No comments about Patterns 2: Design, Art and Architecture.

4 comments about Provencal Escapes: Inspirational Homes In Provence And The Cote D'azur.

1. This book has given me many ideas for my own provencal escape in the country and takes me to a place in my mind that makes me feel calm.
   This is a special book.



2. A nice inspiration source for charming, rustic country french design. I wanted more out of the book though - perhaps photos of full rooms rather than vignettes of tables and kitchen counters. It makes it hard to get a sense of design style without a full room effect in my opinion. The book does ooze charm and if you have other books on this style and just want a little extra something this would be ok. If however you really need a good book to learn all about french country style I would not suggest this one.



3. This book oozes with charm! The homes featured in this book are very old and beautifully brought back to life by its owners while respecting the history and integrity of these buildings. The title "Provencal Escapes" is appropriate since this book lets you escape into a dreamy and ancient world of Provence. The photos are gorgeous and you feel that you are actually walking through some of these homes. This book is a must for any fan of Provence or just of beautiful escapes. I highly recommend it!



4. This magnificant book consists of photographic studies of some 22 homes in the Provence and Cote d'Azur regions of France. These homes are primarily older (as much as 300 years) that have been seriously redecorated to make them into jewels of plesant styling.
   
   For the most part, the redecoration of the homes has been to retain (or return to) the styling of the time they were built. Magnificant old beams show off well with modern appliances and decorations. The traditional outside of the houses hides the modern interiors. The original builders could not have imagined things we take for granted such as electricity that now has been fitted into their houses.
   
   Redoing an old house is easily as expensive as modern construction, so these houses have not been done for cost savings but for other reasons like living in a part of history.
   
   While this book concentrates on this region of France, many of the techniques used in these houses could well be applied to houses in the United States where old houses be they farm or city center can be made into something unique and wonderful.

5 comments about Digital Drawing for Designers: A Visual Guide to AutoCAD.

1. Have you ever taken notes in class, which made perfect sense in the classroom setting watching the teacher demostrate a command, only to get home and try to recreate the steps to no avail?
   This book is so helpful in that the commands are so clearly laid out in a visual, easy to understand manner. Since graduating from school, I have continued to pick this book up as a helpful resource to refresh my cad skills on numerous occasions. The answers have been there ever time.



2. Great Book !!...no nonsense, step by step guide that uses conventional drafting methods and reference diagrams to explain what you NEED to know with out all of the ultra technical junk found in most CAD text. It provides the reader with the information needed to work in a REAL office in the REAL world.



3. Whether you're still in school or out in the work force, this book is a must-have resource for designers who may need a refresher course in CAD from time to time. The easy-to-read graphics, thorough index and step-by-step instructions allow both experienced users and/or newcomers to navigate successfully through the CAD program.



4. AutoCAD is clearly the industry standard computer aided design software. If you type AutoCad into the search engine at Amazon you get 4,306 books about it. How do you possibly pick one out of this many. Or perhaps a better question is why pick this one.
   
   First, this book is specifically oriented to architects and interior designers. That's what the examples show, that's the terminology used. You are not looking at gears or airplane wings.
   
   Second, this book is aimed at the beginner. It starts with comparing AutoCad to conventional paper and T-Square drafting. It compares AutoCAD commands to common drafting implements like a pencil or compass.
   
   Third, it is rather independent of the AutoCAD version. The concepts being taught here are the basic ones, so you can use the book with whatever version you have.
   
   Fourth, it is a very visually oriented book. It has you quickly working on drawings, showing you in illustrations what you should be seeing on the screen.
   
   Fifth, as a basis for starting your drawings the companion web site for the book has perhaps as much information as is contained in the book.
   
   Conclusion. This is an excellent book to use to get started with AutoCAD, especially for architects and interior designers.



5. Clear illustrations and easy to follow step-by-step instructions make it easy to master AutoCAD commands with this book. Often, a single page covers an entire command (in words and illustrations) which makes it easy to learn the first time or refresh my memory.
   
   I'm glad I found an AutoCAD book that does not require me to be a programmer to learn this software. I'll keep this one next to my computer for quick reference.

