No comments about Barragán: Space and Shadow, Walls and Colour.

5 comments about Louis I Kahn.

1. great graphic and textual documentation, you can get a great insight of kahn's work: ground-plans, sections, sketches, drawings, photographs, including good explanations. a must-have



2. The great value of this book is in the very comprehensive coverage of Kahn's work and in the excellent reproduction of many drawings and photos. Taking all this wealth of material into account, the book has an affordable price.



3. If you are to have just one book on Kahn, and anyone seriously interested in architecture ought to have at least one, this is the one.



4. great analysis and resource but redrawn CAD version of orgininal drawings somehow reduces clarity and meaning of 2D drawing set (line weight and landscape should be better redrawn)



5. This book on Kahn is essentially a "sequel" to McCarter's incredible book on Wright. McCarter traces the details of Kahn's projects and often uncovers little-known but important works. Like the book on Wright, this book focuses on the unfolding of Kahn's architectural philosphy through his career via a study of his built and unbuilt works. This discussion is immersed in the details of each project.
   
   An unfair review of McCarer's previous book overlooked the fact that the lush descriptions and details are essential to grasping the architectual ideas and philosophy. I doubt the reviewer had the patience to work through the entire book. Often you need to study a floor-plan, then return to McCarter's text, then study it again to really understand McCarter is telling you. Thus this book is interactive; you must engage it as thoroughly as it engages you.
   
   Yay, the floor plans are larger! My only criticism is that McCarter should have kept the layout the same as the Wright book. Pages lacking page numbers, references to photos far from the photos themselves, sideways text (???) on chapter headings, image subtitles far from the images themselves, and "backtracking" to give overviews of a project all create confusion. Therefore I disagree with the amazon reviewer, I find the content to be wonderful, but the layout poor, unlike Kahn's works.
   
   I see many mentions of Le Corbusier. Perhaps another project for McCarter? I would buy it in a second.

5 comments about Chicago Then and Now (Then & Now Thunder Bay).

1. This book has a relatively unusual format. A picture (often dating from before 1900) of a building or structure is shown on the left page, and a modern picture of the same building or structure is shown on the right facing page. A number of reviewers have complained about the fact that the comparative pictures were not usually taken from the same spot. I am unsure how easy it is to take a new picture of a structure from the exact location of a previous photo, at least without special technical assistance. In addition, the spot from which an old photo was taken may have been an empty lot which now contains a building--thus ruling out a new photo getting taken from the exact same spot as the old.
   
   Besides the familiar Chicago landmarks, this book contains some pictures of churches. I especially appreciated the photos of St. Ignatius Church and St. Stanislaus Kostka Church.



2. Great pictures on every page of this wonderful book. Only Chicagoans will appreciate it however. The photos are large and grand, and the author has tried hard to recreate the original angle mostly. That's my only complaint. Lovely book.



3. I enjoyed this book. Some of the pictures do not compare well because they were taken at different angles or from a different side of the street. Nevertheless, this is a great book. I found lots of stuff to compare. Native Chicagoans, who take an interest in the city, will like it. I purchased it for my brother for Christmas...liked it so much I purchased one for myself.



4. I have several of these "then and now" books, and I would say this is the weakest of the bunch. I dearly love Chicago, and some of the old photographs were very interesting, but the book has a few problems. First, the photographic perspectives are rarely in synch, so it is difficult to compare the two pictures directly; either the angle is off to the side, or it's at a different distance. This seems rather to defeat the purpose of a "then and now" theme, which is to facilitate comparison. Secondly, a great many of the buildings and scenes are virtually identical to what they were, so one wonders why they were included. Finally, a map should have been included.

   On the positive side, many of Chicago's key spots are targeted, such as the Water Tower, the stockyards and Hull House, and the paragraphs that accompany each picture do convey a lot of interesting information.

   If you are interested in Chicago or urban history you will undoubtedly still enjoy this volume, but lower your expectations a bit before the book arrives so you won't be disappointed.




5. An interesting look at Chicago as it appeared in the past, compared to now. More than just a picture book, it also gives some historical perspective for each location. If you're a Chicagoan, this is a must have. There are two problems that keep this from getting a top ranking. First, the focus of a "then and now" book should be to compare and contrast, so we can see how much has changed. There's several locations shown here that haven't really changed, and you wonder why they were included. Also, the "then" and "now" pictures should be shot from roughly the same location, showing the same perspective. That's not always the case here, and you may have to spend some time figuring out how to get things lined up. Still, it's a good way to see how the city used to look, and a rare look at some of the now-missing architectural treasures.

