This internationally prizewinning volume now appears in its second, revised and expanded edition. Since the first edition was published in 2005, it has been adopted as a textbook at many universities.
Organized into chapters on 'Raw Materials/Building Materials (Modules),' 'Building Components (Elements),' 'Building Methods (Structures),' and 'Buildings (Examples),' the book now includes a new section on translucent materials and an article on the use of glass. The chapter on 'Building Elements' now includes a discussion of facades, and the chapter on 'Structures' has been expanded to cover 'Principles of Space Creation.' The examples section now includes extensive documentation of current projects whose systematic character is oriented around the production process.
Experience with the preceding edition has shown that the book has become an indispensable handbook for reference and reading not only for students and teachers but also for architects.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Outstanding
Excellent book, everything you wished to know about construction, it's there explained, in theory, in in technical drawings, and with images of contemporary buildings.
The way it is organized is very straightfoward, good index, with all themes and sub-themes making sense.
One of the buys of the year for me...
Rating: - The best student foundation book
I have reviewed many attempts at a comprehensive description of the complex subject of architecture, and this is the best. This book is far better than the exhaustively recommended Francis Ching (all due respect), and even better than Unwin's Architectural Notebook, which is also excellent. This is the very first book I would recommend for any serious architecture student. It covers tectonics and construction in elegant detail but, even more importantly, this book delves into the conceptual intentions ... Read More
Rating: - Essential book for architecture students and teachers
The English title might be misleading--this book is not about 'construction', but rather about what the Germans call Baukunst, the art of construction, or the art of 'putting buildings together', considering the spatial order as an inseparable part of that putting things together.
The book provides a structured approach to the basics of contemporary architectural composition, several essays introducing fundamental concepts and giving you the bibliography to go into them in detail (the key part is ... Read More
Rating: - Great resource
I purchased this book for a construction class and as an architecture student, I find it very helpful. The book is not a construction how-to and the images are not very detailed nor are any of the images in color, but it is a compilation of a variety of architectural examples that use different or innovative construction methods. A great supplement to a studio course for inspiration and incorporating interesting structure into projects.
- Great resource
