What is a Summer Vacation Without Some Good A&D Reads?

Whether you’re jet-setting or simply looking for a good read while at the park, these five recently released A&D books are ideal for brushing up on what’s new in the industry.

 

Understanding Green Building Materials

By Traci Rose, Stacy Glass, and Jessica McNaughton

 
 

Policies, procedures, and guidelines for sustainability constantly are re-iterated, but what about the building materials themselves? As countless new products and manufacturers are introduced, professionals want and need to know which ones rise to the top. This book summarizes the materials available, compares their pros and cons, explains how to use them properly, and outlines what to consider when making final selections. Green building products range from eco-friendly sheetrock to sustainable paint finishes, all outlined in a designer-friendly guide for those submerged in the green-build movement.

                                                      

 

How to Write a Historic Structure Report

By David Arbogast

 
 

The compiling of a historic structure report (HSR), the document critical to preservation professionals, can be daunting. The book assists architects in gathering historical and archival data about the property, analyzing the structural, mechanical, and electrical components, and assessing the condition of its interior finishes to expertly evaluate a historic building prior to restoration. A precise outline of what information should be included in each report section and an explanation of how investigators can work together to produce an effective HSR is provided, making this guide a must-have.

 

 

Greening Modernism

By Carl Stein

 
 

A serious shortage of building resources is the result of the unfortunate belief that there is an unlimited amount available. And the assumption that technology can act as a savior for any such self-created problem has proven itself to be false. In “Greening Modernism,” Carl Stein connects the impact of individual building design decisions to the global energy and environmental crises. Essential beliefs for contemporary ecological thinking are outlined, as well as basic information, to assist practitioners and students of architecture, engineering, planning, and environmentalism in building-upgrade projects. The book is not a how-to guide but does offer data and describes the environmental benefits to reducing the demand for energy and other limited resources. Post-petroleum opportunities for architecture are also suggested.

 

 

The Architecture of Harry Weese

By Robert Bruegmann

 
 

Take a look at one of America’s most talented postwar architects, Harry Weese. With a career that covered half a century, from the 1930s to the 1980s, his significant designs included small but very creative houses, as well as large urban-scale commissions. Although European modernist Mies van der Rohe was an inspiration to Weese, most of his work resembles that of Nordic architects, such as Gunnar Asplund and Alvar Aalto. He favored natural materials, human scale, and comfort, reflecting his respect for older buildings and unexpected design decisions. Weese applied his problem-solving abilities to pieces ranging from a single piece of furniture to an entire city such as his own, Chicago.

 

 

A History of Design from the Victorian Era to the Present

By Ann Ferebee and Jeff Byles

 
 

A brief overview of the modern milestones of architecture, interior design, graphic design, product design, and photography from the Crystal Palace of 1851 to the iPhone are surveyed in this book. Ann Ferebee and Jeff Byles trace modern design across continents and cultures, emphasizing key movements and design traditions. Design’s evolution through a century and a half includes Art Nouveau’s ornamentation, the “new visions” of the Bauhaus, the rise of the International Style, and postmodernism and contemporary currents in the graphic arts and landscape architecture. The impact of technical advances of industrial design, typography, and photographic portraiture also are accounted for.  

 

What new must-read suggestions do you have for your A&D peers? Share them in the comments below.

 

--Raysha Armbrustmacher

Smart Growth and New Urbanism Emphasized at a Green Drinks Networking Event

The Illinois Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) partnered with the Foresight Sustainable Business Alliance to promote sustainable communities at a Green Drinks networking event, hosted last week at the Haworth showroom during NeoCon® 2011. Doug Farr, author of “Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature” (John Wiley & Sons) and Chicago architect Jim Loewenberg urged attendees at the event to consider approaches to deploying scalable sustainability strategies, including district infrastructural systems, for urban environments.

By focusing on sustainable strategies with reasonable paybacks, they argued that green advocates and developers alike might work together to push past the policy and monopolistic utility practices that form barriers for business-minded developers to creating sustainable communities.

Farr chaired the LEED Neighborhood Development Core Committee that wrote the LEED-ND Standard, which was launched last year. The effort involved collaboration between the USGBC, the National Resources Defense Council and the Chicago-based Congress for New Urbanism. “It was their fist collaboration and brought together a very broad base of expertise on smart growth and new urbanism,” says Doug Widener, executive director of the USGBC Illinois Chapter.