2 comments about Building Type Basics for Healthcare Facilities (Building Type Basics).

1. Used this book as reference for my thesis project. It was worth waiting for this newer version (my school had the older version). Lots of information, well organized. Will be part of my permanent reference library.



2. Great book for designing hospitals and such. Helped a lot to understand what goes inside these extremely complex buildings.

3 comments about Island Style: Tropical Dream Houses in Indonesia.

1. This book has delicious, detailed pictures that calmly transports readers into the most wonderful parts of Indonesia. I was looking for a book that would give me design ideas to use and this book delivered those ideas and more. If you're looking for authentic,tropical designs, I think this is one book in which to begin your journey. Get it, sit back and enjoy the absolute beauty it has to offer.



2. I love this book. I've always dreamed of living in Indonesia. This book has many magnificent pictures that makes me more excited in moving there with my family! This is a great book because it exhibits many architectures unique to the balinese culture and would truly be enjoyed by anyone interested in tropical designs. I highly recommend it.



3. This book features many amazing pictures- of exclusive hotels as well as private homes. I was most impressed with the pictures of Amanjiwo- a famed Aman resort - and with Begawan Giri in Bali. This book is also well laid out and well written. Highly recommended for people who are interested in Balinese and tropical architecture and design.

No comments about New Waterscapes: Planning, Building and Designing with Water.

No comments about Emergence: Morphogenetic Design Strategies (Architectural Design).

5 comments about Frank Lloyd Wright: A Biography.

1. It was a gift for someone (most of my purchases are), but the person said it was a wonderful book.



2. 
   Wright the man is chronicled here, in one of the two best biographies of the architectural superstar. One would also want to read Brendan Gill's "Many Masks" as a companion to Ms Secrest's treatment of F Ll W - just to get the harmonizing flavors of opinion.
   
   Ms Secrest does magnificent research and shares it in a narrative that flows easily and keeps one's attention. Her information about Wright's family tree, as well as the family background of his wives and Mrs. Cheney, is more thoroughly presented than I have seen elsewhere.
   
   One must not expect a thorough critique of Wright's buildings here -- there are too many works to be considered and there are many other resources, old and new, for such explorations. "In the Nature of Materials" leaps to mind. However, this book does flesh out the man and in some ways dispels some of the outlandish tales and outright fabrications about his life, toward which Wright was oft inclined.
   
   Yes, do read his disingenuous "An Autobiography" (1943) as well, and some of the family books - "The Valley of the God-Almighty Joneses: Reminiscences of Frank Lloyd Wright's Sister, by Maginel Wright Barney, 1986, and his son, John Lloyd Wright's "My Father Who Is On Earth", G P Putnam Sons, NY, 1946. . But consider this a more reliable guide to Mr. Wright's long and theatrical life.



3. Biography is very thorough, but the writing is somewhat difficult to read due to organization.



4. This is an excellent book by Meryle Secrest on Frank Lloyd Wright. It traces the career of America's foremost builder from his days in Chicago as a resident in fashionable Oak Park to his final days on the Arizona desert. Ms. Secrest does not specialize in architecture, but this appears to be an asset. While there are plenty of books that can go on (and on and on) about building techniques, this is intended for the lay person who is interested in Frank Lloyd Wright in general terms. This book provides an excellent introduction to both the man and his work.



5. It's often pointed out that autobiographies are to a considerable extent works of fiction. It's less often pointed out, but equally true, that biographies are also to a considerable extent works of fiction. "Frank LLoyd Wright: A Biography" is a case in point. Now, it just so happens that the author of Frank Lloyd Wright's AUTObiography was a great artist, and it shows not only in his archecture, but also in his stylish, accomplished and original handling of English prose. This BIOGRAPHY, on the other hand, is dull, drab, and perfunctory, and its information is second-hand (at best). If you're going to read fiction, I say read GOOD fiction.

   Also: I've read a number of biographies of composers, and I find that they are almost always written by professional musicians. It seems to me that a biography of Frank Lloyd Wright ought to have been undertaken only by someone with a professional knowledge of architecture.

3 comments about Vitruvius Britannicus: The Classic of Eighteenth-Century British Architecture (Dover Books on Architecture).

1. Unfortunately for book lovers, the earlier editions of this book have been cut up so the handsome plates showing the plans and elevations of stately English country houses could be framed and displayed as interior decoration. This book, a replica of the original contents, provides a valuable reference for those who appreciate a resource of classical architecture at an affordable price.



