5 comments about Timberframe Interiors.

1. Although this book is not very old, the interiors are excruciatingly dated and uninteresting. My public library was the very happy recipient of it.



2. Both books Dick Pirozzolo has been involved with concerning Timberframe homes are a necessary addition to timberframe home owners libraries. Suggest this purchase be your first step.



3. Excellent book, well written, easy to read, beautiful pictures and colors. Gives lots of ideas to think about and information that helps to make choices.



4. With this book you can introduce yourself into the world of home decor. I was fascinated with much of the advice and learned so much about defining space, using color, lighting enhancements and selecting furnishings and finishing touches. The book highlights spaces such as dining rooms, living rooms, great rooms and bathrooms, giving detailed advice and tips on how to get the best look for your space. Interiors also taught me to examine my own personality before starting the journey that will turn my new timberframe home into a reflection of me, my family and the way we like to live.



5. Timberframe Interiors is a delicious book to be savored by anyone who is in the process of decorating their home, or to be enjoyed by anyone else who simply wants to allow their imagination to soar. Although most of these magnificent homes are expansive, the photos and text provide a rich variety of tips to help anyone add flair to the decoration of even a modest apartment. I can't imagine anyone not being inspired by these homes that approach cathedral-like majesty.

3 comments about Design First: Design-based Planning for Communities.

1. 
   I really hard to read this book, and also it very hard to get some technique to design a real community. even though it has a n.....ice cover.



2. Although I work regularly in the design of cities, I found this work wordy and largely unreadable. If there are kernals of wisdom about the design of cities in it, they are well-hidden. The text goes on and on for many pages of small type without giving meaningful hints about how to design a good city. Perhaps the book would have been helpful if the authors had distilled it to perhaps 20% of its present length and illustrated any kernals of wisdom they have with good images. Due to its present form, I couldn't make myself read it through.



3. Whether a practitioner, architecture or urban design student or simply interested in the field of urban planning, you will enjoy and learn from "Design First." No rambling tome to weigh down your office papers or backpack, "Design First" is a practical and usable guide to understanding and learning from current examples of Smart Growth. The book is well organized, and begins with a concise historical overview of urban planning that provides the back-story to the practice of contemporary urban design. Following a strong discussion of urban planning theory and practice, Walters and Brown move into an investigation of five case study projects conducted in North and South Carolina. The animated text accompanies a healthy portion of design drawings, diagrams and photographs. The 53 color plates provide dynamic examples of large area plans, street sections, renderings and perspectives. "Design First" is a true designer's tool, to be worn at the edges and referenced often.

3 comments about Architecture in Communion: Implementing the Second Vatican Council Through Liturgy and Architecture.

1. Steven Schloeder has written a book in which he attempts to capture what he describes as the 'true spirit of the Second Vatican Council' in architectural design for churches. Schloeder identifies difficulties in theology and liturgy that have, in his opinion, translated also in problem architecturally. With regard to modernism, he states, 'Many prominent Catholic thinkrs have not discerningly separated the wheat from the chaff and have accepted certain secondary issues as primary ones.' Among these are issues of the Eucharist being a sacrificial meal vs. a communal one, or the difference between the ministerial priesthood and the common priesthood of all being downplayed - these and others are issues that he discusses briefly in theological and historical terms, but quickly develops the way in which architecture shapes and is shaped by such ideas.
   
   Schloeder's vision for the book is set out in the introduction: 'Our goal is to enliven the parish community - which is the true Church built of living stones in Christ - with a material church building designed to serve and further the primary vocation to become a community of love, which must mean a people of sacrifice and redemption.' This is a constant theme throughout the entire text, always present in the spirit of the photographs, drawings, and essays.
   
   Even the structure of the book speaks of an underlying theological bent - three clusters of three chapters. The first three chapters explore issues of history, sociology, theology and liturgy with regard to the modern Catholic church building. The nature of the church is a primary consideration when considering what kind of design and structure its physical enclosure and manifestation should bear.
   
   The second cluster of three chapters look at particular architectural aspects. One chapter examines the needs of the santuary itself, another chapter more broadly at other services and sacramental needs, and the final chapter the wider considerations of the church family and its place in the community. In this later aspect, the church building can grow from being the domus ecclesiae (house church, or home of the church) to being a civitas dei (a city of God).
   
   The final three chapters look at artistic and aesthetic elements, particularly the icon; Schloeder strives to regain the iconographic aspect of the church in the community. The building itself can be a symbol and a work of art, and most certainly should be a sacramental space.
   