5 comments about Commercial Metal Stud Framing.

1. I am a practicing structural engineer. I have designed many light gage frames and seen them built in countless time. I have used custom structural details or typical details from SSMA. This book is a good reference book which summarizes what really happens out in the field. I remember when I came out of school as a green engineer, I sometime received comments like "your detail does not work", "it's always different in reality than what you draw in office". I wished there is a book out there to show me what the installer was thinking and how the frames were put together in reality. I finally found this book after several years. It shows, in step by step, how to install load bearing/non-load bearing stud walls, soffit, headers, interior partition walls w/ defl. tracks, etc. A lot of pictures to illustrate the installation procedures and contractor terms, such as 'dog ear', 'shoe cut', etc.
   
   I have to admit that there are some structural terms in the book that were incorrect, such as it refers precast-prestressed double T system as "truss system" as page 16; but overall, the book was well written in simple and clear format. Certainly, this book is not intended to teach you how to design light gage framing. So, if you are looking for a book to show you the formulas or engineering mechanics of light gage design, this is not the book for you.
   
   I recommend this book to all practicing structural engineers who desires to know every detail of how light gage framing get built in reality, especially those that you draw in your drawings, and typical details that you have seen for thousands of time.



2. This is a great beginner book for anyone wishing to get into metal framing. It covers all your basic cuts as well as the basic methods for leveling, plumbing and squaring. This book tells you how to build various walls, soffits, chases as well as introduce one to various headers and layout techniques. I used this book to educate myself on metal framing but discovered quickly, that when you do it in the field, it is not always as easy as it may seem in the book. Having said that, if you understand plumb, level and square then you can probably adapt to just about anything in the field with the techniques shown in the book.



3. I was looking for a book to help me complete an architectural drawing for office partition wall framing with metal studs. I found this book is not written for readers who want to find details in architectural drafting and design of metal stud framing in order to comply with commercial building codes.



4. The author admits he wrote this book to assist with classroom teaching. As an additional explanation to a teacher explaining it, the book would be great. The problem is his explanations are hard to follow and the picture angles and lighting make it hard to see many of the details he refers to. I ended up skimming the book for good basic ideas. He obviously is very knowledgable in the field.



5. I am a general contractor that needed good and reliable information on metal framing. This book is well worth the money and has allowed me teach in house crews how to properly work with metal framing components. This book shows a variety of procedures and a lot of "tricks" of the trade. I can honestly say that this book will take you from zero knowledge to actually being able to frame a decent size job starting with proper layout and moving onto framing around obstacles and a variety of different things like headering doors and windows, framing soffits, framing for suspended drywall ceilings, furred walls, interior and exterior walls, etc.
   
   This book has saved me hours of time right after I read it and started applying the information. My crews can cost me over $100/hr when they stand around trying to figure out something or have to redo work. Having them read this book before a job has saved hundreds of dollars and has produced a much better end product than we have had in the past.
   
   If you are new to metal stud framing, you need this book.

5 comments about Stained Glass Window Designs of Frank Lloyd Wright (Dover Coloring Book).

1. I used this coloring book in conjunction with an art/ art history lesson on Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture and stained glass windows. The final colored pages look great no matter the skill level of the child because the black lines "hide" where some may color "outside the lines." I used the book with first graders.



2. If you're a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and art, or if you like stained glass art, this coloring book can inspire your own designs. A few hours with a copy machine and some colored pencils can produce personally customized drawings for use in your own home. I recommend this book to the designers, and budding graphic artists in the crowd.



3. I personally have spoken several times with Mr. Casey over the telephone. I've made some of the designs which are easy to work from in his books and he is very upfront about the glass availabilities,where to get the caming - - which the smallest triangular caming is no longer available as he's aware also from source in Chicago. Their machine die's are worn and no longer make accurate runs of it. I had to use next largest size. The results are very nice and worth it.
   
