No comments about European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture 2005: Mies Van Der Rohe Award Premio de Arquit4ectura Contemporanea de la Union Europea.

3 comments about Barn in the U.S.A..

1. Now I know why barns are red. Why they are shaped that way. Why a barn raising was a big celebration in rural America. This beautifully illustrated book tells about Will Rogers' barn, Leland Stanford's barn, the infamous O.K. Coral, and other historical and interesting facts about barns. And as they are disappearing fast, it's good to have such a book.
   Richard Proctor
   Past-President,
   Conference of CA Historical Societies



2. Barn lovers and any interested in barns old and new will find this a lovely survey of historic barns of the West. Landmark structures, their appearance in notable classic films, and details on both architecture and history compliment full-page color photos of the barns in their current settings. Any with an affection for old-time structures in general and barns in particular will find BARN IN THE USA a lovely acquisition.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



3. This is the FIRST barn book to focus on the eleven Western states. Great stories and wonderful photographs.
   
   The stories give a nice background on each barn its link to local history.
   
   A must have book for Western history buffs, preservationists, and barn lovers. You will be very pleased with this book!

5 comments about Paris, City of Art.

1. This book IS beautiful, and of top quality. It is about half illustration and half text, covering the history of art and architecture in Paris. There are some exterior and interior shots of different structures and buildings. However, most of the photographs are of architectural details, or are color reproductions of paintings, statues, and artifacts, similar to what you would see in an art book. There are also a lot of simple blueprints, and pen-and-ink type drawings of different structures. This makes sense, given the title of the book. However, based on some of the reviews, I thought it would contain more photographs of the city, and of the beautiful buildings in Paris. When I received it, it wasn't quite what I expected. Overall, I think it's a good value. I wish I could find a book of similar quality, but a little more like a photographic tour of the well-known and obscure corners of one of my favorite cities.



2. Beatiful illustrations. Everything you need to know about France. Awesome book to keep for generations. I love it!!!



3. This book was absolutely excellent, of the highest quality. This is the greatest picture book i've ever seen.



4. This is more of a reference book than the standard "tour book"; it is a history of Art in Paris, and that is saying a lot! Very LARGE, HEAVY volume for art history buffs that have already visited Paris. Beautiful photography.



5. BY FAR THE BEST BOOK ON THE HISTORY OF ART OF ONE OF THE GREATEST CITIES IN THE WORD, WHEN IT COMES TO ART. THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF PAPER AND VIBRANT CRISP ILLUSTRATIONS.IF SELECT IT , IS REALLY AN INVESTMENT.

4 comments about Ecological Design and Building Schools: Green Guide to Educational Opportunities in the United States and Canada.

1. I was very pleased to finally find a well written and thoroughly comprehensive study of the options out there for someone looking for an education based on ecological design. This is a very important and developing area of study and needs specific attention. When I was in school for design you only had "word of mouth" on what was out there for a design education based on the environment. The author has obviously recognized the need for such a resource for people interested in design, as well as people interested in teaching and implementing sustainable design programs. Great book. I may buy another to send to some old professors. Very recomended.



2. I have been interested in Ecological Building (primarily Cob Building)for at least 14 years and have logged many hours online in search of schools and courses. Thankfully someone gave me a copy of this book and I now have a compendium of schools at my fingertips. The 'Program Tables,'comparisons of schools' curriculum. learning environment etc. were particularly useful and the school 'Profiles' were very inspiring (eg. EcoVillage at the Farm) for a novice builder like myself.
   
   Being Canadian, I appreciated that research on Building schools was carried out for my country and included both schools that I recognize and ones that were new to me.
   
   Any student of Ecological Design and Building will find this book an invaluable resource. Buy it!



3. The rise of environmental design or "green" architecture is by far the most important movement in architecture and the building industry for the last two decades. And for years young people have faced the daunting task of finding the best education to meet their needs. My architectural office is constantly receiving questions from students asking where they should study. At last we have a clear and effective guide to the broad range of opportunities to learn about sustainable design.
   