-- Jean Nayar

Books for Thought and Design Inspiration

Looking for some reading material to get your gears turning and stave off springtime daydreaming at work? Then check out a new Web site, Designers & Books (http://www.designersandbooks.com/), that I was privvy to receive an announcement about.

The site offers a growing resource of book titles and essays from famed designers to inspire and keep A&D professionals on top of their game. The site also features a commentators section, complete with essays and book lists by well-known curators and critics. New books and lists are added every week (on Tuesdays), such as today’s installment entitled "Books Every Architect Should Read: Seeing Things as You Have Never Seen Them Before,” by New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger.

Other contributors include: Shigeru Ban, Michael Bierut, Tim Brown, Norman Foster, Milton Glaser, Jessica Helfand, Steven Holl, George Lois, Stefan Sagmeister, John Maeda, Isaac Mizrahi, Massimo Vignelli, Eva Zeisel, and more; while book subjects range from classic texts, such as Complexity & Contradiction in Architecture by Robert Venturi (which is cited on the most must-read lists), to literary works, such as Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace.

What are some of your favorite go-to reads and staple references that your fellow designers should scour through? Share them here with us.

--Stacy Straczynski

Summer Isn’t Over Yet! Top off Your Reading List with these A&D Books

“The Architecture of Patterns”

By Paul Anderson and David Salomon

  

Read this book and you’ll never find patterns monotonous again! Anderson and Salomon delve into the world of patterns, revealing their role in modern design, to expose the ephemeral and sensory qualities that are often masked by organization and form. The book offers captivating surprises as it unveils how patterns link seemingly disjointed categories, such as botany and graffiti or sensation and organization. The authors utilize past and present, drawing upon historical materials in addition to modern case-studies, in an effort to illustrate the prospect of patterns today. “The Architecture of Patterns” redefines patterns, illuminating their transient and sensory traits that are often overlooked. It offers designers an abundance of ways to showcase the unique traits of patterns and incorporate them into smart and innovative designs. 

 

“Basics Interior Design: Retail Design”

By Lynne Mesher  

 

It’s time to get back to basics with this straightforward and comprehensive guide to retail design. Everyone knows that innovation, consumer appeal, and a competitive edge are keystones to a successful retail store. This book describes how to craft spatially successful designs that cater to these aspects of the retail industry and create an irresistible commercial interior. You certainly won’t be one-upped by your neighboring store with this guide in hand. Mesher’s book is packed with illustrations, diagrams and case studies from students and professionals, which give that extra “umph!” of inspiration and visual grasp.

 

Look out for the second book in the Basics Interior Design series, “Basics Interior Design: Exhibition Design,” by Pam Locker, available in January 2011. This book will break down the complexities of exhibition design in a variety of fields including commercial trade fairs, museum galleries, visitor centers, and historic houses.

 

“The New Mathematics of Architecture”

By Thames & Hudson

 

Get out your calculator and graph paper everyone, because we’re going back to math class—although those basic tools are more than antiquated in comparison to what “The New Mathematics of Architecture” reveals. The book highlights recent advances in digital design, which in conjunction with physics and mathematics have allowed architects to design astonishing constructs that would have been unimaginable even in the recent past. Although the specifics of the physics and math may seem a bit daunting, the book is written in refreshingly clear text with accompanying illustrations from nearly 40 international projects. We’ve come a long way since the Parthenon, and “The New Mathematics of Architecture” celebrates the technology within the beauty of modern-day architecture.

 

“Building Brasilia”

By Thames & Hudson

 

After reading “Building Brasilia”, you don’t need to go to Brazil to feel like you’ve been there. Published in honor of Brazil’s 50^th anniversary, this book celebrates the building of Brazil’s capital city through a collection of contemporary photography. The work of architect and photographer Marcel Gautherot is showcased, and his ability to capture the many faces of the city is remarkable. The book features some of Brazil’s striking and cutting-edge constructs that display the modern, technological advances in architecture. 

