3 comments about Pamphlet Architecture 15: War and Architecture (Pamphlet Architecture).

1. The work of Lebbeus Woods has always fascinated me. From the initial shear beauty of his art of alternate built landscapes both familiar and alien to his in-depth commentary.
   
   This small book pulls some big punches, revealing the examined paper architectural propositions expressing the underlying spirit and intent of the buildings within their context, altered, re-revealed to that society's 'catastrophe.'
   
   Well worth a buy for students to Architects to all those wishing escapism back to simple truths, and to delight in the satisfaction gleaned. Only wish the inside images were colour!



2. Woods is as much philosopher and urban planner as architect in the traditional sense. His buildings rip open the landscape of the ordered grid, and also open new possibilities about what it means to inhabit a space. The functions of some of his ideas for buildings are obscure even to him. He is constantly trying to deconstruct the politics of architecture and it's place in history. He actively embodies Heidegger's idea that "dwelling means to recieve the sky", except in his dwellings it also means to recieve the ground, and to actively take part in constructing your world.



3. In this work I have seen the necessity for Woods' architecture to exist; where before I had only seen compelling drawings. Lebbeus Woods has dedicated this manifesto to the city of Sarajevo, and to all cities which bear the signs of armed conflict on their walls. He states that the emergence of a new architecture is especially crucial in Sarajevo where the architecture was the target of the attackers (from within) who meant to destroy the culture there in all of its manifestations. The architecture of that culture, the places of worship and of social congregation, became the primary target for the ethnic genocide. As much as the bodies of the people, the architecture was destroyed for its significance as the public body. Therefore it is the architecture which must give a physical presence to these atrocities. Woods makes it clear that it is the responsibility of the architecture to preserve the memory of the destruction- not in a sentimental or memorial manner- but in the same manner as the life of cities has been preserved through use and adaptation throughout history. The war is part of the reality of the place and therefore should not be erased. This work also resists the glorification of war of the Italian Futurists, and the `tabula rasa' erasure of existing conditions of the Modernists. This is a work which acknowledges growth and destruction in the same breath. It is existential in its acceptance of reality and its means of building with it.... not nihilistic. It is existential in that it knows no reality other than what is there, but is not fully convinced by its authority. It revels in the multitudinous nature of the contemporary world, of the present. Unlike the Modernists, Woods does not intend to reinvent the city but to allow the city to be more itself. This work, his infamous drawings, is an attempt to recognize the reality of a place through actualization of events.... By building in and upon the ruins he remakes them into the living substance of the city, leaving no trace unexposed.

4 comments about Ecological Design.

1. This was a great book. I received the books within a few days even though I had selected ground shipping. I would recommend to anyone with an interest in "green" building and design.



2. Everyday sightings in nature can be the basis for the designs we "create." This is especially true in the field of architecture and I am enjoying the book.



3. A new benchmark in ecological awareness. Sym van der Ryn has long been practicing ecological design, and draws on his wealth of experience to give readers many valuable insights into this growing practice. Van der Ryn warns readers to separate the wheat from the chaff as there are many persons claiming to be toeing the line when it comes to sustainable design, but few are actually doing it. What is needed is a whole new approach to eco-friendly architecture and planning development, not just more band-aids.

   The book takes a fairly general approach but there are numerous references for those really interested in pursuing the subject in more depth. He outlines his principles of ecological design which begins with gaining a better awareness of your locality, by looking into the ecological history of your community. Who knows your street may be where a stream once flowed, and that your storm drain in all likelihood flows into your water source, so be careful what you dump into it!

   Van der Ryn avoids the cliches and pieces together a compelling set of anecdotes and observations which will open you up the broad field of possibilities. The book is well researched and written, with the valuable assistance of Stuart Cowan, a former student of van der Ryn. It is imperative that we gain a better appreciation of our natural environment before adding any more to our built environment. Sustainable design is our only future.