   I'm glad someone with the abilitiy to do 'architecturally' accurate drawings took the time to do so and with the accuracy of ZEUS....Dennis is wonderful. We hope only to someday find any one of the over 150+ panels and over 80 sets of french doors done in artglass from the Midway Gardens project torn down after the prohibition years. The colors were clear, red, white, black however the exact orientation of the colors is left up to some interpretation. I've tried to get closer by comparing known photos of the multiple sets of panel types & sizes used along with the actual designs as drawn by Mr. Wright which vary in detail some from the completed glasswork done in Chicago. The Glass maker is still unknown but assumed as one of the larger in town and the drawings from their firms no longer exist to anyones knowledge so far in researching this now for several years. Should anyone out there actually possess one of these panels or door panels please contact one of the larger collections in the country for exhibiting it. None have ever been found or known about in the art world so far.
   
   PLEASE add this book and Dennis' other books to your collection if you are a serious ARTGLASS and Frank Lloyd Wright buff. I highly recommend them. bravo ---encore please Dennis!



4. I love this design book! While I was student teaching I used it to explain the layout that Wright used for his stained glass windows. Students could copy the designs to regular sheets of paper and then color them they way they wanted to. This book contains designs on vellum paper..not regular pulp paper, thus creating the "window" look. This is an excellent resource for teachers and students!



5. I just took my first stained glass class, and I was looking for a pattern book of designs that I actually LIKED, as opposed to the schmaltzy stuff that is so easy to come by. I own a bungalow, and I love Frank Lloyd Wright, so this was perfect for me. It's also fairly easy for beginners, because most of the patterns have only straight lines - no curves.

   There are only a few colored examples, but if you're familiar with Wright's work, or if you're creative enough to come up with your own colors, this is a great resource! I was just so happy to find this! I really didn't want to spend hours creating unicorns & rainbows!

5 comments about Tibor Kalman, Perverse Optimist.

1. for those who like graphic design this is an icon. A rich illustraded biography and radical ideas



2. I waited 5 years before I bought this book. Just buy it, you'll love it.



3. i have been trying to write alot abt this great designer/man, but couldnt write a word because he is so true and real, that you start loosing words for him. He lives with designer who consider their resposibity and moves on. TIBOR tells the story of Tibor's life and his achivement phase to phase. I dont want to complete this book or Close this book, because it is full of Wit, Humor and Lots of Sense. A book that showcases the thumbnails, sketches, art-work, approvals and disapproved work.
   You can find lots of lessions, essay and speeches about Tibor and From Tibor that are helpful esp. for Design Students/Teacher and Graphic Designers in the end. It a worth buying book for every student-teacher and designer!
   WELLDONE!



4. I first heard of Tibor Kalman while browsing a copy of "Interview", just to learn that it was a tribute. Sometime later, I found a smiling bookcover looking at me. I bought it. I was waiting for the bus and started to read it... I could not put it down again. I read textes, subtitles, infos, even the small characters of the work reproduced. It was not enough. It made me regain the somehow lost faith in design, showing me how humour, money and a cause could be combined together with surprising results.
   Do not be fooled: this book goes beyond the cult of the author's personality; it shows brief, concept and ways of thinking which are useful to everyone, not only designers and students.
   Although I knew it from the beginning, in the end I had tears in my eyes, because this man was gone and could no longer make our world a better place.



5. Kalman was a fascinating artist, but above all, he was down to earth. He told it like it is. That's why people found his work disturbing and cutting edge at the same time. His images and ideas have the power to change how people think. As an artist, he was vastly underrated, but his art made important comments about popular culture. He fits right in with Warhol, Rauschenberg, et. al. This is a book worth many times its price.

1 comments about Facade Construction Manual (Construction Manuals (englisch)).

1. excellent reference manual as all the books from the DETAIL series,... very recommended

1 comments about Schaum's Outline of Structural Steel Design.

1. Schaum's is the greatest educational series, ever. Exactly what I expected from Schaum's regarding structural calculations.

2 comments about Victorian Architectural Details: Designs for Over 700 Stairs, Mantels, Doors, Windows, Cornices, Porches, and Other Decorative Elements.

