1 comments about Builder's Essentials Estimating Building Costs: For The Residential & Light Commercial Contractor (Builder's Essentials).

1. I learned a lot from the book and have passed it on to my son to do the same. He says it's A-OK.

3 comments about Good Deeds, Good Design: Community Service Through Architecture.

1. This is my first "review" of a book I didn't read because the print was too small. I'm hoping more people who share this issue will complain via their reviews and publishers will get the message.
   
   I order most of the books I read from the library, so I don't know if a book is "readable" till I get it. I don't need "large print" books, but there's no excuse for a 6"x9" paperback book to use print this small.



2. Bell's book neatly encapsulates all the best thinking being done on the cutting edge where architecture meets social consciousness. Probably nobody in the United States is more qualified to address the subject of architecture for the less-advantaged, and its potential for positive impact in their lives. As a young man, Bell left a highly prestigious position in New York to live in a cold-water cabin in Pennsylvania and formulate ideas about the role architecture might play in the lives of those not traditionally served by good design. Bell gained influence as the founder of Design Corps and a teacher at the Rural Studio, and has since become a sought-after lecturer. "Good Deeds, Good Design" collects the best thinking about socially-conscious design in one compact book. It should be required reading for both students and practitioners interested in this burgeoning area of architecture.



3. Good Deeds, Good Design challenges the reader to re-think, or at the very least further refine his perspective on architecture for those who cannot afford an architect. While all the essays promote the premise that the enhancement of life by good design should be made available for those who can least afford it, they approach the "how","what" and even the "why" questions from very different perspectives.

   Bell has done an excellent job of compiling these very different points of view in order to make the reader think. I have thought about some point or other from the essays almost every day for the past two weeks, and may well mull many of them over for years.

   The great stories told by the case studies, like the elderly native american woman who moved from living in a school bus to a home, or the village which was given a place to gather and to worship, inspire the reader to take up the cause and act. This book should be required reading for every student of architecture (and probably for every public policy wonk as well).

2 comments about Building Information Modeling (McGraw-Hill Construction Series) (Mcgraw-Hill Construction Series).

1. I was interested in this book because it seemed less like a "how to" book and more about what makes this technology work. It has not disappointed on those issues at all. Very rich in information. The biggest weakness I have found is that the author clearly favors certain software packages over others, which I can understand... everyone has their preferences. However, when discussing Autodesk's Revit platform, I found the book to be overly biased and sometimes, flatly, mistaken. This issue does not however, severely detract from the overall value of the information. Where the book seeks to discuss BIM without focusing on specific software, it is without equal. As long as you aren't making purchasing decisions based on the information, anyone familiar with the basics of BIM will find it fascinating.



2. Well organized, well written. Provides information about model composition which most books on this subject do not include. Very informative. Organizations looking to move down the BIM/VDC path should definitely take the time to read as they will learn a great deal about the process changes needed to effectively utilize 3D models in their workflow.

3 comments about ARCHITECTURE IN THE DIGITAL AGE: DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING.

1. We all know that information revolution has totally transformed the society. Architecture is no exception. Relative to industrial revolution's impact on architecture, "what has this recent revolution done to the field?" is the basic inquiry to the book. This book diligently answers to the question. It is extremely informative and provocative regarding digital technologies available for architecture.
   
   As an outcome of a symposium held at U.Penn. in 2002, the book compiles various scholars and practitioners around the world. They grapple with the current technologies available to design and manufacture innovative shapes/forms/spaces that associate with digital aesthetics.
   
   Spearheaded researchers such as Bill Mitchell(MIT), Chris Luebkeman(Arup), Ali Rahim (U.Penn), and Branko Kolarevic (U.Penn, chief editor of the book); and, cutting-edge practitioners such as Jim Glymph (Gehry), Hugh Whitehead (Foster & Partners), Bernhard Franken (Franken Architekten), etc.; both groups provide theoretical framework and actual applications.
   
   It's interesting to point out that the authors deliberately associated digital architecture with smooth forms. Double curvatures deform structure/ skin/ space of the building. The new modes of design and production enables that complex geometries to be part of building industry.
   
   As a reader, the most challenging claim of the book is that the authors
   assert (some explicitly and some implicitly) on the new role of an architect. They believe that this new mode of production will revolutionize the client-architect-contractor relationship. Because architects will be the (single) dominant source of information on the three dimensionally morphed shape, manufacturers and fabricators would rely heavy on architects. The authors predict architect would regain absolute power of medieval master builders.