4. This book is a good intro to the "why" of ecological design. It gives its informatiion in a non-technical way and explains the reasons we should approch design this way. I recommend it for all those involved with land and building design and development.

5 comments about Building Big.

1. This book is outstanding! It's informative, yet easy to read. I have used it as the textbook for my high school engineering class for two years, and the students love it!



2. I bought this book for my 6 year old son who is an avid builder. I knew that the text would be above his head, so I read the book before giving it to him so I could summarize the paragraphs for him. He asks to look at this book every night and loves it. This is not a picture book as it has a lot of text, but the pictures are well done, and he has gained some basic building concepts that he uses with his Legos and blocks. He likes to look at the book about how they build a structure (he is really fascinated by the Hoover dam and Petronas Towers) and they we look online at the completed pictures. It's a great book for older children (or if you want to take the time with a younger child to explain it) and I recommend it.



3. I gave this book as a gift to someone who loves and understands architecture. He found it most interesting. It contains many facts that are not generally know about large, historical structures.



4. David Macaulay takes the reader on a tour of some of the really big civil engineering structures of our time. Building Big has sections on Bridges, Tunnels, Dams, Domes, and Skyscrapers. Each part of the book describes the design and construction of from four to ten outstanding examples of the structure highlighted. The examples in each category are described in chronological order with some going back to the time of ancient Rome. The drawings that accompany the text are excellent at focusing on the details and techniques described. The integration of text and graphics is wonderful. In each case, Macaulay describes the design objectives, the interplay between the structure and the environment, and the engineering solutions used to bring the structures into being. This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in structural engineering and design. I have not seen the related PBS video series, but I can say that the book stands on its own very well. Highly recommended.



5. Macaulay fans are going to be amazed and impressed by this, his best book yet. It's a companion to the PBS series that's better than the films! A must see and better yet, must buy.

4 comments about History of Urban Form: Before the Industrial Revolution.

1. My professor introduced this book to us as the textbook for a core couse when I was reading for my Master degree in School of Architecture, University of Southern California in Los Angeles. I bought it for the class and I loved it and kept it with me ever since. It has many great line drawings to illustrate the city and urban planning and architecture in many different cultures throughout history. It enlightens you and encourages you to look at a design issue in a grand scale. Very powerful images. It'll show you how brilliant human beings can be.



2. this book is a wonderful introduction to understanding the origins of cities in human civilization. its extensive illustrations and photographs help to show the development of cities up to modern day. i am studying geography and found this book to be an invaluable text.



3. This book is seminal and contains a wealth of information. The 3rd edition is, however, severely fragmented with Islamic cities addressed in two unrelated chapters and Japanese and Chinese urbanism as annexures! captions and references are in a very small font, as are some illustrations, making them irritatingly difficult to read. But for an overview of pre-industrial urbanism ... a must buy!



4. the description said the book is still new, but it arrived stink and looking pretty old. overall, it's usable, but less than what i expected. the seller should have given better and more honest description. also, the packaging was really bad. not protective at all.

No comments about Shift: SANAA and the New Museum.

No comments about Cities People Planet: Urban Development and Climate Change.

1 comments about A Vision of a Living World: The Nature of Order, Book 3.

1. Alexander's long-awaited third book in the four-volume Nature of Order series finally provides a practical guide to creating great places based on his concepts of "centers", "wholeness" and "structure-preserving transformations."
   
   Page after page of photos and diagrams give weight to Alexander's process-oriented approach to building.
   
   This tome should be required reading for anyone who has wondered whether there is a way to reinvent our cities and suburbs away from "sprawl" and into vibrant, living places.

No comments about Lagos: How It Works.

1 comments about Reinventing Los Angeles: Nature and Community in the Global City (Urban and Industrial Environments).

1. Gottlieb is incredible! This easy to read book, was a requirement in one of my classes but honestly no need to require since its like reading a novel. What an awesome book!

No comments about Another City: Urban Life and Urban Spaces in the New American Republic.