1. We've been working on rehabilitating a Transitional Victorian circa 1909 and have had this book for a year or so. Much of this ornamentation is grander than what is appropriate for our house, but this is a teriffic reference book for us and for me as a professional remodeler/restorer. True, there is no text, but I find the illustrations full of information when pored over carefully. One particularly helpful detail is that each profile within an illustration is provided with a cross-section to help gauge its massing and proportions. Oh, if only we had the lumber available to feasibly replicate all these great details! If you're considering this book, trust me, it'll be the best ten bucks you'll ever spend for your reference library.



2. The photo on the cover is a good sample of what is in this 1873 catalog reprint - many drawings of stairways, cornices, fireplaces, windows. It even has storefronts, 2 barns, and gazebos. It has a few house layouts and exterior elevations, and plaster cornices and ceiling designs. We are building a Victorian house, and the ceiling designs are ones I think I can replicate with Millwork and paint. Lots of neat ideas to ponder and show our carpenter. There is no text - just the index and the plates themselves.

5 comments about Shigeru Ban.

1. The fact that this book comes with real explanation and plans of the proyects is why it was chosen above all others... arquitects don't read pictures, they read plans...



2. the work of this interessant japanese architect, it's a demonstration of a continuated and progressive developmente of an architecture beautifull and deep.



3. Excellent book,interesting, useful not only for architectors but for anybody. good print quality.



4. Shigeru Ban is famous for his innovative use of building materials, structural rigor and pureness. This book captures all these quintessential attributes of this ingenious architect.
   
   The editor did a great job of organizing Ban's projects according to the building materials (i.e., paper, wood, bamboo, prefab, and skin). Multiple projects in each chapter form a coherent and articulated presentation of how Ban took advantage of the uniquessness of certain material and incorporated it into his architectural philosophy and aesthetics.
   
   The text is technical oriented which often includes the characteristics of the materials and the issues concerning structural engineering. At the end of most chapters, you can find detailed technical information and test statistics of the building materials used in the featured projects. Moreover, at the beginning of the book, Ban also contributed an article on the whole building process of building his classic work: Japanese Pavillion, which is very informative and instructive.
   
   Another noteworthy strength of this book is that it reveals the connectness of Ban's different projects and shows how the architect developed and built his own architectural style programmatically (e.g., How he developed, refined, and matured the paper architecture, the furniture house idea, the ivy structure, and the universal floor plan through several dozens of projects).
   
   Put together, this is a well-organized, thoughtful, and informative book about Ban's contribution to the international architectural community. Bravo!



5. The book itself is almost the perfect monograph. Each project is described concisely, and it has all the drawings and photos to orient the reader to the site, the program and the idea. The drawings and photos range from the finest detail to the biggest gestures, and doesn't isolate the projects like they're pristine objects. The photos often emphasize the construction or assembly of the work, though the finished photos and model shots are expressive and informative too. The pages with experimental and test calculations are well-organized and relate back to specific projects and details, using graphs, tables and pictures or drawings of the elements or details in question. For a non-engineer, it's all rather clear and convincing. I've never seen ideas and processes presented so rationally and convincingly. Nothing here seems superfluous and Ban reveals his process and interests completely to the reader.
   
   Of course, the projects themselves are fantastic. John Hedjuk's influence is all over the work, and I dare say that Ban's actualized projects are now richer, have reached greater depth and are more expressive and informative than his mentor's. On one level, you could imagine that Ban's preoccupation with wood products, "green" construction and sustainable design started as a bad pun that served as the basis of his student thesis. ("Paper Architecture." Ha-ha.) But the rigor and depth that he brings to each project break through any temptation to show self-conscious irony or superficiality. At the end of the day, he's an architect's architect who controls proportion and light, defines space and considers human scale in all his work. He makes Calatrava look like "just" an engineer. And his works aren't just formal exercises with nine square grids and such. His ideas and works begin to touch on politics without seeming pretentious or partisan with his refugeee shelters and other more recent work (although those private houses do present a counterpoint to the socially-oriented work in more ways than one).
   
   Anyway, great book, great work. I'm totally convinced of Ban's skills and talent.