Summer Reading

Number Four's summer reading consists of Architecture books-- propelled by his expressed desire to tackle that important field of study in college. We have researched and borrowed several books from the library, including several Inter-Library loans, and he has two favorites:

101 Things I Learned in Architecture School by Matthew Fredrick, 2008, The MIT Press.

Product Description

This is a book that students of architecture will want to keep in the studio and in their backpacks. It is also a book they may want to keep out of view of their professors, for it expresses in clear and simple language things that tend to be murky and abstruse in the classroom. These 101 concise lessons in design, drawing, the creative process, and presentation—from the basics of "How to Draw a Line" to the complexities of color theory—provide a much-needed primer in architectural literacy, making concrete what too often is left nebulous or open-ended in the architecture curriculum. Each lesson utilizes a two-page format, with a brief explanation and an illustration that can range from diagrammatic to whimsical. The lesson on "How to Draw a Line" is illustrated by examples of good and bad lines; a lesson on the dangers of awkward floor level changes shows the television actor Dick Van Dyke in the midst of a pratfall; a discussion of the proportional differences between traditional and modern buildings features a drawing of a building split neatly in half between the two. Written by an architect and instructor who remembers well the fog of his own student days, 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School provides valuable guideposts for navigating the design studio and other classes in the architecture curriculum. Architecture graduates—from young designers to experienced practitioners—will turn to the book as well, for inspiration and a guide back to basics when solving a complex design problem.

...and The Story of Architecture by Johnatahn Glancey, 2003 DK Books.

From the Publisher: From ancient Sumeria to the spectacular glass-and-steel towers of today's cityscapes, discover the history of world architecture in this refreshingly accessible volume, now in paperback format.

Structured chronologically - from 8000 BC to the end of the 20th century with special features devoted to the world's most influential and innovative architects, from Palladio to Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright.

An unprecedented collection of photographs, artworks and plans blends with sparkling prose to create a memorable story told with passion and insight. Written with authority and flair by one of the UK's most popular architecture experts, Jonathan Glancey, helping to demystify the world of architecture.