A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books

Designing & Building: Rockhill and Associates Rockhill and Associates, Brian Carter (Editor) Dalhousie Architectural Press , April 2011 (Second Edition) Paperback | 8-1/2 x 8-1/2 inches | 120 pages | 200 illustrations | English | ISBN: 978-0929112596 | $39.95 CAD Publisher Description : This substantially renewed second edition contains twelve projects from the Kansas architectural practice of Rockhill and Associates, spanning from their early design-build work to the recent completion of a 37-building affordable housing complex in New Mexico. The firm's work exhibits a keen understanding of the house as an ecosystem, exploring building design that capitalizes on the features of the natural environment. Preface by Christine Macy, essays by Brian Carter and Juhani Pallasmaa, postscript by Tod Williams. dDAB Commentary : In my review of the new, long-overdue monograph on Studio 804  I mentioned the overlap between the work designed and built by the students at KU and...

Makers of Modern Architecture, Volume III: From Antoni Gaudí to Maya Lin Martin Filler New York Review Books, September 2018 Hardcover | 5-3/4 x 8-1/2 inches | 336 pages | 40 illustrations | English | ISBN: 978-1681373027 | $29.95 Publisher Description : Martin Filler’s “contribution to both architecture criticism and general readers’ understanding is invaluable,” according to Publishers Weekly . This latest installment in his acclaimed Makers of Modern Architecture series again demonstrates his unparalleled skill in explaining the revolutionary changes that have reshaped the built environment over the past century and a half. These studies of more than two dozen master builders--women and men, celebrated and obscure, idealists and opportunists--range from the environmental pioneer Frederick Law Olmsted and the mystical eccentric Antoni Gaudí to the present-day visionaries Frank Gehry and Maya Lin. Filler’s broad knowledge embraces everything from the glittering Viennese l...

The ABC's of Triangle, Square, Circle: Bauhaus and Design Theory Ellen Lupton, J. Abbott Miller Princeton Architectural Press , March 2019 Hardcover | 9 x 11 inches | 72 pages | English | ISBN: 978-1616897987 | $29.95 Publisher Description : The Bauhaus, the legendary school in Dessau, Germany, transformed architecture and design around the world. This book broke new ground when first published in 1991 by introducing psychoanalysis, geometry, early childhood education, and popular culture into the standard political history of the Bauhaus. The ABC's of The Bauhaus also introduced two young designers, Ellen Lupton and J. Abbott Miller, whose multidisciplinary approach changed the field of design writing and research. With a new preface by Lupton and Miller, this collection of visually and intellectually stimulating essays is a must-read for educators and students. dDAB Commentary : The Bauhaus existed for only 14 years (1919-1933), but the school's influence on...

Architectural Guide New York: Critic's Guide to 100 Iconic Buildings in New York from 1999 to 2020 Vladimir Belogolovsky DOM Publishers , March 2019 Paperback | 5-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches | 256 pages | 270 illustrations | English | ISBN: 978-3869224312 | €38.00 Publisher Description : This architectural guide brings together 100 of the most original structures built in New York City since 1999. Vladimir Belogolovsky pairs them with such nicknames as Guillotine, Peacock, Shark’s Fin, Turtle Shell, and Woodpecker. The New York-based author’s selection covers buildings realized by the world’s most renowned architects, in a period when their creations were celebrated as art, and personal styles were encouraged by the ­media, critics, and clients. The featured time span begins with the rise of the starchitect in the late 1990s, and ends in the present day. But the mission of the book is not only to document; it is also to celebrate New York’s transformative ­energy. Many of the bu...

Architecture Inside-Out: Understanding How Buildings Work Written by John Zukowsky, Illustrated by Robbie Polley Rizzoli , February 2018 Hardcover | 10 x 10 inches | 304 pages | English | ISBN: 978-0847861804 | $35.00 Publisher Description : Taking readers behind architecture’s facades and finishes, this charmingly illustrated book explores how some of the most important buildings in the world were constructed. Specially commissioned isometric drawings present the essential structural elements of the world’s masterpiece buildings that are not visible to the naked eye. These illustrations are displayed alongside plans, details, and photographs, all of which are clear and accessible, yet accurate and elegant enough to satisfy the most discerning eye. This fascinating book explores the thinking and expertise behind architects’ designs and offers a means by which to better understand buildings already visited as well as those on the must-see list. Selections range from domestic...

Studio 804: Design Build. Expanding the Pedagogy of Architectural Education Dan Rockhill with David Sain Oscar Riera Ojeda Publishers , October 2018 Hardcover w/slipcase | 8-1/2 x 11 inches | 416 pages | 645 illustrations | English | ISBN: 978-1946226211 | $65.00 Publisher Description : Founded in 1995 by Dan Rockhill, Studio 804 is a non-profit organization and a full-year design studio for graduates that finds its momentum at the intersection of contemporary architecture’s most topical concerns: sustainability, affordability and education. The studio has produced 23 projects to date, including 10 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum level buildings and 3 Passive House certified projects. These projects support a rich mix of uses: spaces for both private and communal use and engagement; spaces for leisure and for learning. dDAB Commentary : At some point during undergraduate architecture school at Kansas State University, a professor took our studio f...