   The guide takes on the very broad and sometimes confusing diversity of ecological design fields, from "natural building" schools to institutions that offer study in more technological solutions. This book covers an incredible range of schools, including traditional 4 year college as well as part-time schools, post-professional education, and organizations that provide hands-on instruction.
   
   The book is very well organized, and I found the ratings charts of the schools to be especially clear and useful. I only wish there were more of the concise 1 page profiles that paint a very clear portrait of what the schools are like. While students still have to do more personal research as to which school will ultimately suit them best, they now have an excellent base to get them started.



4. I was waiting for this book to be published, because I was told from multiple sources that it was going to be a good source for ecological design and building schools, but i was extremely disappointed in this book. It is in no way comprehensive and I am not sure why you would publish a book like this that was not comprehensive.
   
   There is some decent information in here, but nothing that you can't get from spending a little bit of time doing some searches on the internet.
   
   It is a shame, because this type of book is needed and a great idea.

No comments about The Campus Guide: Cranbrook.

2 comments about Barcelona Art Nouveau.

1. Aficionados of Spain and all things Spanish will revel in this celebration of Barcelona's art nouveau architecture.

   While Antonio Gaudi is, of course, Spain's preeminent exponent of eye-popping structures, fabled Barcelona is brimming with other examples of this style. A boon for the armchair traveler.




2. Having recently visited Barcelona, I was looking for a book that would help me remember. This book did just that, it is as close to being there as I can get. The photography was amazing and really made the city come alive.

5 comments about ADOBE! Homes and Interiors: of Taos, Santa Fe and the Southwest.

1. If you are working on an adobe or thinking about it, this is the book you need. It's not as glamorous as many others but it is loaded with detail and design and ideas. Some might make it a coffee table book, but it is really more of a reference work for design ideas when you are working on specifics, like design and style of fireplace. It also surprises the reader with many historic pictures of, almost always, women doing the mud plaster or other aspects of construction. My favorite is the section with specific instructions on how to build one of the typical rounded fireplaces. An excellent book.



2. Any architect or serious interior decorator exploring, or deeply into, the southwestern style will not be disappointed with this book. It is filled with hundreds of photos of interior and exterior features, including wide-angle views encompassing entire rooms, showing southwest fine art and artifacts in a domestic context. Don't be surprised that most of the photos are black and white--although there are dozens of color photos too. Instead, appreciate the play of light and shadow that finely crafted adobe structures have at their command. Black and white photos show this in high contrast. But don't let the photos overshadow the text that will provide an education to adobe architects of all levels. Anyone iiving in a true adobe, and wants to follow a classic southwest theme, will find lots of inspiration--and then the hunt will be on to find the kind of indigenous southwest decor seen here.



3. This book offers all one could want in the way of Santa Fe style home building. Seeing the interiors of actual Southwest homes is a huge inspiration when decorating. Filled with many informative photos.



4. This should be titled Architectural Details of Adobe Homes of New Mexico." The author has lived in Santa Fe and clearly loves it. The reader will get many ideas from the photographs of existing New Mexican homes to incorporate into their adobe home. However, I must say that after awhile, everything being wonderful, unsurpassed, great, wears thin.



5. This book is a historical archive of what are referred to as homes. Mostly black and white photos of Indian dwellings that does not lend to actual interior decorating. This title belongs to the history section in a high school library. I had purchased and returned this work in the same breath.

4 comments about Frank Gehry, Architect (Guggenheim Museum Publications).

1. A wonderful exploration into the thought and work process of creative artist and his team. Frank Gehry is to architecture what Dale Chihuly is to glass.



