5 comments about The Urban Design Handbook: Techniques and Working Methods.

1. this a firm way of working
   just one way of doing things



2. This book is a rare but insightful look into the practice of one of the New Urbanist legends. UDA began the pattern book revival a decade ago (and also has a book out describing the process of writing one.) They also are one of the pioneers of the New Urbanist revolution, which, by discarding the fictions of Modernist planning, have rediscovered existing methods and have discovered new methods of creating compact, mixed-use and walkable neighborhoods that were always the basic cellular structure of cities from the dawn of time until just before World War II. We have understood the basic principles again for some time. What this book shows are some of the mechanics of how to do it again.



3. The architects at Urban Design Associates use war stories and bold illustrations to provide detailed instructions on how to transform a blighted urban area into an aesthetically pleasing community. This Pittsburg-based firm created the architectural plans for city redevelopment in communities from Cincinnati, Ohio to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to Riverside County, California. The book shares UDA's time-tested, 10-part "charrette process."

   The charrette brings together local residents, government officials, real estate developers and other stakeholders to guide the design process. Using the existing community's "best addresses" as an ideal, UDA produces a unique pattern book that describes preferred neighborhood building arrangements and architectural styles. The plans emphasize the area's natural features by making parks and public space an integral part of each project.

   UDA has one cardinal rule that guides these working sessions: "No matter how many encounters you may have with participants, the first time you meet people, you are asking questions, not giving answers." Judging from the work presented in this full-color manual, they are asking the right questions. Their designs are scaled for pedestrians and they incorporate building sites that can accommodate single-family homes, multi-family residences, civic buildings and commercial space.

   The book is stuffed with specifics--everything from consensus building tips to digital filing guidelines. Architects, engineers, planners and developers are the obvious target audience for this trade book. But, new urbanists and city enthusiasts everywhere will also enjoy it as an entertaining and instructive reference.




4. The Pittsburgh-based firm Urban Design Associates has been in practice for nearly 40 years, over the decades accumulating quite a lot of experience in urban design. This is UDA's in-house training manual, polished and augmented for public use. If you are starting out in the urban design field, or are just curious about the methods of a successful firm, this is a good place to begin your investigations.

   The first section introduces some basic principles and organizing concepts. Ideas like the "Urban X-Ray" and "Urban Assembly Kit" are easy to understand but at the same time provide a powerful means of evaluating locations and organizing the design process.

   The second section, taking up one-third of the book, is a case study of the design process from beginning to site plan. It's really the heart of the manual. This section takes you through information collection, analysis, charrettes, preliminary design, negotiation, and final presentation. UDA can be justifiably proud of their work here, as the site (a housing project in Winston-Salem) was extremely challenging, yet the final plan was quite good from a number of perspectives. You get some idea of the politics, persuasion and patience necessary when working with established residents, officials, engineers and developers.

   The following two sections cover pattern books and architecture. These sections are mostly about basic concepts and the firm's standardized methods, which can be dry reading. The information is sound, but presented in a rather generic way, and so is less engrossing than the earlier section. It will be of interest to students wanting to understand how one firm tackles contextual residential design.

   In the extensive appendices, the roots of the manual become more apparent. These cover everything from filing system notation to line weight (how to draw a block of houses). Mainly of interest to those wanting to compare office administration procedures, students, and new UDA employees.

   The Urban Design Manual delivers the goods in a concise format, focusing on UDA's methods rather than trying to encompass a variety of possible approaches. The illustrations are a treat to look at, and convey at least as much information as the text. The writing is clear and professional, yet also conversational and even a bit lighthearted. Mini "war story" vignettes in the margins bespeak the writers' understated humor. It is the first step-by-step manual of urban design (hopefully the first of many by various authors), and is valuable resource for students and practitioners.




5. Gindros and Company at UDA distilled the stuff they do every day (-designing buildings, neighborhoods and towns), into a manual for their own new hires. Then they expanded this information into a handbook for publication. The book presents an excellent framework for design work at several scales, from the individual building through the building blocks of great neighborhoods, the street, the block, the public spaces.

5 comments about Private Tuscany.

1. This was not the book for me because we are building a Tuscan style house and the houses featured in this book are beautiful, but old and refurbished houses in Tuscany. So many of the materials are not available in America, and also there is the comfort issue; while the houses are beautiful and definitely authentic, they might not be so comfortable for today's lifestyle. If you are looking for ideas on a modern Tuscan style house, I definitely recommend Tuscan & Andalusian Reflections. However, if what you want is to see is the real, authentic, Tuscan refurbished houses, then this is the book for you.
   
   I must say the decoration ideas are great, and the pictures are beautiful. Even though it wasn't what I expected, I don't regret buying it because it definitely transports you to another place and time when you flip through it.