2. I'm getting my masters in Architecture and this book is a must-have, must-read for anyone designing in the digital age. It's informational and inspiring not only for architects, but anyone interested in using computer technology as a method for design carried through to manufactuing.



3. This book provides a great overview of the developing technolgies in digital design and fabrication. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a comprehensive study in the current trends in digital architecture. A series of 20+ articles by designers working in this area of architecture, this book updates the conversation to what is happening today and what is being projected in the future. Great resource!

3 comments about Construction Methods and Management (7th Edition).

1. We used this book for our construction equipment and methods class along with the CAT performace manual, and together, I thought they complimented each other quite well. This book is great because it touches on the basics of earthwork and excavation and gets you ready for courses in estimating, scheduling and cost control. I enjoyed using this textbook because the questions make you analyze construction problems from many different angles and not just look from a "here's the problem, here's the answer" point-of-view. *All in all, I would have to say that this a very good and useful textbook.* -M.



2. If you are an excavation or foundation SUB this may be quite helpful, particularly for road building. I found much of the info on ability and capacities of equipment:loaders, cranes, scrapers; concrete and aggregate production, paving, interesting but not info I need as a CM PM to build buildings in cities. If you want to know how to plan the construction of tall buildings, foundation planning, scheduling, staging, etc. don't look to this book. "Construction Mgmt.", which touched lightly on my interest, starts on page 479 of a 550 page book. This book is simply inaccurately titled.



3. This book is a basic introductory text to the construction industy, focusing on earth moving operations, water pumping operations, and finally on physical construction methods.
   
   Unfortunately, a lot of the examples in this book contain numerical errors. For example, many of the examples contain references to data tables, and data from those tables is utilised for the analysis. Often, the examples use data entries that are obviously wrong, and thus invalidate the rest of the example, forcing the student to rework the example. This can be found throughout the book, but luckily the examples aren't too hard to rework.
   
   For anyone interested in the construction industry, I don't recommend you buy this book. Getting out on site is the best learning experience. You should only buy this book if you need to (eg, for an undergraduate university subject) and then sell if off at the conclusion of the subject.

5 comments about 25 Houses Under 2,500 Square Feet.

1. As with everything else from this author, it is just a collection of pretty pictures, with absolutely no detail on materials and construction techniques. There is a reason his books are so cheap.



2. This book shows some nice homes but, the point of the book is not based on design but on square footage.So if your looking for a book based on design only, u might try another book



3. Book had alot of cool homes, most seemed like vacation/guest houses though. Only problem I have with the book is the binding wasn't terribly strong. After lying it out and people looking thru it a few times the spine is broken.
   
   Small thing, good content



4. The houses presented in this book are great but I would not define them as small! Indeed this is a joke: in my opinion, a 2500 sq.ft. one-bedroom house is huge. Only a few of them are real family homes that one can live in.
   
   The presentation and format is great but more technical info (besides floorplans which are great) would be appreciated.
   
   In short, a beautiful book which requires some housework to get useful ideas out of it.



5. 25 Houses is an overall good book for the layperson. It's successful in showing that well-designed custom homes don't always have to be enormous. However, it lacks in depth for those who are looking for "how it was done". This book would really shine if there was information about materials used, custom details or the inspiration behind the designs.
   Also, there are a few examples of ordinary houses that, in my opinion, shouldn't be in this publication.

3 comments about Architecture of the Cape Cod Summer: The Work of Polhemus Savery DaSilva: New Classicists.

1. I was given this book as a gift and I have since spent many hours thumbing through the pages. The photographs, detailed architectural drawings and renderings give the reader an in depth understanding of each project. The architecture is both beautiful and inspiring. Any designer, architecture enthusiast or student will find this book a worthwhile addition to their collection.



2. Good architecture can enhance or destroy a natural vista and this monograph of the work of Polhemus Savery DaSilva demonstrates how the development of a piece of property does not mean destruction. The architecture is first rate and like all Images books the quality of the publication is exceptional.



3. This is a great book! Below is an edited version of my article that appeared in The Cape Cod Chronicle, July 24, 2008:
   
   "Inventive reinterpretations of historical elements" are major features of the houses of Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects Builders (PSDAB), according to architect John R. DaSilva.
   
   In this magnificent book 25 major works by the firm are collected into one handsome volume. The houses are pictured inside and out in over 400 color photographs, with site and floor plans included.
   