   Schloeder is honest about this book not being an answer book - to many of the issues he explores, he has no concrete answers to offer, but rather serves to highlight particular issues for consideration. Indeed, in the creativity of modern architecture, there are often multiple solutions to the same problems.
   
   This book has hundreds of photographs, examples of architecture modern, medieval and ancient, works of art, and outside symbols and examples. It is rather fun, for example, to see a picture of the British House of Commons chamber as an example of similar types of church architecture, then to know that the British HoC is modeled on the older structure in which the Members met in the choir stalls of a chapel.
   
   The writing is crisp and flowing, and fits very well its topic and the surrounding images. This is a good book for all those interested in architecture, church design, liturgy, and the intersection of theology with material arts.



2. ARCHITECTURE IN COMMUNION gave an excellent insight into the challenges and crises that Catholic church art has faced since the Second Vatican Council. Mr. Schloeder really understands the anguish that many traditional church artisans faced following the aftermath of the Council--when confusion seemed to leave traditional Catholic church arts at a crossroads.



3. "Architecture in Communion" is a detailed, yet highly approachable, weaving of theology, liturgy, architectural history, and iconography. Schloeder's vision for a restoration of beauty and meaning in Catholic church design is both original and solidly rooted in the traditions of the faith.

   His central premise is that Catholic church architecture is essentially "sacramental", that is to say, the material building is meant to be an icon or an image of the spiritual reality of the Church. Drawing upon sources from Scripture, the Church Fathers, architectural history, conciliar documents, canon law, and the Catechism, Schloeder shows us the symbolical language that has traditionally underpinned Catholic church design, and examines each part of the church (nave, sanctuary, altar, ambo, baptistery, etc.) with respect to its function, traditional form, symbolic meaning, and canonical status.

   The book is very nicely illustrated with over 300 photos and illustrations.

No comments about The Organization and Architecture of Innovation: Managing the Flow of Technology.

5 comments about Spanish Revival Architecture.

1. Lots of photos...problem is that they are all in black & white. And, some of the photos seem to be of poor quality or taken many years ago. The beautiful color jacket cover is misleading.



2. I LOVE this book, but it isn't for everyone. It is a fine book to add to your already existing collection on Spanish Revival. This book provides a survey of how Spanish Revival really looked in primarily the1920s and 1930s--not just the landmark buildings. You see high schools, churches, and lots of homes that do not appear in any other book. And how they were decorated during this period. I got a much better sense of the style as it was used by the common (OK, mostly wealthy) person.
   
   Now let's discuss what this book is not: not a coffee table book with all pictures artistically staged and clear, not a written resource describing styles, not the first book for your library on Spanish Revival. I get the idea--purely my inference-- that Mr. Cook had been collecting pictures of Spanish Revival (old advertisements, postcards, etc) in his antique shop for years and one day he got the idea to put them into a book. Hence, the dust jacket write-up boasts over 500 photos and it must have (I haven't counted), but the captions provide only the information on the original source, e.g., ranging from only referencing the add the photo was from to providing the location, owner, and architect.
   
   As for the overall quality, some photos are amazingly sharp, others a bit fuzzy, this is 1920s technology were talking about... Realize also, that a few photos are repeated (I suspect when the authors lacked enough examples to fill out the page) and a few categories, such as "Interior Details: Lighting" have only 4 photos.
   
   I do not consider myself an expert, but have collected some books on this topic. Because I've had disappointments, here is one woman's recommendation for additional books:
   
   Good first book to learn about the style and movement (and has nice photos): "California Colonial: The Spanish and Rancho Revival Styles"
   
   Best overall value (price vs. architectural overview): "Red Tile Style"
   
   If you are interested in the European images that inspired American Spanish Revival: "Architectural Details: Spain and the Mediterranean"
   
   If you're wanting to know more about the Spanish/Mexican roots of Spanish Revival (not many photos): "Spanish-Colonial Architecture in the United States"
   
   Coffee table books: "Casa California", "Casa Florida"