2. It's been a long wait; as the previous reviewer pointed out, until recently any one interested in this greatest classic of English architecture would have needed to deplete his bank savings in order to get a copy. Fortunately Dover (who else?) finally issued this beautiful reprint of the complete three volumes of Vitruvius Britannicus. For anyone interested in 18th century architecture or the English country house, there can be no greater delight - the reader, as Mr. Campbell in his introduction says he hopes, is indeed 'agreeably entertained' with a rich array of elevations, floor plans, interiors and perspective views. All the greatest houses (Chatsworth, Blenheim, Castle Howard, Grimsthorpe, Drumlanrig, Houghton) are featured, as are many more modest ones, and some that were never actually built, were dramatically changed in later years, or were lost altogether (Lowther castle seems a particular painful specimen of the latter category, by the look of it). In addition, several public buildings (e.g. the Royal Hospital in Greenwich), as well as St. Paul's cathedral and, somewhat incongruously, St. Peter's in Rome, are portrayed. The plates allow detailed study of the composition, proportions and decoration of these masterworks.
   
   As always, Dover also provides the full text of the original, which allows interesting insights into the social world of the early 1700s. The introduction, in which Campbell scolds Borromini for 'debauching mankind with his odd and chimerical beauties', and proudly proclaims Britain at least the equal of Italy in matters of architecture, is an entertainment in itself. The lists of subscribers show that no fashionable nobleman of the time could afford to go without his own copy.
   
   The plates are clearly and beautifully reproduced, on lightly cream-colored paper, without blemishes. My only niggle concerns the two-page spreads, of Castle Howard and Blenheim for instance, where inevitably the centerpiece of the composition is lost in the center fold of the book. Otherwise this is as good as it gets.



3. Anyone interested in domestic architecture, especially 18th century British, must have this book. I once priced the original (published in the 1700's)--it goes for about $20,000! That makes this a pretty good deal.

1 comments about Architecture and Interior Design from the 19th Century, Volume II.

1. 06-23-08
   Book Review
   Pearson/Prentice Hall
   ISBN 13-0-13-098538-5
   
   What a joy is was to open Architecture and Interior Design from the 19th Century; An Integrated History, Volume 2. Once I looked at the Table of Contents, I knew I was in for serious studies of Design History, from the Industrial Revolution to the Present.
   (Volume 1 covers the same material from the earliest cultural precedents to the 18th Century)
   
   What I was not prepared for was the depth of information contained on each page. This is a truly important work and a "must have" for serious professional libraries.
   
   Professors Buie Harwood, Bridget May and Curt Sherman have undertaken an enormous challenge and have outdone themselves, again.
   
   Each Chapter offers a comprehensive review of the subject period, beginning with the Historic and Social climate of the times. Concepts are thoroughly outlined and the Design Characteristics explained and illustrated. Architecture is examined and highlighted with both Public and Private Buildings shown and noted with numerous details. Interiors, Furnishings and Decorative Arts are also examined with the kind of depth and insight that makes me want to visit or re-visit every site and museum listed.
   
   Numerous important quotes are part of each chapter and offer glimpses of the impact of each design period in daily life. There are plenty of fine photographs, and many, many detailed illustrations. The Graphics and use of color are beautiful.
   
   There are also wonderful examples and discussions of art, architecture, interior and exterior elements as well as comparative analysis with current designs. Each section also includes a listing of important Design Practitioners, Treatise, Buildings and Interiors as well as a Design Spotlight that highlights the key elements of each design period. References and Cross-references abound.
   
   Timelines are also included for design periods as well as an interesting chronology of the evolution of the professions of Architecture and Interior Design.
   
   At around a thousand pages (and a bonus CD), the depth of this volume is fabulous. Concurrent design styles are addressed fully with rich examples of signature elements and motifs covering a full page, in many cases. For example there are (12) twelve full pages on De Stijl alone and (22) Twenty-Two pages on the Chicago School with (77) seventy-seven photographs and numerous illustrations and plates. Environmental Modern is distilled to (36) thirty-six pages of wonderful photographs and rich descriptive text.
   
   [...]
   
   
   
   David K. Sargert, LEED AP
   Mr. Sargert's Award Winning Designs have been published internationally for over 30 years.
   He consults on Fine Design, Sustainability and Professional Practice from his studios in Taos, New Mexico. [...]