   In his essay in the book, DaSilva outlines the firm's belief in architecture that recalls the past, "rather than literally re-creating it."
   
   "I always wanted to be an architect" DaSilva said during a recent interview. He followed his dream to Princeton and Yale. He married architect Sharon McGinnis DaSilva (now a senior designer at PSD) whom he met when both were working at Venturi, Rauch and Scott Brown.
   
   The decades following the Civil War were the period of America's "first real `summer,'" DaSilva writes. In the introduction, Michael Crosbie, who writes extensively about architecture for such publications as "Architectural Record," compares our time to the earlier period. "It harkens back to the age of grand houses by the sea..."
   
   Take Pepperwood, a 7,500-square-foot house which DaSilva designed (his wife collaborated) in Chathamport. "The client asked for a large house, but one that would not overwhelm the more modest suburban Capes and colonials of its post-war neighborhood," Crosbie writes.
   
   In speaking of his designs, DaSilva frequently mentions great architects of the past. In the case of Pepperwood he evokes John Soane and Edwin Lutyens, who was known for adapting traditional architectural styles in the early years of the 20th century. "The interior of this house is, in many ways, informed by the kind of things they did," he says.
   
   Playfulness and wit are traits that "make our projects fresh," DaSilva says. At Pepperwood this is expressed by repeating the gambrel roof shape of the front elevation throughout the house in whimsical details.
   
   DaSilva proved his versatility as a designer when he took on a radically different project-- a municipal restroom. "This was a challenging project," he says. It's on Chatham's town green. "Putting the rest rooms there, you don't want it to look like a camp structure." DaSilva used, of all things, a Greek temple as his model. "It's a simplified and more abstract version." (On the morning after the grand opening someone strung toilet paper across the portico with "Acrapolis" on it - the firm took this as a compliment!) PSDAB designed the building pro bono.
   
   Do PSDAB projects share common elements? DaSilva believes so. He mentions the firm's fastidiousness in orientation that takes advantage of natural lighting. While every site differs, "we try to have every major room have two exposures," he says.
   
   "Architecture" took about a year and a half to put together. Now, DaSilva says, "I want to put this book aside and create the work to go into volume two."

No comments about Visionary Architecture: Blueprints of the Modern Imagination.

5 comments about Introduction to Naval Architecture.

1. If you r looking for an entry point for Naval Architect this is the book to do so.
   A broad overview on Naval Architect topics that will highlight all its various areas of knowledge



2. "Introduction to Naval Architecture" provides a unique approach to ship design. Although this approach is quantitative and mathematically "intense", Gillmer also provides qualitative description within certain chapters. Ultimately, for the purposes of clarity and a definitive understanding of basic ship design, this work is best coupled with "Introduction to Naval Architecture" (E.C. Tupper), which provides a "descriptive" perspective. The Gillmer and Johnson referenece is highly recommended for those individuals who have prior knowledge of naval architecture, and a strong foundation in mathematics; otherwise, the aforementioned coupling of two references becomes necessary.
   
   Please note: This is my opinion as a high school Senior completing an independent research project within the field of naval architecture.



3. Purchased for my high school senior to do an independent study in Naval Architecture. The math was more advanced than he was prepared for, but it provides the a reasonable introduction to basic concepts he needs to understand.



4. This is a great text for everyone. I think Zubaly's Applied Naval Architecture does a slightly better job in presenting the coefficients, but in every other respect, this text is superior. Zubaly and this text are weak in the details of seakeeping, but there are several other specific seakeeping texts, namely Dynamics of Marine Vehicles by Battacharia (I know I misspelled his name)



5. With the possible exception of SNAME's "Principles of Naval Architecture," "Introduction to Naval Architecture" is the perfect introductory text for any naval architecture/marine engineering student. It includes brief but dense overviews of hydrostatics, hydrodynamics, ship structure, resistance, and propulsion. While there are more detailed texts for each of the above topics (again, SNAME's PNA does a good job as a reference, but not so much as a text, and Harvald's "Resistance and Propulsion of Ships" is THE text for that topic), it is the perfect source for equations, derivations, illustrations, graphs, and, most importantly, example problems. It's very hard to find any clear examples of NA problems in most texts - the examples in this book are worked through step by step, which makes comprehension a breeze. If you're studying or working in the field of naval architecture, this book is a necessary addition to your reference library.

No comments about Emerald Architecture: Case Studies in Green Building (GreenSource Books).