2. Well done survey of Gehry's work by Gehry himself, as such, the text is highly informative and the images show his work in its best light. Gehry is without question one of the most influential architects working today, and though I would not necessarily call me a worshiper of his work, im more of a richard meier, santiago calatrava kinda guy, I do respect his awesome talent and his contributions to the field of architecture. If you have any interest at all in Gehry or architecture in general, then I highly recommend you added this to you library.



3. I just want to begin this review by saying that this book is a need for any architect's library. The book Frank Gehry, Architect, provides a wealth of knowledge about the architect as well as the structures that he has created over time. Most pages in this book (and there are many) contain full color pictures, sketches, or descriptions about the structure and the architect. This book spans from Gehry's earliest projects to project underdevelopment. Projects range from structures to furniture, and even to art (sculpture like stuff). An aspect that I like most about this book is seeing Gehry develop his ideas and hone his craft. I should also add that this book also contains several models that were created for structures. I think this is essential because it allows beginning architects a chance to see effective model building techniques as well as different ways to convey a feeling which is essential for effective communication with a client. Overall, I would highly recommend this book for all architects and students.



4. a very interesting look into the life and times of Frank Gehry. Anyone ineterested in architecture or interested in increasing their knowledge of architecture and architecture's past must read this.

5 comments about Greene & Greene: The Passion and the Legacy (Greene & Greene).

1. If you like Craftsman style homes or even Post and Beam homes this is a fabulous book. I have never regretted buying it. Ever time I open it I see some thing I missed before and a new idea comes alive. I am glad I bought the soft cover.



2. Though author Randell Makinson has written several superb books about the art and architecture of the brothers Greene, and each of his other books is a definitive work on particular aspects of the historical importance of, say, the Blacker House, this book is the finest of them all. Not only is Makinson the final authority and historian for the Greene brothers, he has lived in their creations, supervised restorations, researched every document and drawing extant, and crowns this plethora of knowledge by his immensely fine writing style.
   
   There is nothing didactic about GREENE & GREENE: THE PASSION AND THE LEGACY. Here Makinson treats the reader to the less publicized facts and impressions of two brothers who forever altered the concept of the private home in California. It is this emphasis on the personalities and the private innuendoes, the matters less public that marked their careers, and the end product of their visions that Makinson elects to share. The information is valuable and more: the spirit of the brothers Greene is very much a part of this homage to two important artists.
   
   Gratefully Makinson has elected to include superb photographs that highlight his narrative. The photographs are both contemporary and historical and provide almost as many visual insights as Makinson provides verbal ones. This is THE book for lovers of art and architecture combined as only a few other architects have attempted. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 05



3. If you want one lush, visually opulant but also well-researched book on the Greene brothers and their unique accomplishments in the arts & crafts style, and money is no object, this is the one to get. If it IS an object, Makinson's earlier, smaller paperback, Greene and Greene: Architecture As A Fine Art, will do nicely as a overview of their residential architecture career, but be warned----eventually you'll probably want color photographs. If you've ever visited one of their remaining houses that are open to the public, you know that the color tonalities of the rooms are a considerable part of their charm, and you've probably already bought this book. If you havn't, don't wait 'til it goes out of print. This is THE Greene and Greene book, coffee table or otherwise.



4. These are among the most beautiful architectural photographs ever produced. Most of these houses are difficult to see and quite difficult to capture in such vivid detail that it must have taken years to assemble such a portfolio. The writing parallels the images. The Blacker House in particular is so opulent and complex that it needs a monograph of its own. One only wishes this book were twice as long with even larger photos and lots more information! Thanks for taking the time to do this right.



5. I have been collecting articles and books on Greene and Greene for over thirty years and this book tops them all as an authoritative overview by the man who opened our eyes to a national treasure. What a treat for anyone who appreciates Greene & Greene architecture or who enjoys well organized, readable and lushly photographed architectural books. I purchased the book on October 17th at the Blacker House and can give eye witness testimony that these photographs do justice to the Greene and Greene masterworks.

No comments about Skycar City (MVRDV) (MVRDV) (MVRDV).