1 comments about Simplified Design of Steel Structures (Parker/Ambrose Series of Simplified Design Guides).

1. I am working as a civil engineer in a design office active in constructing light gauge steel structures. I have bought the book to obtain a guide or some kind of a handbook which includes some guidelines or procedures for typical structural steel design applications. But i hava found the book too superficial. I wish the book handled the subjects in a little bit detailed way. And I wish there were flowcharts for designing with steel. The only good thing about the book is the example projects at the end of the book. As a result I do not advise this book to anyone because it is expensive too. Pay half more and buy the Structural Steel Designer's Handbook, which includes all the information in this book and much much more.Do not pay attention to the number of pages written here, since size of the book is nearly the size of a pocket book.

No comments about Laminated Timber Construction.

No comments about Daylighting: Natural Light in Architecture.

No comments about New Stone Architecture.

3 comments about Masonry Design and Detailing.

1. If you want to build more than a backyard wall or barbeque, the information contained here will put you on the right track. Most masons will follow a building plan, but this book gives the framework for the plans. This text will cover in depth structural design and problem solving associated with layout, material, and construction of masonry structures.



2. As the previous reviewer, I also am a structural engineer and have not found the book to be very useful for my line of work. It does have some nice details and empirical information that would probably be useful for architects and contractors.



3. I found the masonry details to be very good in showing how a masonry building goes together and as such would be very good for Architects and Contractors. However, as a Structural Engineer I was looking for a book with more detail regarding the design methods and equations. I was looking for a book that would teach a beginning engineer the basics of masonry design. After the engineer had mastered the basics and could design a masonry building using the equations then, with that understanding and experience, could make use of the design tables in this book.

   We have this book in our library and I can say that it is seldom used. We design masonry buildings using hand calculations, the UBC and computer programs.

   Bottom line is that this book is great for Architects and Contractors building small masonry structures. It is not as useful for the serious Structural engineer.

No comments about Architectural Building Codes: A Graphic Reference.

No comments about Material Architecture: emergent materials for innovative buildings and ecological construction.

No comments about Compassion in Architecture: Evidence-based Design for Health in Louisiana.

4 comments about Adobe Architecture.

1. If you want a REAL adobe house with authentic details appropriate to the style, this is the book for you. If you want a McMansion stuccoed brown, with all the energy-wasting bells and whistles and a garage for your multiple gas guzzling SUVs, move along. There are plenty of resources that will tell you how to build a house with "today's architectural advancements", but not too many that will tell you how to build a small, efficient, comfortable, charming home that will stand the test of time. The text and the drawings in this book are wonderful points of access if you want to replicate the charm of true Santa Fe Style, no fake, stuccoed frame construction, no bandanna-ed howling coyotes.



2. I too thought that this book was going to have contemporary plans instead of reprints of 1930's houses. Despite my initial disappointment I can say that the book remains useful as a sourcebook of nice exterior and interior details of three different South West styles. For a person actually intersted in building a real adobe out of abobe there is also some useful information. However, if you are looking for a book of frame houses, stucco-clad and three-car-garaged, then this is probably not the book for you.



3. The copyright on the book is misleading. What you find out once you've bought it, is that the house plans date to the authors' book from the 1930's, as the style of the illustrations clearly indicates. The plans are small and dated, with none of the architectural and building ideas developed in the next 70 years of the 20th century! A waste of money.



4. A great little book with many images and sketches about adobe and southwestern architecture in general.

1 comments about Skins For Buildings: The Architect's Materials Sample Book.

1. Like the title of this book states, this book features many if not all of the "skins" that cover or make up a building today. This book is one stop source for professionals or building enthusiasts who want to know about the many different types of materials that are used on exterior facades. Many architects, generally speaking, are well verse in the program, function and design of a building, but are not as keen on the various "skins" of a building. This is where the book comes in handy. With over 500 pages of content arranged into sections for each type of material (ie. glass, metals, plastics, etc.) Each spread contains a specific type of material with an explanation of its origins, technical aspect, and applications along with a photo of its application on an actual building and an enlarged photo of the material itself. This reference book should be priceless for professionals who have the layout and form set, but are debating which material to use in building it.
   
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