2. I am an Interior Designer and I am always searching for new references and inspiration. This is a beautiful book



3. With this book you can get a good idea of the warm ranges of wall colors that create a Tuscan mood. This book focuses more on color and neutral tones as opposed to some that go for the white tones. The decor shown is generally not over the top and focused on the grandiose villas that are out of reach of most everyone. There are many modest but lovely homes shown and you can pull fabric inspiration and accessory inspiration. I would give the book 3.5 stars due to some of the rooms being a bit sparse in design and lacking in real life things such as television/stereos, etc. That however is typical of most design books.



4. I WAS LOOKING FOR A GRANDER INSPERATION AND IT WAS NOT THERE. SOME NICE SHOTS BUT NOT WORTH BUYING.



5. Something that I will enjoy over and over with a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning.

5 comments about Vintage French Interiors: Inspiration from the Antique Shops and Flea Markets of France.

1. I lived in Paris for 4 months once, and this book brought the charm and intrigue of the flea market. The stores are full of the most incredible collections--awful junk stacked next to breathtaking antiques, treasure for decorators, and bits and pieces that dare you to pick them up and try to find a place for them. It seems as if every home in France was crammed with chipped gilt mirrors and statues of the Madonna that ended up in flea market stores.
   
   This book provides a return trip for me, and I loved every page.
   
   What struck me as especially useful was the list of addresses in the back. For anyone about to travel to France, this would be a godsend.



2. This is an address book with one picture from each source. Takes up a lot of space for a source list. Useful perhaps for designers.



3. While the subtitle of this book on it's own is a fairly accurate, the title is definitely misleading. The first two times I spied it at Borders and months later at Barnes and Nobles I was so excited. That's how inaccurate the dustcover is. I was fooled twice! I'm so glad I saw it first in a brick and mortar store because I WOULD have ordered it if I come across it on Amazon. And I would have been very disappointed. It is not about "vintage French interiors" or any other kind of interiors. I'm not saying the book has no value. It provides an interesting survey of objects one might run across at a Paris flea market. Some of the items looked as if they might be available at a Kansas flea market as well. (Isn't that interesting. Some Europeans may have appreciation for things just because they are American, that strike us as "ugly then, ugly now".) But the title does imply that the book will explore at least some examples of these finds being used to decorate interiors. It doesn't.



4. This is exactly what the title says.....The book takes the reader from specific flea market or antique area in France. There are addresses, phone numbers and web sites. Several interesting catagories of Flea Market finds are examined such as vintage school posters or handmade tools. The book is divided into areas of France describing the true finds of each region. Great chapter on Isle sur le Sorgue, the altimate French antique treasure trove. I almost didn't open the book because of the bad revirews from people who were expecting a "decorating" magazine. A great addition for those of us who love Fance....great photos too!



5. Having pre-ordered this I was a little apprehensive about its contents, despite its promising description and cover. I was not disappointed! It took me on a nostalgic trip to the flea markets of Paris I had visited and wetted my appetite to visit more. I love the slightly shabby brocante featured and the imaginative displays provide inspiration. The title could be a little misleading; however, the subtitle gives an accurate description of the books contents.

5 comments about Stables: Majestic Spaces for Horses.

1. If you want to know how beutiful horse stables can be this is a book for you. Makes my house look shabby. The pictures are wonderful.
   A beutiful addition to any horselovers library. Can make a wonderful gift.
   
   Enjoy!



2. The pictures are amazing, the stables exotic. This book is different in a sense that it offers horse lovers a chance to see not only beautiful pictures of horses but gorgeous images of breathtaking and pristine stables, many with exquisitte and unique architecture. Information is presented from a unique perspective to those who love the majestic. Good price too ... here at Amazon. I originally saw the book listed for 40 dollars in a catalog and was willing to pay that price, but did an Amazon search and got it for much less.



3. the book is gorgeous, just what was advertised. It was a gift for someone is the race horse business; she said the quality of photographs was magnificent adn the accompanying text well-written and informative.



4. A great coffee table book for the horse lover in the family. The pictures of these fairy tales stables around the world will make you want to go out an buy a lottery ticket.



5. I had seen a brief write-up in a magazine and searched for the book on Amazon. The photography is absolutely stunning. The different locations featured in the book make it interesting and the stables are all unique. Visitors to our own farm immediately pick-up the book. And, it was a great hit with our Pony Club kids. I would recommend this for anyone who loves horses or has an interest in architechure.

5 comments about Stone Houses: Traditional Homes of Pennsylvania's Bucks County and Brandywine Valley.

1. I am probably a little biased, because I bought this book because my inlaws house is featured in it. However, it's a lovely addition to a collection for someone interested in historic (and scenic) older houses in this area.