 

“Catalogue of the Andrew Alpern Collection of Drawing Instruments”

By Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library

 

While today’s architecture may be dominated by computers and digital design labs, this catalogue of drawing instruments documents 300 years of incomparable drawing tools. Modern day architects and engineers accustomed to the computer mouse will gain new perspective when exposed to the “Catalogue of the Andrew Alpern Collection of Drawing Instruments.” While the tools are eloquently described for architects, draftsmen, and engineers, the photographs almost speak louder than the text, with breath-taking color photographs that highlight the details of the exquisite metals and luxurious cases. Although modern technology has made possible some of today’s most prized architecture, this catalogue allows us to thoroughly appreciate the past.       

 

--Zoe Namerow, editorial intern

Cool New Read

Every now and again a book comes along that reads much like a magazine (read: gorgeous visual images, shorter text and maximum flippability). Diva loves the new "Fashion Décor: New Interiors for Concept Shops," published recently by China-based Sandu Publishing and sponsored by Design 360 - Concept and Design Magazine.

A mix of new fashion retail store designs from around the globe. And the photos are gorgeous, highlighting some of the standout store designs from the past three years. Check it out today at Amazon.com.

--Diva, Display & Design Ideas

Attention Work-not-aholics!

By Gillian Wong, Editorial Intern

 Disguised as a gigantic book printed with Chinese characters, the Workaholic Pillow is actually a doublewide foam pillow that moulds to your head. Conveniently made into the format of a book, the Workaholic Pillow can be placed onto your office bookshelf, while your space retains that professional air that you took so long to create.

Unfortunately for true pretenders, the design is more appropriate for laughs than for deception: your boss may start suspecting something’s up if he or she sees the word “workaholic” printed on the back cover of this so-called book—or see that the pages you’re seemingly reading have no words on.

Of course, one could argue that the Workaholic Pillow is still comfortable to sleep on—desks can be very hard on the head.

However, the Pillow is a terrible 5,600 yen, or approximately $63.00. Surely there can be a cheaper way to get a giggle? And at a mere $24.99, you can get a decent pillow from Sealy too.

You can buy the Workaholic Pillow at geekstuff4u.com

What a house that would be!

 

Several blogs have already picked up on this, but here's a children's book we'd love to get our hands on: The Three Little Pigs, re-envisioned as Frank Gehry, Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright. It's the work of Steven Guarnaccia, head of the illustration department at Parsons. And here's another for the shelf: His previous retelling of Goldilocks with a Modernist slant.

People who need....design?

Here's a tidbit that came our way via Unbeige this morning and certainly caught us off guard: Barbara Streisand has contracted with Viking Press to write a book about design. Say what? It seems the showbiz legend has recently finished building her dream house, a Malibu, Calif.-based oceanfront compound, and she's ready to expand on the process as well as all sorts of other residential designs. The book, titled "A Passion for Design," is scheduled for fall 2010 and is, according to Streisand, the culmination of a lifelong love of architecture and design.

Book it over to NYSID on April 18

The New York School of Interior Design is having a book sale on April 18 where hundreds of new and gently used books on interior design and architecture will be up for grabs. Highlights include a set of exhibition catalogs from the Royal Academy in London; books by Mariette Himes Gomez, Judith Gura, and Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill; and a set of books on the reading list for the NCIDQ qualifying exam. There will also be magazines available, including a complete set of Nest: A Quarterly of Interiors, published from 1997 -2003.

The details:
Art and Design Book Fair
Saturday, April 18, 2009
10am - 2pm
Arthur King Satz Auditorium, New York School of Interior Design
170 East 70th Street (between Lexington and 3rd Avenues)
Free and open to the public  

When pictures come to life

Photo by Lars Klove for the New York Times

Here's something that make its way under a designer tree or two this holiday season. "Modern Architecture Pop-Up," by David Sokol (a contributing writer for Contract) and Anton Radevsky unfolds architectural gems right before your eyes. Among the folds: the Brooklyn Bridge; London's Crystal Palace; the Eiffel Tower; New York's Flatiron Building; FLW's Robie House in Chicago; Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye; Saarinen's TWA terminal; Gehry's Guggenheim Bilbao; Calatrava's Milwaukee Art Museum; and Foster's London "Gherkin" building.