3. The previous review of this book expresses my sentiments exactly. I wish I would have read it before purchasing.



4. I was quite disappointed in this book, which as a previous reviewer stated, consists mainly of period photographs with little or no information. I have always admired and purchased Shiffer Press books because they are well-produced and written, and quite useful, so this book came as a surprise. As a fan and owner of this architectural style, I have aquired many original and reprints of source material (e.g., Newcomb, Sexton, Requa, Smith, Neff), as well as some of the excellent recent books like Red Tile Style, Casa California, anything by David Gebhard, and Patricia Gebhard's recent book on G.W. Smith). The old books feature useful information and illustrations that actually inspired other architects and builders of the times, and continue to do so in the present day. The better new books add to the lore and show us how well this quintessentially California style has aged and how it continues to be a relevant and interesting part of the California landscape. Part of the charm of the source books was the artistic b/w photography and the sharp reproduction of those photographs in the printed plates. The reproductions in Spanish Revival Architecture are fuzzy and faded -- totally without the moody charm of the originals and not very useful in their muddiness. In addition, many of the details shown in Spanish Revival Architecure's photographs are not the best examples available. In contrast, the Shiffer Press' California Colonial is a fine and useful book that is worth the investment. If "Spanish Style" is really your thing, you'll also get more bang for you buck buying the available reprints of Rexford Newcomb books (alas, someone needs to reprint The Spanish House for America) and the excellent Smith and Neff books. If you have a sizeable book budget, first editions of source books, including Newcomb's several volumes, the late '20's Requa portfolios Architectural Details: Spain and Mediterranean and Old World Inspiration for American Architecture, and R.W. Sexton's Spanish Influence on American Architecture and Decoration, would all be worthy additions to your library.



5. This book is one of the finest and most filled with detail on Spanish Revival Architecture that I have ever seen. It is superbly arranged by catagory with pictures of architectural details such as doors, steps, lighting fixtures, etc.. The designs are actual photographs taken of the structures and details when they were originally built. It is also the most comprehensive guide to the proper furnishings for the structures as used in the period. Architects should take note of the scale and ballance of design as opposed to many things built in recent years that have totally out of proportion exagerated features. This book is a must for anyone vaguely interested in Spanish Revival Architecture, whether an architect, historian, owner of a structure of the period or planning a structure of this style.

No comments about The American Planner: Biographies and Recollections.

No comments about Herzog & de Meuron 1992-1996: The Complete Works (Volume 3).

1 comments about Self-Sufficient Housing: 1st Advanced Architecture Contest.

1. This hand-sized publication chronicles the results of the 1st Advanced Architecture Contest sponsored by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC). With the goal of stimulating social, technical and cultural progress, the international competition's intention was to be a precursor to more extensive research to be performed at the IAAC on the theme of the Self-Sufficient House.
   
   As you can imagine, attracting 529 participants from 6 continents, the entries demonstrate an impressive diversity of ideas and development. The editors managed to locate each entry ideologically within the eight categories of 'Bio and Bug', 'Blow and Form', 'Common and Related', 'Modulated and Cost', 'Position and Site', 'Territorial and Community', 'Theory' and 'Wrapped'. Admittedly, the categories are nebulous at times and this may be due partly to the fact that many entries simply straddle multiple ideas and defy categorization.
   
   The format and layout is easy-to-use and predictable with each entry presented on two pages with several entries earning additional pages where warranted. What is impressive about the work as a whole is the level of sophistication of the majority of the entries. Some are very diagrammatically and ideologically well-developed while others delve into the reality of the assembly and fabrication of the proposed systems. Because of the compact size of the publication and limited pages dedicated to each work, you sometimes get the impression that you're not seeing the entire picture as it relates to each work individually.
   
   There are a wealth of ideas to be discovered here and IAAC should be commended on the quality of their dissemination of the information. Now, if only all competitions resulted in similar publications.

4 comments about Malibu: A Century of Living by the Sea.

1. I thought that the book was "outstanding" Particulary liked the history part and the progression of Malibu over the years.



2. Despite reading the "Nice, but not Nice Enough" comment by one reviewer, I purchased this book and considered it for myself. I'm so glad I did. The reviewer misses the point. It's an architecture-oriented lifestyle book about the history of living in Malibu, not a technical book. Which explains why there are no floorplans. It's about the photos that take you thru each decade and each house, and they are gorgeous. The introductory text/concise house-specific texts are well-written and informative. The featured houses are mostly private, which explains why no addresses are provided. The 2 or 3 houses in the book that are open to the public are well known in this area, easily findable for those who have a yellow pages.



3. The photography was excellent and commentary was okay. Very few detail images, no floor plans and few, if any, construction details. I'm interested in the details and how to replicate features or at least the materials used....but nothing in this book to help much. There was absolutely no street addresses of the houses mentioned, other architect books do---why not here??? The author did manage to keep very good track of the years of birth and death of the people involved.



4. I got my copy today... and roared through the pages and images... Beautiful and fascinating images of Malibu's past... Paradise Cove in 1890, the Malibu Ranch, The Adamson House. So many interesting stories and images... and lives! And... some great surf shots too. This is a perfect blend of the many lifestyles here in Malibu... all in one book. Educational and informative and with some good humor too. I know what I'm giving for Christmas presents now!

No comments about House Design (Daab Design Book).