2. This is a very pretty book and very well photographed. The choice of houses, however, left something to be desired and the writeups on the houses themselves were thin and more akin to a puffy decorator magazine than any kind of detailed study. The book also had utterly no floorplan sketches for any of the homes, which is really almost mandatory for an architecture book. Some of the houses selected were not of any particular merit nor were they even old. Most of the write-ups on the various houses had almost nothing to say about the architectural detail and history nor any kind of regional or sub-regional analysis. Some photos were selected obviously because they were "pretty" but had utterly nothing to do with Pennsylvania -- the New England chest on the back cover is a good example. It's a nice book to flip through but don't expect great depth.



3. I found it nice but inadequate, since actually useful information was small part of the lot, from an architectural point of view.



4. I have always thought the stone used on houses in the Philadelphia area was beautiful; it's warm and elegant. This book has crisp images and well researched, interesting text on these wonderful homes. If you have any interest in this subject then I highly recommend this book, you won't be disappointed.



5. This book contains a wonderful pictorial view of stone houses, better than I've ever seen. It includes all forms of construction and gives very informative descriptions of each style. The history related here is invaluable to the reader, as it takes you back in time. The pictures are full color and very articulately done. I found the colors presented in the homes helpful to me in restoring our stone house, built in the 1830's. This book is more than a "coffee table" book, it's a history lesson.

4 comments about Planning and Urban Design Standards (Ramsey/Sleeper Architectural Graphic Standards Series).

1. product was sent in a timely manner with tracking information to follow the progress. Good work as always



2. This book is tremendously broad in its coverage of planning topics, though not in depth. Most topics get only 2 pages, though some get 4-5. References are listed for each topic to help you find more detailed information. The book is well organized and indexed. It's loaded with illustrations such as graphs, diagrams, flow charts, line art, photographs, and maps. Most are black and white, but there are 16 color plates that are grouped together and stuck in a seemingly arbitrary position in the middle of an unrelated topic.
   
   Some information is already out of date. For example, on page 580 it says that the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) expired in 2003 and Congress was still debating reauthorization. The new act (SAFETEA-LU) was enacted in August 2005 and is not mentioned.
   
   My only real complaint is that the type is quite small and can be difficult to read for 40+ year-old readers. On the other hand, I understand that if they used larger type this huge, heavy book would be even bigger and heavier.
   
   I also got the electronic, online version of the book and was disappointed in that, again because of the small type. Even using a 20" monitor I had a very hard time reading it. The viewer application that Amazon uses has very limited capability to zoom in on the text so it does not help.



3. This is a mandatory book in an urban planner or college bookshelf, for it has all the necessary information to complete urban projects. It is my handbook and that says all. It is also very well presented with a hardcover in good leather. The only shortcoming that I see is the absence of folded pages with urban plans in a larger scale, or renderings of zoning plans.



4. An excellent resource for anyone involved in public sector land-use planning. Contains great detail on many different subjects. Good illustrations throughout. Not the best resource for site planning, though.

3 comments about Homebuilding and Woodworking in Colonial America (Illustrated Living History Series).

1. This book and the series of which it is a part is well done and a very good introduction the subject matter. As a professional architecural historian and archaeologist I was hoping for more depth, but this is clearly not written for professionals. However the bibliography is helpful and I did learn something new about one item that I have not found in the "professional" sources.



2. Even for the novice, this book is easy to understand.
   A historical look at the ingenuity of home building.
   Several interesting anecdotes as well about the origin
   of various terminology and the chronology of various practices
   and innovations. Raise the bent and connect the girt because the summer beams are here! (-:



3. You will not be able to put this book down! The incredible richness of the information and the quality of both the pen and ink drawings and the narative are outstanding.

   This book really brings together the why and how of early American architecture: It tells the story of how the richness of wood resources in early America affected the development of tool technology which in turn contributed to the evolution of building techniques that were uniquely American.

   If you like Eric Sloan, or historical woodworking in general, you are going to love C. Keith Wilbur.

3 comments about Historic Houses of the Hudson River Valley.

1. Wow, the reviewer above, Mr. Briss, is harsh on this book. Dude, did the author kick your cat or something, lord. This book is not the second coming, granted, but it is a nice book, with well presented images and interesting, if not scholarly text, I really dont know what Mr. Briss expected, but honestly this is not a bad book for the price, I mean if you are into this sort of thing which frankly, I am. One star for this this book is obtuse and mean spirted, and frankly, just plain nonsensical. It's really a three star book, but i gave it four because, the old queen above gave it such a thrashing.



2. I bought this for my husband (he requested it specifically) as a gift. He is very happy with it. Note that we enjoy it more as a coffee table book than as deep research material!



3. Gregory Long writes in his introduction to this new book that he aims to update the Eberlein & Hubbard classic "Historic Houses of the Hudson River." He misses that mark. He discusses fewer houses than do Eberlein & Hubbard, and substitutes pedantry for insight. A first-time author, his text lurches from the slangy to the stilted. Long does better with the photography. Some of his pictures are very pretty.

No comments about Modern Shoestring: Contemporary Architecture on a Budget.

No comments about The New 100 Houses x 100 Architects.