be easy. Like the other comments, I agree that pictures would have been wonderful to include, just so I could attempt to keep some of these people straight. This book gets so weighed down with names, and they've become a blur. Junior Rockefeller was interesting, but all the names of each and every lawyer and law firm and decorators and whatnot it just bogs it all down.
   I'm doing Google searches on the main people, just so I can try to paint a better mental picture.
   
   **edited - I didn't make it through the book. It's not worth my time.



4. Michael Gross has been living in New York City his entire life. That's a nice way of saying that he comes by his real estate obsesssion naturally. All New Yorkers seem to talk about these days is where they live, where they want to live and how much it costs.
   
   That makes 740 Park is a natural subject for Gross who's got a sharp wit and fine sense of what makes his native city's power brokers tick. 740 Park is a great read for anyone wanting a history of one of the city's big name building, one of those places that almost everyone in towns wants to own but only a few - very few - even get to visit.
   
   I liked this book both for its dish and its perpective and that's a hard act to pull off successfully. Gross does a fine job.



5. I lived in NY from 1989-1994, worked around the corner at Ralph Lauren and have always had a strong interest in architecture and New York history. I bought this book with enthusiasm.
   
   I couldn't believe how much information is packed into it. There are over 500 pages! About page 20, I began to get lost. I simply couldn't read it. It is packed with so much minutae and tedious history of each and every tenant that it became absurd.
   
   Here is what (my version) of his writing is. Imagine 500 pages of:
   
   "Lucretia Davis was the widow of Malcom Dodge Davis, the same Dodges who came over on the Mayflower and began to buy up land outside of Dodgeville, MS. The old Mississippi Dodges met the Fish family when wintering in Jekyll Island and they began a friendship that cultimated in Betsy Fish's marriage to Dennis Davis and the birth of their daughter Emily Davis in 1911. In that year, the entire Davis clan, and the Fish family formed a corporation, known as Dodge Fish which eventually became the F. Dodge Fish Financial Bank. This bank began serving customers on July 21, 1921 but not before a terrible fire at 5 Wall Street which began on the night of July 20, 1921 and severely burned Mrs. Fish Davis so that she was forced to recuperate in Oyster Bay, NY where she met her next husband Dr. Leonard Foxhound Koop."
   
   This book should not be read in bed or on a full stomach.